in a storm

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

28 Feb 2026 - This particular spot is often occupied by peep feet, so it is rare that I can take five here.  Moreover it doesn't offer good surveillance of prime interloper corridors.  In fact the only route I can keep an eye on is the stairway, used solely by myself and my two.  So it really is just a layover between here and there in my circuit through our domicile.  However you have to admit that it could serve as a temporary lair, since the shorter peep had to get on all fours to take this photograph.  (Every now and then we do play hide-and-seek.)

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Luck is not evenly

distributed.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - sancmeowry, a cat's place of safety

no mercy

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

27 Feb 2026 - No, I'm not spying on the employees (but it would be a great spot for doing exactly that).  The office manager also has to keep a safe work environment, so I'm using my other skill set:  rousting interlopers.  Our domicile has too many hiding places for ne'er-do-wells, some of which are so far-removed that I can only glare.  But I pride myself on keeping a steady eye and listening ear and a low threshold for nonsense,  which means that suspicious activity must be investigated... all the better if it's a false alarm.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

It may seem like a competition,

but there is no finish line.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

phrase of the day - cat-eat-cat, a winner-take-all contest where the resident feline must succeed

without hesitation

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

26 Feb 2026 - I always try to wisely pick (no close-your-eyes-and-hope-for-the-best for me), so naturally when the ambient temperatures need boosting I choose to bathe in a pool of sunshine.  There are disadvantages to tongue-grooming (although it is what I've always known), but one upside is that the location for said is easily moved (unlike the arrangement my peeps use).  Do I groom atop a cushion or out on my personal screened porch (or both)?  The various possibilities are appealing to a cat, and unlike some (and you know who you are), I have no problem making a decision.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

It's not for forever,

so stop fretting.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - unpurrlenting, not yielding in determeownation

ho-hump day

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

25 Feb 2026 - Things are purring along at the office... or maybe that was just moi that I heard.  I pride myself in being the sort of manager that the staff is glad to see (as opposed to hiding under their desk when I pass by).  Mr. Sol is hard at work as well, yet here are my two at their posts, rather than enjoying a personal day in the sun.  I appreciate their priorities, especially since I can't receive treats or head pats when they have left the domicile.  Beneath this handsome coat I am a self-serving creature.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Give a hand,

get one in return.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - enjoymeownt, a cat's benefiting from something (why not?)

it works for me

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

24 Feb 2026 - I am utterly delighted to have free roam of our domicile.  On those dreaded trips between the hinterland house and here, I have experienced enough time in a confined space to last me my nine lifetimes.  But Mr. Sol is currently shining (he has his work cut out this morning), so I won't blacken my mood by such thoughts.  The important thing in my mind (and should be in yours) is that I'm doing what I want to do... or at least will be doing so once the alien peep has departed our premises.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Don't trouble your mind

with "but what if".

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purreelance, earning one's keep under meowgotiated contract

in contrast

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

23 February 2026 - Who can say why we cats are early risers?  It certainly helps control the rabble, to be up and patrolling when they are formulating their plans.  The shorter peep thinks that it is a pretty time of day, generally quiet, with Mr; Sol's light cutting a sharp angle.  I'm not sure aesthetics enter into my considerations, but to each his own thoughts.  We do breakfast together, something I look forward to every morning.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

You say "poh-tay-toe" and I say

"poh-tah-toe", but we understand.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

person of the day - Picatso, the artist inside a cat

this is more like it

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

22 Feb 2026 - I can't remember the last time weather conditions were such that I could stretch out on my personal screened porch... how sweet it has gotten!  Is it my imagination or have we of late experienced a lot of abominably low temperatures?  I lay the blame on Mr. Sol's lackluster performance, but honestly he did show up most days... just didn't have much effect.  But he has shown me that he hasn't forgotten how to crank out the heat, and for that I am most grateful.  And it would be bad manners on my part to press the point that if he can do it now, he could have done it earlier.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

We often get some version

of what we requested.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrid, very unpleasant to a cat

as I live and breathe

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

21 Feb 2026 - There is nothing more aggravating than to pinpoint a noise but not see what is causing it:  friend (probably not) or foe.  Nothing constructive can be done except to keep watching for movement, a task well suited to a cat.  I have been known to outwait an interloper, lulling it into a sense of all-clear when in fact I am patiently staring at its hiding spot.  These interludes of vigilance are draining, if for no other reason than I can't allow the stillness to lead to snoozing.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Not everyone is

comfortable with silence.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

phrase of the day - stick to one's gatos, demonstrate feline persistence

taking it in

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

20 Feb 2026 - The early morning rounds on my personal screened porch are no longer brutal, although it can never be too warm for a cat.  The improved weather has prompted my peeps to work outside, so I feel obligated to keep one eye on them, lest the interlopers pose a threat.  It is interesting how the various noises get sorted out:  of no interest, familiar and merits investigation, odd and needing investigation, scary (i.e., time to skedaddle).  I also realize that my largely unconscious sorting algorithm is the result of processing those noises over many years... because at first everything was scary.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

It is essential to learn

from the past.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

phrase of the day - meowke known, to keep the peeps informed (since they can be oblivious)

poised

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

19 Feb 2026 - Another day, another chosen spot to nap!  I am very lucky (yes, I know it) to have not only security but variety... because no one wants to share a domicile with a bored cat!  And there is a major difference between boredom and relaxation:  the former is often expressed in destructive ways, while the latter can be accompanied by a very subtle grin.  Of course in my line of work I must be able to quickly shift from sluggish to slugger, all without pulling a muscle.  (Those interlopers would love to find me sound asleep.)

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

It is all about balance.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - impurrtiality, feline fairness (it's hard not to take sides)

the whys and wherefores

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

18 Feb 2026 - What is better than a well-deserved nap?!  I spend a lot of my time walking through our domicile, circling my personal screened porch, all to prevent an interloper incursion.  So it is quite a relief to get off my paws, and recoup lost energy.  As you are aware, I have numerous spots picked out for snoozing, my choice based on my mood, level of light, traffic flow at that time of day, and many other factors.  All of them offer comfort (or they wouldn't have made the list).  And when I rise to continue my patrol, I am restored.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Figure out what you need.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - meowtivated, impelled to engage in goal-directed behavior (with naps as reward)

wouldn't that be something

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

17 Feb 2026 - The oracle seems to be entering a quiet phase... just as Mr. Sol is becoming more reliable.  I wonder if there is a connection?  Maybe what I took to be her warm words was actually grousing about the weather.  To be honest I never understood her prophetic whispers and mostly came to bathe in the charged atmosphere, so it is entirely possible that she dislikes the cold as much as I do.  In fact I'd like to believe, in addition to our brush with divinity,  that we have that in common.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Keep the inner flame alive.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - empurrean, the highest level of a cat's heaven

work it out

SHamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

16 Feb 2026 - When my two don't show up for work, there isn't much to "manage".  But I can still assess, plan, (snooze), while waiting for an employee to appear.  And I enjoy a quiet office, where one can be with one's thoughts without water-cooler chatter.  I realize that not everyone looks forward to their job... which is very unfortunate since the vast majority must earn their keep.  I count myself as one of the lucky who awakes to wonder,"what fun things await me today?"

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

There are too many things

happening to be bored.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

phrase of the day - kits' play, joyful feline activity