The kittens love to play among my mother’s flowers. And sometimes, they like to just sit there and look pretty. :-)
The Re-Farmer
kittens
Feisty Teeny Tabby!
A Productive Day
Today turned out to be a nice and productive day, despite the rain this morning.
After driving my younger daughter to work, my older daughter and I went to the city to do the rest of our monthly shopping. An unplanned stop at Walmart, where I got some canning supplies I hope to use to preserve chokecherries, though I have yet to decide what I will be doing with them; a quick trip to Costco – or at least as quick as any trip to Costco can be! – and then to the grocery store we discovered after our last trip. We had lunch before we started that last bit of shopping, going through their kitchen area, for some Chinese food. To be completely honest, it was hardly the best Chinese food we’d ever had, but it’s been so long, it was absolutely amazing! Talk about hitting the spot!
Of all the things to miss about city living. The dizzying variety of ethnic fast food! :-D
We took advantage of the incredible international sections of the store to get a few things we normally wouldn’t – including a couple of ingredients for something I want to try that I will save for its own post. We haven’t been doing a lot of cooking in the heat we’ve been having, and pretty much no baking at all. Our sourdough starters, sadly, did not survive. The Rye of SourOn was the first to go, and even though my daughters were using Sir Sour Alot almost every morning to make hotcakes, in double batches, it basically went black over one hot and muggy night.
When things start to cool down later in the year, and we’re not doing so much yard work, we’ll get another Alaskan sourdough going and start baking again. Until then, we stock up on bread at Costco and freeze most of it. We’ve been going through bread rather quickly, since no one wants to cook in the heat, so we’ve been having lots of sandwiches! :-D
For now, the less time in the kitchen, the better, which means our grocery shopping trips are filled with more things that can be eaten cold, or with minimal cooking.
We finished early enough that we went straight home to unload before heading back into town to pick up my daughter from work. We were able to make a stop at the beach in the process.
It was much windier at the lake, and the water was so choppy!
Some people even braved the waves!
I’m not sure I would have been willing to do that, but then, I’m not a very strong swimmer.
The water gets so murky when it’s like this! Not that it’s ever clear, given how shallow it is, but on days like this, it’s pretty opaque!
The weather had cleared up around our area by then, so after we got home, I went straight to mowing the outer yard. I’m still mowing a drive-able path to the second gate. We have yet to fix the barbed wire gate. I’ve decided not to make another barbed wire gate, and will instead pick up some fencing wire to use instead.
Now that we have power to the barn, and my brother fixed the melted plug end of the line to the storage shed, I should make a point of going around the areas I mow with the weed trimmer. Though I will not be focusing on the outer yard for clean up, other than what’s essential, I also don’t want to give things a chance to get overgrown where we need to access them. Tall grass is one thing. Nettles, burdock, thistles and self-sown trees are something else entirely!
After I finished with the mowing and was coming back to the house, I noticed Butterscotch’s kittens were out. I got some cat kibble for the kittens and refilled the water bowl by where Beep Beep has her babies. Beep Beep’s kittens were out, too, but only the tuxedo stayed out while I was around, and did not like me being there. So I went back to Butterscotch and her babies as they ate. I actually got to pet the teeny tabby! That itty bitty kitty is turning out to be the braver of the lot. Unfortunately, none of my attempts to get photos turned out. Ah, well.
The fridge and cupboards are stocked up, the freezer is full, the outer lawn is mowed, and I got to pet a kitten.
All in all, it’s been a good day. :-)
The Re-Farmer
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Kitty videos
Got a bunch of short kitten videos for you to enjoy!
The first three were taken today.
Butterscotch and her kittens – with a cameo from Rolando Moon.
Beep Beep does love climbing trees! None of the others quite match her – though one of her babies is trying!
Trying to convince a kitten that the big, scary human is really okay. A few times, it would stretch out, snuffle my fingertip, then hiss at it! :-D
This next video was taken a few days ago.
Those bright, bright eyes! :-D
The Re-Farmer
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Two sets of kitties!
While doing my evening walk around the yard, I ended up spending almost an hour, near the kittens. I had brought out some cat food, and refilled the old pot that I am using for water near the garden shed, then just hung out.
So did the mosquitoes.
It was worth it.
Butterscotch’s kittens love an exposed root, sitting on it or stretching themselves out along its length. So I put a bit of cat kibble on it.
There are only two in this photo, but for a while, both calico/trourties, and the teeny tabby, where eating with their mom. The bigger tabby showed up later.
Beep Beep’s kittens enjoyed some kibble, too, but weren’t too sure about my being nearby! So they hid under one of the old car seat/benches.
I suppose it’s a good thing we aren’t planning to clear this junk away anytime soon, because they love climbing all over it.
Speaking of climbing…
That little tuxedo takes after it’s mother!
I took some video, too, and am uploading it right now. I’ll include those in another post. :-)
The Re-Farmer
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Kittens video
As promised, here is the video I took this morning.
We just got back from city shopping, just in time for a thunderstorm to start rolling in.
Turning off the computer now! :-D Just in case!
The Re-Farmer
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Morning kitties
After not seeing Beep Beep’s kittens for a while, I began to think she had moved them again.
I was right.
