All alone & Bored

Outside:  snowing. The door to the bedroom: locked.  Plan C: napping on clean warm laundry. But do they respect ones privacy? No.

Exploring her future home

En route to the future residence. The Chick keeps her cool and cleans her claws.

What have we got here?

-

Ye olde cow shed...

Time to move on..

... to ye olde chicken coop. So much to sniff out.

Ever alert. We feel well-protected.

Chucky sinks his teeth in dental insurance

Chucky has taste of the letter of my dental insurance company that explains...

... why they don't have to make any refunds to me this year. Hm. Food for thought...

... that leave a bad taste in his mouth.

Cat & Girl & Cat

Late afternoon on the boat, heading back to the 'Woudsend Woods' (that dark bit of trees on the left). Even though there were no toilet facilities on board for cats and the trip lasted much longer than we expected, Chicky remained really relaxed throughout the day. (Except that one time when we went and had drinks at this café on the waterfront which turned out to be owned by another cat.

Cool Cat

We're having a heatwave. The old fridge has a melt-down. We buy a new one. Chick approves.

Friday night.

 't is been a long day. Time to go to bed.

Spring Roll

We've had a storm and we had yukkie weather and we were wondering if the winter was ever going to end. But you can tell spring is coming when the cats start to practice their spring roll.

New Toy

Got this lightbox to take pics of things, not cat. But the Chick & Chucky universe, a new toy ia a must-share. So there.

Love is in the air

Feind hört mit!

Chucky is chewing - probably on a body part of a mouse or rat. Behind him sits a hungry magpie - bravely or foolishly taking his chances. He would love to have a bite of whatever it is Chucky is having. We watched the two of them, for a while: one sitting and looking, one sitting and snacking taking the risk to be the next bite himself.
But no. Chucky finished his meal and the magpie flew away - Magpies do not seem to grasp the meaning of the concept 'desillusioned'.

Interference

Chucky has decided he needs lots of TLC. Right now. A laptop can rest easily on the knees (why not change the name to kneetop?) while he sneaks up on my lap. It's not ideal: I dont have free movement of my arms without bothering him, and while he likes the warmth coming froming the computer, he doesn't like my arms and hands to move that much. But he went for my lap and he is going to stick to it. Purr, purr, purr.

Trade-off

We've given up trying to rescue the chair from the cats' claws. Let them tear the thing asunder. Chucky has given up trying to escape the camera. He is now turning a blind eye.

Duet for Chucky and Chicken

I looked up straight up from the horses' stable (through the hole we use to get the hay down from the loft into the stable). And there they were, Chucky and Henny, singing in unison. Yet another exclusive from the Hayloft, Woudsend!

Say Cheese

“Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.” ― G.K. Chesterton 

 Sandwich sharing - eating on both ends.

Thick Lip

Both Chick and Chucky are catching mice and rats galore. All kinds: voles and shrews and brown rats and black rats (they have beautiful fur). They bring them in or not. They eat them (whole or party) or not. We find body parts all over the place.
Not all victims die without a struggle, though. Chucky was bitten in his lip by a rodent. It's a bit infected. The left side of his mouth (for the viewer: the right side) is clearly swollen. He doesn't seem to mind much, although he is screaming more for TLC (Tender Loving Care) than ever, especially at five in the morning. And he still loves to jump on a high place (the kitchen cupboards here) and scream for attention. He actually wants you to climb on a chair and stroke him. Sometimes, I do. 

Food Craving

This afternoon, Chick ran into the barn, proudly carrying a dead young black rat in her mouth. Sometimes she put him on the floor to meow and slap the body around like she was Martina Navratilova. Rouschka loves rats, too - to eat. So she stood there, craving rat, knowing  very well it wasn't hers to eat.

Looking at Lunch?

As we were having dinner outside, mother duck and six children dropped in to see if there was any part of the French loaf left for them. (There was.) Chick and Chucky got all excited of course. They had had their dinner already. But I imagined I could see them think about lunch already.

To boldly go...

The rural cat equivalent of a City Trip: visiting a neighboring farm.  Chicky doesn't like to get her paws muddy.

While the humans do their busy work, Chucky goes exploring.

Yes, it is muddy. But there is two of us.

Holes to explore...

 So much to see. So little time.

Back home? Ha! If we stay in the van, sooner or later we will go and have new adventures.

Cat Lick

Present

Chucky brought a gift: a still warm, dead but self-caught brown rat. He has taken a few bites, but we are welcome to most of it.

Catpuchin

Chick and Chucky can still surprise me with their appetites. Sometimes unpleasantly - last week one of them dragged a big dead rat into the bedroom - sometimes striking a happier note. Apparently, Chucky likes the fluid that capuchin beans are kept in. Hopefully, it won't make him fart more.

Too Wet Outside

He could go out - but it's cold and wet and windy. So he keeps warm near the stove instead. The stones are very warm.

Queen B.

Queen B resigned last year as queen - she is back to being princess. This is a reason to party. Princess B (top right) is thanked for her Queen career with a swinging TV show.
We are modestly partying with her at home by preparing - and eating - goose for the first time in our lives.
I think it tastes a bit, well, livery. I don't care much for liver. Fortunately, the Chick loves liver - goose, that is.

Solarium

Is it just the heat, is she being protective or just social? Is she, perhaps tired of being blue and in it for the tan? Fact is, the moment Chick realizes you are in the solarium, she will join you in that lovely warm environment. And she's not one to take no for an answer.

Rats!

A very proud Chick came home with a dead rat, slightly bloody and still warm. I think her very brave, taking on a rat but would prefer her sticking with mice.

Rodent Around

We knew there was a roaming rodent in the barn - we heard it scurrying, hidden from view by some old junk. The we saw a furry four-footed shadow dissappear between the wooden logs. Chicky noticed it, too - she could also smell it. The next few hours she she was alternately sniffing and sitting perfectly still, hoping to catch it. She had more patience than I had - I went to bed eventually. I have no idea if she caught it.

Goat cheese salad is yummie

Zjealous

'Aaibaar raadsel' or Cuddly Enigma says the heading. And of course Chucky will not let Inge read a text that may help her to really understand Catness. Of course. Who wants to read about cats if you can stroke the Real Thing?

Animal Day

Some animal lovers do not eat meat on Animal Day. We do and  we share. Our Steak Tartar was also enjoyed by Rouschka, Quincy, Chick and Chucky. Here is Chucky taking his share.

Curiosity

 Chick likes to be in the know - nay, she demands it. She noticed we were in a room she did not have access to. Unacceptable, of course. She worms her way in...

... to find Inge nursing Brownie. Brownie was attacked a few days ago, probably by a cat from the neighbours. She has no visible wounds and she can eat, drink & poop. If you hold her, she'll stand. If you let go, she falls. She cannot stand or walk by herself. We're hoping she will improve.
Chick does not hunt chickens - she and Chucky leave the chickens alone. But Brownie clearly did not like a cat - any cat - this close to her. Poor, traumatized Brownie! An indignant Chick was removed from these premises right after this picture was taken.

Bummer

Would love to take some action pictures - cats chasing things (birds, mice, bugs, spiders, each other). But I guess no feline cooperation  is forthcoming any time soon.