Little Miss Sophie

Cat of the woodlands
Cat disguised as leaves, earth, and twigs

Raised as an infant with squirrels

She hides nuts and tiny balls and hair-ties

Raised by raccoons until she was weaned

She washes her paws and her strings
Leaving strings in her water-bowl so that they'll be cleaned

A scratch across her nose,

She was shoved and pushed from their nest
Crying and crying she landed on our back doorstep

Such beautiful, sweet eyes the color of an exotic sea

She made her way into the home of humans
And decided she was pleased

Here she remains the princess of all

The camouflaged and beautiful woodland cat
Who is adored by all

Dreams of Commodore

Commodore 2006

Dreamt of Commodore this morning.  He was beautiful again with his thick winter ruff and hair fluffed out for the cold morning air.  He came to me and I petted him and could hear his loud purr once again.

Falling Leaves

The leaves are steadily falling now.  I watched out the window as a flurry of them drifted past, spiraling down.  From a distance, the bright orange ones were indistinguishable from the orange butterflies I often see in my garden.
Orlan rediscovered the joy of playing in leaves, today. 
I was inside and heard the distinct sound of Flash, my father's cat, screaming.  I ran outside to find Orlan attempting to engage Flash in play in the huge collection of leaves beneath the viburnum, which marks the property line.  As I lifted a branch to see what was going on, I was surprised at how expansive the area beneath the viburnum had become.  It did look like a great place to hang out, perhaps even to fight over.  Flash and Orlan separated on my appearance and admonishments.  Then, as Flash tried to walk around to the back of the house, Orlan couldn't resist and made a kitten like hop to catch her.  So, I hopped towards him, and he went running and hopping all the way around the house, up the stairs to the deck, through the rungs of the kitchen chair I had propping up the backdoor (an incredible feat for a cat his size, who isn't exactly known for agility), and through the kitchen, purple bedroom, and into the suite bathroom.
Orlan just wants the other cats to play with him.  But, they all think he is weird, giant, and frightening.  When he catches them, all he does is give them these silky, soft bear-hugs.  Flash starts screaming  before he lays a paw on her.  If he comes within a foot of her, she starts growling or screaming.

Cat Andiron in Meridian, Mississippi

Storybook Characters and Wistlestops

Last Saturday, I attended the Whistlestop Weekend in Meridian, Mississippi.  It was at the old Soulé

machine works factory.  I was amazed at all of the storybook characters come to life that I encountered on this trip.  There is one person in particular that I just can't erase the image of from my mind.  She was a lady advocating for Geography lessons in the schools of Mississippi.  She had eyes that were too small for her face - really too small for her face.  I know this sounds strange, but it is not something I commonly see.  She was wearing a blue hat with a small net, partial veil.  Would that be '40s?  And a dark, royal blue dress to match.  Perhaps, she was trying to look international.  But, I just kept thinking, I've seen her in a cartoon before.  Maybe, one of those odd ones from the U.K.  She could have been a toad.  She could have been the sister of the mean administrator from the Harry Potter books. 
I also noticed father and son who definitely had Hobbit in them. Their proportions were uniquely short and stout.
It was an odd festival.  There were a few different loosely related focuses:  Steam engines; calliopes and various accordions; a few random antique cars; antique tractors; and blacksmithing and former craft industries of the local area.

I was little disappointed that the steam engines were running for the sake of running but not actually doing anything.  I once went to the truck crops festival, and a man there had a steam engine processing sorghum and selling sorghum syrup.  I had a sample of the syrup, and it was delisioso!  At another event, there was an engine being used to make flour.  My mother and I were compelled to buy flour.  Of course, I also bought it because I had never seen red wheat before and found that intriguing.  Unfortunately, the muffins I made with the flour were not discernibly red when they came out of the oven.
To the designers out there, you would have had field day buying up the old industrial light fixtures and artifacts, if they were for sale . . .

Mold for the Keys to the Castle

Man Andiron

Cat Andiron

Owl Andiron