Quiz: Guess Who?

There may be more than one picture per cat, there may not be an equal number of pictures per cat, and spelling counts!

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Happy Yard Boy

Grinning from ear to ear behind that beard.

Why is my yard boy happy? Because he found out he is allowed to water his outdoor plants. We are now on our 26th day without rain. The temp today is predicted to be 104*F; this will be our 9th day over 100*F. All this is pretty unusual for SC; we are typically not over 100* and expect daily afternoon showers. Water restrictions were announced a week or two ago; no watering of lawns (except twice weekly between 9 pm and 5 am) and no car washing. Apparently some people were ignoring it so now they've announced fines.

Saeed, ever the honest one, has stood by watching his plants cope with the lack of water. He tried once to go out during the prescribed hours but it was pitch black and he couldn't see anything. Yesterday he called to inquire what defined a "lawn;" since we have no grass perhaps ours wasn't a lawn in the traditional sense. The ban apparently is not against hand watering with a hose, since that involves small areas for short periods of time. Hallelujah! Too bad he didn't find this out 26 days ago.

This bush, which was ill to start with, is a goner.

Our elephant ears back in July ....

.... now.

Our baby dogwood tree with it's tag still on.

From top to bottom of picture you can see the ivy as it grows out from under the shade tree into the sun... dark green to light green to brown.

Happily, some of our plants have done well. Saeed has tried to plant some things that are hardy.

Our magnolia tree is doing fine. I just took this picture because these cones are so cool. They're big and fuzzy and drop to the ground to spread their seeds. Wish I had taken a picture of the beautiful white flowers two months ago.

An hour later... still grinning. He does love his plants.

I'm happy to say that the forcast for tomorrow and the next week involves rain. We'll see if they're right.

The Stare Down

Don't let this innocent pose throw you off. There's a reason this chubby girl has squeezed herself between the the posts.
Aha! Banu is down at the bottom of the stairs seemingly sitting politely, however...

... there's actually a stand off at the OK Corral. Before I interrupted with my camera there was an intense stare down opposed by an equally intense stare up. Banu could easily run up before Lupe could extricate herself from the bannister posts, but apparently that's not how this game works.

Our Lives Begin To End The Day We Become Silent About Things That Matter.

Another one of my heroes is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
(Thich Nhat Hanh was the first I wrote about on July 22.)

He was blessed with the gifts of eloquence and conscience. We all know he had faults, but he can be credited with "walking the walk" and with putting his life on the line. Not long ago I finished a book he wrote called, Why We Can’t Wait. It recounts not only the Birmingham campaign but also examines the history of the civil rights struggle and the tasks that future generations must accomplish to bring about full equality for African Americans specifically and the oppressed generally. Dr. King's eloquent analysis of these events propelled the Civil Rights movement from lunch counter sit-ins and prayer marches to the forefront of the American consciousness. I wasn’t sure I could part with this book but someone wanted it and I thought perhaps spreading his ideas instead of hording them was a better choice. I may purchase a copy to put next to my other books of consequence.

King heard a lecture on Mahatma Gandhi and the nonviolent civil disobedience campaign that he used successfully against British rule in India. He eventually became convinced that the same methods could be employed by blacks to obtain civil rights in America. He was particularly struck by Gandhi's words: "Through our pain we will make them see their injustice."

At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. I wish he had had more time to do his work. There aren’t enough of us fighting for the needs of the oppressed, the weak, those in poverty. Are we complacent because we’re comfortable? Are we any more tired or busy than he was? Are we in any more danger than he, a black man in the 50’s and 60’s, was? Simply put, most of us just don't have what it takes.

I encourage you to read some of his books. Till then, a few quotes:

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it.

The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.

The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.

I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.

I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist? An extremist for love, truth and goodness.

Aaaargh! Don't Drink That Water!

My old buddy Kim once gave me a coffee mug that said, "Another cup for my cat to drink out of when I'm not looking." In fact she named her cat "Jose" after her (then) new kitten was found to be dipping his paw to the bottom of her Jose Cuervo and licking the tequila off his paw.
As teetotallers we are still not off the hook. Observe the dippers at work. Advise: never set your glass down and walk away.

Banu:

Lupe:

Perhaps the problem in drinking out of the designated water bowl is that we have swimming mousies and swimming rubberbands at our house. I'm not sure how I feel about the kitties sullying their own drinking water and then seeking out mine.

