The Catch

Conversation on Thursday afternoon with my Dad went something like this:

Dad: 'Hows the cat?'

Me : 'Good, but hasn't caught any rabbits since February - must be getting old!'

So on Friday morning this is what I found under my bed:



Rigor Mortis had set in, so I picked it up with a plastic shopping bag. I was surprised at the size of it. For one, all previous rabbits the cat has brought in have been a quarter of the size - just babies. This one was as just as big as her!

AND she would have had to bring it through the cat door - no mean feat at this size dragging it in her mouth!!

I popped it on the outside table and encouraged her to get into the photoshoot. Kassia hates her photo taken, but I did manage to get two before she lost interest... The first re-acquainting herself with her catch the night before, but not showing any real interest as it was no longer moving!

And this one showing you the size of the rabbit in relation to the cat. So this was quite a catch for her!!!

So - now I know she listens to my phone conversations! She only has 4999 rabbits left to catch!!

No Place like Home!

Thought it was time I updated the photos of my new home now the lawn is sown, growing an bright green!  It's so nice to look out on that, rather than the brown weeds that was there before, but it's taking a bit of work.  My shrubs I planted at teh beginning of winter are up, and my vege garden is growing well.  So all up I'm really pleased.  I've been in the house for 10 months now - how time goes so fast!  Here's the house with the street view....  Look at that bright green lawn, and the beautiful vineyard right next door!

Here it is again without the messy garage showing. As you can see no plots of sections around my house have yet sold. I'm quite happy about that, but even if they do sell, it's not going to have much impact on my property as I face out to the vineyard, so I'm very private.

This is the side of my house (west). I've made that garden leading up to the front door a rock garden, with river stones from the local Wairau River. The barter system is alive and well down here. I bartered the rest of my red bricks, for a few trailer loads of river stones. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. You can also see the nice long line of lawn leading up to the back. I'm pleased with that - makes me think of some of the gardens of national significance I visited during the week of Hunters Garden Marlborough. On a much bigger scale of course, and naturally I don't have the lawn tennis, summer houses, or olympic sized pools! Will have to win lotto before I get those!

This is the deck looking over to the vineyard. That's Mum drinking a beer at midday as she had just cut the lawn and was hot. She wasted the beer though, as a bug flew into it. What a bugger! Kass the cat is trying to get out of the hot sun. The sun down here packs a bit of punch!

This is looking at the backyard - towards the vege garden. You can see that all the shrubs I've planted are gradually growing. Some have almost hit the top of the fence! I love how they stand out against the black fence..

Now lets have a closer look at that vege garden...

I'm picking carrots, lettuce, beetroot, spring onions, chives, sage, thyme, leeks at the moment, and have just plated more spring onion and carrots, and more spinach. Beans, cucumber, tomatoes and courgette will be read in a few weeks. Loads of fun.

The original vege garden was built by the same people who built my deck. That is 3m x 1.8m and a nice height so I don't have to bend over too far. The smaller raised garden next to it - I built myself. Not without considerable pain either..

I managed to hammer the wrong nail! It hurt. I cried for nearly an hour. I said the F word. Several times. I kicked the bricks of my house. I ended up in A&E getting it x-rayed, having a hole put in the nail to release the pressure, and having some local anaesthetic put in my finger to dull the pain. Short lasting they said - maybe 4 hours. It lasted 48!!! By the time I got home, I was feeling no pain at all, and went about and finished building it, although I friend of mine came round to help in case I hammered any other part of my body!

I blame males for this totally. They should have come up with some sort of tool to prevent these sort of accidents by now!

The results of my garden has been great... Cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, spring onion. Note the brown grass before my lawn got put in...

The Cauliflowers were quite something. All five I picked were no smaller than 26 inches - and my freezer is now totally full...

My cat will have the last word on this blogpost. She loves her new abode and loves catching rabbits in the vineyard next door. She likes nothing better to lie in the sun on top of my outdoor table...

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz..

A Very Cute Visitor

I was sitting in my usual place, with my foot up, as it's still in plaster. When I looked outside, and there was the cutest 5 day old lamb outside my ranch slider on my deck. It had been brought round for me to see by Carol and Logan. There's something about babies isn't there? It can melt the strongest heart, no matter what kind of animal it is.

So I brought it inside...

Aren't I just the cutest it said. I had to agree!

She ran over to the bulldog statue at the door and whispered sweet nothings in his ear. If the bulldog could have, it would have wagged his tail and licked her.

"I'm ready to play" she said to the cat. But the cat would have none of it.

"Take that then" and she poked out her tongue. (Carol has obviously been teaching her bad habits already!)

"How dare you be here" said Kassia Cat. "You can leave if you want. Now wouldn't be soon enough!!"

"Definitely not, I'm not going home, I'm far too tired just now and here's a spot just for me, right on the wires for the great big TV!"

At this stage the lamb decided it needed to PEE! So it went outside for a few minutes...

"Take that" said the cat "stay out there, don't come back"

"There's giant rabbits out here, so please let me back in"

"No way" said the cat, "not by the hair on my chinny chin chin"

Then while the cat wasn't looking.... we let her back in!!!

"Oh cat, I bow to your cunning and superior intellect, for it could only be so if you're given your own house with an electric blanket to live in"

"Can you believe this?" said the cat 'IT is making itself comfortable next to MY house"

"How dare you sit there! I will stare until you leave - don't you dare stay there"

"Oh Gawd - she's gone to sleep!!!"

"I'm not moving or leaving so you can stare at me all day"

"Isn't this cat hilarious, with her funny bully way"

"Peace at last - the cat finally went away"

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

Aren't I just cute?

Rules For My Slave - by Kassia Carter

The Little Brown Burmese Cat with a Big Personality

1).Wake up time in the mornings is 6am. Licking your nose and chin means I'm HUNGRY and you MUST get up and do something about it. Do not go back to sleep.

2). When I paw your face it means I want to be tickled. FOREVER. You will not stop and go back to sleep.  Tickle Me!

3). When I YELL at the door I want it OPEN. I may not necessarily WANT to go outside. If it's cold toughen up.  Go and buy a fur coat. LEAVE it open or I will carry on YELLING!

4). If I'm on the bench in the Kitchen I'm HUNGRY. Feed me. I will NOT get down until there is food on my plate.

5).When I am on top of the Kitchen Cupboards and want to get down. I will CALL you. I CANNOT jump down the same way I got up. You MUST come over and present your back so I can JUMP on you. I will do this as often as I like.

6). IF I am on my back I WANT my tummy rubbed. HARDER. LONGER. FOREVER. DON'T STOP!

7).IF I am talking to you I EXPECT an answer. I will talk as LONG and as LOUD as I like. You will keep replying.

8). If I want to sit on your knee, I will do so. I do not CARE what you are doing at the time, or what you have on your knee. I WILL fit regardless.

9). If I've been out in the rain and come in all WET, then I will DRY myself on the nearest human. I will NOT tolerate a towel. Only warm dry Humans will suffice.

10). Bedtime is 9.30pm SHARP. You will come at ONCE. If you don't I will carry on YELLING until you do.

11). In bed you MUST lie on your back so I can USE your boobs as a pillow. You MUST pull the blankets over me because it's COLD.

12). If you sleep on your side you MUST cuddle me until I go to sleep. I MUST be allowed to have my head on your pillow like you. I am HUMAN.

13). You will NOT breathe on me. You will NOT SNORE. If you do I will try and smother you with my paws over your face and nose. IF you CONTINUE, I will press harder.

"There be Rabbits out there"

Signed...

Kassia Carter