Best friends come in all shapes and sizes. . . . . . . . .

 It's not a hard place for a rest when you have a bunch of soft friends

 to share it with during a storm!

I'm taking care of Ms. Nala next door again. She's being a sweetie and I get to 

cuddle twice a day. She's not happy with the nightly thunderstorms we've been

 having. . . . . .neither am I. Ever since the big oak tree in her yard was hit by

 lightning last year, she apparently looks for a place to hide when the booms

 and flashes start. 

This morning I found her here with her puppy friends, sweet!
How do your dogs and cats behave in electrical storms?

More about Nala. . . . . . . .

 Nala on my lap this morning.

When I agreed to take care of sweet Nala whilst her 'dad' went on vacation

for two weeks, I said I could manage to hop the fence twice a day through

 yesterday - then I would need a few days to prepare for Africa.

Another friend was going to start today and watch out for her through

 Sunday when her 'dad' returns.

Guess what, Nala and I have become such good friends I texted my neighbor

 yesterday and asked if I could continue through end of day Friday and he 

gave me a thumbs up! 

I've cared for Nala a few times before but perhaps not quite long enough to have

 her actually bond with me. Now we are best friends and she seems to love it when

 I arrive, greeting me with meows, twirling about my legs, and looking up at

the cat treats on the shelf knowing she'll soon have a couple to munch!!!

 She then climbs into my lap and we have a lovely cuddle with purrs and kneading

 biscuits, I tell her stories about the kitty I used to have, Ms. Tiny who was with us

 for a long 21 years!

Then a quick brush of her beautiful fur coat, and out on the sun porch for the day

so she can watch birds and squirrels from the windows.

She is a very sweet cat and no trouble at all.

Oops, it's after 5:30 pm. Time to hop the fence and go for some cuddle time!

Today I've just about finished my packing for Kenya, written overdue e-mails,

 ordered a new camera, baked lemon zucchini muffins, and prepped salmon, fresh

 picked garden tomatoes, and salad for supper.

 Not a bad day at all.

Someone else's cat. . . . . . . .

This is Nala my neighbor's cat. She's all mine for a couple of weeks while
 he's up north on vacation in Massachusetts. I hop the garden fence 

twice a day to feed, water and scoop, share a treat, and chat for a while.
Nala is a big, shy, quiet girl. I love that she meows when I enter the
 house, then proceeds to the door of the sunroom telling me she wants to
 spend a lazy day in there, obviously bird and squirrel watching. 
I took this photo and sent it to her 'Dad', telling him, in her words, how well
I was doing my cat-sitting job, and that she missed him!
He seemed pleased to get the text. He loves this cat despite the fact he
was only keeping her supposedly for a short while - she belonged to his 
daughter's college roommate who perhaps didn't love her quite as much.

 Ms. Nala has now been a guest for well over two years. . . . . .

. . . . . . . and meanwhile lucky me gets to pick my neighbor's tomatoes 
whilst he's gone. Life is good. 

The 'money cat'. . . . . . . . . .

I love cats but haven't had one of my own for a long, long time. 

My last feline friend was Tiny - a beautiful long-haired, bushy-tailed, part 

Maine Coon, who ruled lived in our home for twenty one years. We still miss her.

This is Nala, my neighbor Bob's big cat. 
She belonged to his daughter's college roommate. When she could no 
longer keep Nala at school, Bob was asked if he could take her for a little while. 
That time has lengthened into its second year but Bob doesn't seem to mind.
This weekend while he went out of town on a golfing trip I agreed to be the 
'kitty sitter', popping in to feed, water and scoop. I also handed out probably 
far too many treats - Ms. Nala really needs to start watching her waistline!

Nala, a calico, has beautiful coloring in her glossy fur, and her eyes are green.

Calico cat facts/genetics are really interesting - go HERE to read more.

I found her to be very shy with me, perhaps because I'm a stranger. 

Don't think she's used to having her portrait taken either - it was hard to get

 her to look up at the camera - but she was very sweet.

Folklore, in some cultures, says that calico cats, who are almost always female,

 bring good luck! Here in the US they are often referred to as money cats - perhaps 
I need a new feline friend of my own!

I know some of you share your home with beautiful cats.

Does anyone have a sweet calico girl?

Before I close, I also have to show you the cats I met on Sunday afternoon.
These are farm cats. They live at my favorite country place to visit when 
preparing to decorate with some Autumn colors.
More on the Johnson's Farm soon - it was a perfect day weather wise for a 
visit. We'll be leaving on a trip soon and I felt the need to buy my pumpkins 
early. I'll store them in a cool place and have them waiting for me when I get 
home. By then I'll be ready to do a little seasonal decorating around the cottage.

This was definitely a weekend full of cats for me.