Humid 'Dog Days' of August -

Mornings with fog and a whiff of delightful coolness in the air. Doesn't last long 

though as the humidity seeps through with the harsh rays of the August sun.

Early, whilst the neighborhood is 'sleeping in', I cross the damp grass

 in my Nike 'pool shoes'. I don't have the pool but love those slip on sandals

 in the garden as I can hose them off, even run them under the faucet, 

to easily keep them clean!

Ms. Nala, in my care for a few weeks, waits patiently for breakfast and 

 now and again, plops on my lap and permits a cuddle for a few minutes, 

purring loudly. It always takes about a week for her to do this when

 I'm cat sitting, cats are like that.

Bees, bunnies and noisy cicadas are busy.

Our baby bunny is growing fast and is now almost as big

as his mama. He's not shy and will allow me to walk close by 

for a "hi little one, how are you today" chat. 

Who knew cicadas had such lovely colors close up - they are dull and grey 

from a distance.

Robust looking American robins are everywhere now the figs are

 ripening. . . . . . in the tree nibbling and on the ground nibbling again 

when fruit fall to earth. They really love figs, and they love water breaks

on hot days.

Celeste fig harvest is awesome again this year. We've picked pounds

and shared with neighbors, friends, the mail carrier, and the gardener we've 

employed to help with some backyard work this week.

I'm eating some fresh from the tree, and this week will most likely bake

 these really yummy fig frangipane pastries. Click HERE for the easy recipe

shared back in 2015!

My neighbor's large tomatoes are wonderful now and I'm harvesting

 several daily. Whilst he's away I get to pick and eat as he insists

 they're 'our' tomatoes! Today I plan to make panzanella, that great

 Italian salad I first enjoyed in Cortona, Tuscany so many years

ago. It will use up some of the last basil from the garden and the

 few days old bread - Italian style with rosemary and olive oil - we try

 not to waste good food around here.  

Hope your week is going well.

Mine will continue to be busy by the looks of it. . . . .something penciled

in on the calendar for each day.

Sizing up the cats -

These cute brothers recently moved in with my friend Vanessa - she went

 to adopt one and ended up with two - they are adorable and it's wonderful

 knowing they are staying together. 

I love all cats. On my first safari trip to Africa in 2010 I was amazed to get this

close to the leopard and took many photos of this beautiful boy in Botswana.

 Sitting quietly in the open vehicle I was able to watch him close by in the tree,

and when he climbed down and walked calmly away along the trail he wasn't

bothered by us at all, thankfully!

On a trip to Kenya in 2015, this young male leopard named Twig

 was seen often during our game drives. . . . . . .

. . . . . . . but this morning I'm with Nala, my neighbor's cat. I can tickle her ears, 

and perhaps have a cuddle, always nice!

We are preparing for our first travel away from home since

the start of the pandemic. It feels odd not having packed a suitcase

in so long. I'll keep you posted.

A perfect late August morning. . . . . . . .

After all the rain, heat and humidity, last night was a lovely night.  

Turning the a/c off, sleeping with the windows open, feeling the temperature

 drop to the mid-fifties, and waking to a breeze. . . . . perfection!

 This morning, walking through the sparkling dewdrop grass in sandals felt good.

I went next door to feed Ms. Nala cat - doing this until Sunday when her person

 returns from vacation. Brushed her well, put her out in the sunroom where she

 happily watches birds and squirrels, and I will return early evening and take

 her in for the night.

I sat here on the front porch from 7:00 - 8:00 AM - watching the birds and

 squirrels active in the fig tree as I enjoyed my coffee - breathing in

real fresh air for a change.

 I found this newly hatched large moth or dragonfly (?) this morning - can anyone

 identify it please. Don't think it's a moth with those transparent wings. It's about 1.5" 

in length. 

Edited: Thanks Donna and Jane - this is of course a cicada,

 I'd forgotten those noisy creatures looked like this!

My hydrangeas were sad this Summer, very few blooms on any of the bushes.

Today I found this one which is usually blue but is now this color, pretty but I prefer blue.

Perhaps the pH of the soil has changed with so much rain - soil needs to be acidic 

with a pH of 5.5 or lower to keep the blooms blue. I may need to treat

the soil with Espona Organic Soil Acidifier which I missed doing this year.

The sunflowers from LIDL are still looking awesome. Today I need to

 change the water and add fresh greenery which will see them

  happily through the weekend.

Here's to a great weekend everyone - hoping you have lovely 

weather at your home.

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?

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.