This morning, I caught some movement out our bedroom window and saw Beep Beep in one of the big maples by the old garden shed. I called my husband’s attention to her, and that’s when he spotted a kitten!
The tuxedo was up in the tree, too!
So when I went to feed the outside cats, I brought food over to where Butterscotch’s kittens are, then left some for Beep Bee’s kittens, in front of the garden shed.
Then I waited.
I also got video. It’s uploading right now and taking a while, so I might not have a chance to post it before I head into the city for our big grocery stock up trip.
So here are some stills for now.
I sat at the picnic table, and Beep Beep came to say hello. :-)
She was torn between demanding pets, and checking out the bowl I use to carry the kitty kibble.
Rolando Moon also showed up.
Oh, she’s a mean one! She hisses at the other cats and bats at them fairly regularly, which I normally don’t interfere with, but when she starts hissing at the kittens, I step in!
So she went over towards the garden area and began rolling in the dirt next to a gooseberry bush.
While taking video, I was very surprised to see an orange kitten come out!
Now I need to figure out; is this Beep Beep’s mystery third kitten? Or did one of Butterscotch’s babies come to visit?
Butterscotch had come over, too, and I started to see her kittens coming closer, too. Including her teeny tabby.
So if the teeny tabby is adventuring this far out from where Butterscotch has put them, the bigger one is certainly able to go right in.
There are so few distinguishing characteristics, it’s hard to say.
The tuxedo did not come out at all while I was outside.
Oh, they are so cute!!
The Re-Farmer
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Cute kitten overload!
I noticed that Butterscotch’s kittens tend to be out and about later in the day, so I decided to head out and see if they would be out again.
They were!
Oh, they are so cute!
Unfortunately, the light makes for some poor photos. I tried taking video, and the image quality sucked. These are the best of the photos I was able to get.
When I first came out, they were quite far afield! One of the orange kittens had gone as far as the garage.
There is a significant size difference between the two orange ones.
The tinier one was in the planter near the outhouse, falling asleep, until I got too close for its comfort – though I did almost come close enough to touch!
I use the weed trimmer around the yard, in preparation for mowing, and went further in between the bushes between the old dog house and the outhouse then usual. They seemed to like the newly cleared areas.
The little orange one, and this calico, both looked like they could barely stay awake! :-D
For a while, I was kind of playing with the larger orange kitten while it was on the other side of the tree, on that tire. Butterscotch kept putting herself between me and her kittens, demanding I pet her, and ended up on the tire as well. Her kitten immediately started going for her tail. When I had the chance, I started wiggling my fingers around the tree, and it went for them. <3 That was all it was willing to put up with, though!
This brave little one climbed higher for a better look at me. :-D
Sooo sleeeeepppyyyy…
Tired baby!
I am hoping they will start feeling more confident and let us play with them. I really want these to be less feral than the rest of the outside cats!
The Re-Farmer
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Kitten Kibble
While topping out the outside cats’ bowls with kibble, I decided to leave a bit extra beside the old dog house for Butterscotch. There’s some old carpet that was dumped there that the kittens climb all over, and that’s what I put the kibble on.
While doing my nightly walk around the yard this evening, I saw the kittens, digging into a fold of the old carpet, trying to find some last pieces of kibble! The kittens are eating solid food now. :-)
Then Butterscotch came out and went over to me for some pets, before going to the food bowls.
So I got more kibble for the kittens.
Soon, Butterscotch was back with them, and they were all eating kibble!
One finished before the others and decided to explore. This one actually came fairly close to me – but not too close!
They’ll get used to me, eventually. :-D
I knew zooming in with my phone to take pictures wasn’t going to be the best, so I took some video, too.
Unfortunately, I was being eaten alive by mosquitoes!
So I didn’t stay long.
The Re-Farmer
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Getting closer!
While doing one last walk around the yard at the end of the day, while there was still enough light, I got to say hello to Butterscotch by the food bowls. I was even able to give her some cat treats. Then Rolando Moon showed up – it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen her! – and even she got a few treats.
I decided to see what would happen if I went around the house and just sat in the grass, near where Butterscotch’s kittens are.
When Butterscotch noticed me there, she came running over for pets, mrrr’ing and meowing away.
At the sound of their mother, one of the orange kittens came running out of the bushes, almost right up to me, suddenly seemed to notice me, then ran back to the edge of the bushes! Three other little kitty faces also began peaking at me.
I stayed for perhaps half an hour. I had Butterscotch enthusiastically rubbing against my arms, demanding pets, while the kittens watched. After a while, they became comfortable enough to play with each other, eventually all coming down near the edge of the bushes. Rolando Moon came by, but she clearly does not like the kittens! She hissed when she saw them. One of the orange kittens really wanted to go to Rolando Moon, though, and at one point, got really close. When Rolando Moon started hissing and growling, I got up to shoo her away. Rolando Moon has attacked the other cats, and I didn’t want to take a chance she would hurt one of the kittens, even if it meant I scared the kittens into their wood pile in the process.
Thankfully, they did come back out again, and I even got to touch a couple! Butterscotch was on the wood pile and I went over to pet her. The kittens kept popping their heads out to watch, in between playing with each other. One even went for my fingers. :-D
They were so adorable!!
The Re-Farmer
The Re-Farmer 