how now brownpau
Spent some of Natal Day weekend in early August at Cole Harbour Kiwanis Park on the shores of Morris Lake, looking at ducks.
…and watching fireworks over the Harbour on Sunday night.
More on Natal Day, a holiday to commemorate the founding of Halifax.
Best picture to come out of Smoky’s recovery shirt era was this shot of her sitting at the table with her paws out like a person looking startled.
Might work for a an image macro template?
Been a while since a cat of mine has been a famous meme but this might have potential.
Got Smoky spayed, which, while good for her longterm health as a nonbreeding domestic indoor cat, of course made her quite unhappy. I felt bad dropping her off at the vet that morning.
The procedure went smoothly and I was able to pick her up after lunch, tired and woozy from post-op drugs.
We got her a recovery shirt to spare her the discomfort and indignity of a cone, but she’d grown quickly since we last fitted it on her and it turned out to be too small and tight.
Fortunately we were able to get a bigger recovery shirt. (In pink, too.)
Amelia was very gracious to Smoky through her recovery — possibly Smoky was too drowsy from painkillers to bother Amelia as much.
Followup vet examinations found she needed an extra week to heal so she stayed in the recovery shirt a bit longer, and I had to apply ointment to the scar — not an easy feat with a scratchy bitey kitty.
Just over three weeks after surgery she was fully healed and we could take off the recovery shirt. (Some swelling remained and the fur over the scar would take a bit longer to grow back, but she seemed fine and was no longer scratching or licking at it.) One thing, though: at surgery they found fleas on her! I’ve had to apply a topical treatment to the back of her neck — and to Amelia’s as well. Hoping that handles it before the fleas migrate to us humans.
I continue to collect more photos of Smoky the Kitten’s first year here.
Turns out you can totally get dog toys for an especially rowdy kitten to play with. Here’s Smoky with a DogIt Baby Giraffe Rope Toy
…and a Fat Cat Classic Incredible Strapping Yankers Trout:
Even Amelia got interested in the trout:
(Sadly I have been unable to find a Rowdy Trout.)
Hi from the beach.
And later that day, hi from the fair.
And I guess that’s why Nova Scotia is “Canada’s Ocean Playground.”
Neighbour’s kids found these dark-eyed junco chicks in a nest on the ground under a toy in their backyard:
The bird mom hovered nearby, chirping aggressively. Wondering if she’s the same junco that was hanging around our backyard a lot last year.
Another day of picking strawberries on a U-Pick farm up in the Annapolis Valley.
We also walked along the beach at Blomidon Provincial Park on the shores of the Bay of Fundy, and went up to Blomidon Lookoff for ice cream and a scenic valley view.
As I mentioned when we got her, Smoky was advertised as being a Maine Coon mix, of which I’m somewhat doubtful: it’s a fairly well-controlled breed, she doesn’t have the size or weight, and her ears lack long end tufts. But sometimes she will turn her head just so and her face and eyes take on this extremely feral look, and the large, strong snout and whiskers become prominent, and I think, hmm, maybe there is more than a bit of Maine Coon in there.
This guy is now seven. Seven!
Peeking out from the deck at the neighbours.
Smoky is very flexible and is able to bend through non-Euclidean space.
She got in my pants.
She’s kicking and biting my hand. (Note the older wound, also from her.)
Cuddling up to Amelia on an IKEA POANG armchair.
Second vet visit went well.
I continue to collect more photos of Smoky’s first year here.