one's best

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

5 Aug 2025 - I am not sure what this space is set aside for, but it is rarely used... which makes it a perfect stronghold for interlopers.  I make certain my patrol sweeps through this area regularly, and sometimes I just hang out and wait for any tell-tale noises of uninvited guests.  For whatever reason, this visit to the hinterland I haven't been napping on the nearby comfy cushions... I suppose there are too many other welcoming spots calling my name.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Life is a busy endeavor.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - unpurrtaking, feline commitment to an enterprise

plan sailing

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

4 Aug 2025 - I do hate the new deck portal, but it is better than zippo portal.  The no-entry situation has shifted me into waiting mode, to bide my time until I am spotted by one of my peeps.  And how long that takes can vary widely... sometimes I have had to curl up for a nap to productively pass the minutes.  How essential is my being on the other side of this portal?  The hiccup certainly snarls my work routine, and gives an advantage to the interlopers assaulting the far side of our domicile.  It is more than annoying.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Seldom are things

straight-forward.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - elemeowntary, uncomplicated, from a cat's purrspective

be a guy

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

3 Aug 2025 - By nature and nurture, I am a serious cat.  Even as a kitten I was not a goofball... I suppose a hard-scrabble life hasn't time for frivolity.  So the alert system of my job is not a game, but an assessment of reality, at least as I see it.  But occasionally "something" comes over me, and I act totally out-of-character.  Obviously these crazy moments aren't planned (or even analyzed), yet I do enjoy this other Shamus, the one who acts silly and makes the peeps laugh.  Maybe it is the rarity of this inner imp that is endearing... I surprise myself.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

We are fascinating creations.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - enpurrtaining, providing a cat enjoyment and amusement

on the uptake

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

2 Aug 2025 - Contrast yesterday's relaxed sprawl with today's coiled spring.  The pesky squeep is pushing its luck, testing my resolve... these lake interlopers should know better by now!  It is true that I have only threatened these chatterers, lunged and chased and glared.  They might need a truly close encounter with the enforcer to drill into their tiny heads that there is a line they do not cross.  Or maybe it is a lesson that has to be regularly taught?

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Some bulbs are brighter

than others.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

phrase of the day - sharp-kitted, showing a quick (but humble) intelligence

trivial pursuit

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

1 Aug 2025 - Darn, I've been spotted!  But the alert level was quite low, so there is no need to skedaddle to my next hiding place.  I am fairly certain that lint-finder is not in my job description, so I offer it to my peeps as a bonus, a good-will gesture that keeps our domicile humming.  Besides, I occasionally find tiny interlopers that have taken up residence in the dusty webs... or maybe they arrived and made themselves a nest?  They hardly deserve my attention, tiny enough to be dispatched with a firm paw... but, professional that I am, I do give each a sniff beforehand to make certain I know what I'm dealing with.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Small matters can

still have an impact.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

phrase of the day - of meow consequence, of negligible importance to a cat

loosening up

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

31 Jul 2025 - Can one ever get enough of a good thing?  A close comparison to yesterday's photograph confirms that I have moved... in fact it is another snooze altogether.  Without any effort on my part I am the poster cat for relaxation, and I can only hope that it is contagious!  I assure you (and more importantly my two peeps) that if my ears detected the slightest sound of interlopers, I would be immediately back on the job.  But a worker who isn't well rested isn't an effective worker, so I feel perfectly justified in cat-napping.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Stress is a killer.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

phrase of the day - mental repurrse, the feline state of being free from tension

up in the air

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

30 Jul 2025 - Look what I remembered!  Although things have been rearranged in my personal sun room, my window perch persisted AND I figured out a way to get up there!  You can see why I am fond of this spot:  elevation and an exterior view with interlopers.  (Plus there is no peep competition for this seat.)  Life is good here in the hinterland, especially now that my two peeps are back in the domicile's familiar routine.  It makes napping so much easier when I'm not having to worry about them.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Surprise yourself.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

title of the day - meowster high and mighty, a cat on most days

oh, happy day

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

29 Jul 2025 - Without warning or explanation, my two peeps disappeared from the domicile.  I am accustomed to them leaving for part of a day, always to return just when I'm thinking about food.  But the sun set numerous times without them finding their way home... until late yesterday!  Naturally I thought the noise was the nice (but alien) peep who had been putting kibble in my bowl.  Imagine my delight when in they strolled.  I didn't get much sleep overnight due to the celebrating (and am making up for it now).

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

If you're happy,

let it show.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - obspurrvance, what passes for a cat commemoration

steady, Eddie

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

23 Jul 2025 - Grooming is necessary, even when it is inconvenient.  Personal hygiene has to be squeezed between interloper patrol and napping, preferably before napping... as there is nothing better than to curl up with every hair smoothed in place.  There are only a few spots on my body unreachable by tongue, and for those hard-to-reach places I employ a dampened paw.  It can involve a bit of contortion to do a proper bath, and might require a front-leg extension just to keep myself from tipping over.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Even easy days could use

a balancing act.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purraced, to press the body firmly against something, meowstly for support

it's a riot

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

22 Jul 2025 -  Hello, Mr. Sol, I deeply appreciate your brightening our domicile.  Although my night-vision is sufficient that I can maneuver a room in the dark, I prefer my world illuminated.  When shadows are sharp-edged, I can better spot interloper movement and that is precisely what I get "paid" to do.  Things outside our walls challenge my patrol:  I can't chase the ne'er-do-wells from the property.  Only my steely glare can reach them, but honestly their threat level is low... so I try to relax and enjoy their antics.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

The world can be viewed

as a comedy act.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - pantomeowm, feline gestures to express meaning

worthy of

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

21 Jul 2025 - Although never truly noisy (unless we've been invaded by alien peeps), our domicile is especially quiet in the early morning.  The shorter peep and I have the place to ourselves.  Sometimes I elect to spend the time in that chair in the corner; sometimes I choose to sit with the shorter peep.  The latter decision guarantees that I will get lots of purr-inducing attention, like head pats and chin rubs, and if the temperatures warrant there is a lap I can claim.  My life is good even though it is not flashy.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Drama is for selling tickets.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - phenomeownal, extraordinary (and a cat sets a high bar)

on the hop

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

20 Jul 2025 - Generally speaking interloper activity is minimal in my personal sun room,  although there is lots of action just beyond its portals.  On sunny days I enjoy perching on that ledge:  both elevation and warmth.  And this is as close as I get to ground level, which means that I'm practically at eye-level with the squeeps and cheeps running through our yard.  I can almost feel dirt beneath my claws.  One habit of past summers that I haven't revived, is leaping to my portal cushion.  The familiar ascent route has changed somehow, and I haven't bothered figuring out what I need to do.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

I have no trouble filling

my dance card.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

phrase of the day - time purr, having a great deal to do (yes, I'm busy)

try again

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

19 Jul 2025 - I am still having trouble manipulating that sofa cushion to my satisfaction... and perhaps there is the catch.  If I didn't have a goal in mind, then however it arranged itself would be fine:  basically I just want a hiding spot.  But there is that irksome "but", because I do have something in mind, a purrfect combination of function and aesthetic.  You might snort at that last idea, but we cats do in fact have a strong sense of beauty... why else would we incessantly groom?

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Sometimes things just

have to be right.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - calipurr, the quality of a cat's character