This used to be a floating candle; Shirin made it for me last Christmas. I tried to float a candle in it but it kept getting in Obi's way.

And here's Gabriel's Christmas present to us two Christmases ago. It serves its pupose well as a drinking fountain, but apparently it's also just fun to watch. Frosty:

Tippy:

Calvin:

Hello Global Warming!

I know Rock Hill doesn't have the hottest weather in the nation but we've had a few 100+ degree days (six) recently, more than I remember for this area in recent history. We've actually had to go on water restriction, a familiar practice but not in recent summers. A normal flow of weather? Probably, but when you see all the news about global warming you feel like you're living it.

Here's a picture of our yard:

© SaharaMet / R. Pelisson

Ahhh............... now this looks more like it!

photo courtesy of http://www.firstpeople.us

Best Salsa Ever

Saturday evening we went to an off-broadway show in Chicago called "Forbidden Broadway." It was written by a guy (can't remember his name) who has written many known Broadway shows, but this show pokes fun at all the others. I've never seen actors change costumes so fast so many times. The four actors were very talented and it got lots of laughs.

After the show we ate at a restaurant called "Uncle Julio's Hacienda" on North Ave. in Chicago. Talk about atmosphere and great food!

Pictures never do justice to what you see when you're there. This restaurant is decorated in what looks to me to be authentic Mexican design. Those of you who've been to Mexico can correct me if I'm wrong.

The salsa here is the best I've ever had anywhere. I decided I didn't care if I got full on it because I couldn't imagine my entree tasting better than that. Couldn't even stop eating for a photograph.

The tortillas were made right there, so when they arrived with the meal they were fresh and hot. The Mexican man making these ran away when I told him I wanted to take a picture. At the time I figured he was just shy, but in retrospect I think he may have been illegal and didn't want his picture taken for that reason. Who knows. He disappeared very quickly.

The bar was inside these arches; the tortilla machine is in the right arch.

Poor Minnie. She can't clean herself quite as well as she used to so Martha has to do come serious brushing to remove the clumps of fur that matt up.

Cinnamon lets her do it but boy does she complain about it.

She looks relaxed, but she's cussing Martha out big time!

This is the last of the pictures from Illinois. I had a great time.

Bad Kitty

Over the many years that I've known Cinnamon she has always exhibited superior performance (we won't mention her behavior on the way to the vet.) She doesn't scratch the furniture, she doesn't ever miss her litter box, she eats whatever Martha feeds her, she doesn't hiss or scratch, and generally lets you do anything you want to her.

Well, as the owner of very naughty kitties myself I'm happy to report that Minnie has turned over a new leaf. She has learned (from her stays at Grandma's house I'm told) to seek out human food! (horrors!) Here she is caught in the act. Martha and Ken had grilled some hamburgers on their indoor grill and you-know-who was caught in the sink cleaning up the spatula!

She realizes she's been caught!

She attempts to make a hasty retreat...

...but gets caught by the photographer before she can get down!
Sorry Cinnamon - I've exposed your secret!

Since Saeed and I never go to the movies it's always a treat to go with M & K when I visit. Ken tends to like action flics, Martha likes more cerebral flics, and I like both so I'm always happy. This time we saw The Bourne Ultimatum and the last time we saw the new James Bond movie, so Martha definitely gets to pick our next movie.

After a fast-paced movie with lots of action we went for a fast-paced dinner with lots of action: CiCi's pizza. It was Saturday night and the place was packed with families and lots of LOUD kids. After our meal we headed out the door for some peace and quiet (but the food is yummy.)

M & K are now the proud owners of the "Dutch Star," their new home-away-from-home. On the outside it appears to be about the size of a bus but when you get inside it feels so much bigger.

This picture is supposed to show how deep it is but I'm actually still in front of the bed; the bedroom is still behind me in this shot. There are two bathrooms, one to the left behind the frosted glass and one to the right behind the wooden door. There's also a washer and dryer on board.

Martha poses in her new kitchen with the countertops better than anything either of us has in our own kitchens at home. To the right is the kitchen table that can seat more people when pulled out. Of course Ken is in the process of setting up all the electronic gizmos they own so you can still see some unfinished areas as he pulls it all into working order.

Here Martha has her co-pilot's chair turned around facing the back of the home. Ken has his hand on his driver's seat and that white curtain covers the front window. My descriptions don't do it justice; take my word for it - it's one amazing piece of vehicle genious!

More pictures tomorrow!