It's a Start

Mrrrrr Friends,

Well, we did wake up to a powder sugar coat this morning.

It's a start.

It was a crisp snow...stiff and wet under the paw. The temperature dipped below 20 last night in human degrees. My brook had ice on the boulder tops.

I walked around a bit, following a few interesting tracks in the snow. It was coming down lightly the whole time...you could look up and see little snow crystals in the slanty half light.

Woodswalker commented the other day that she was amazed I like going out in the snow and cold. And my neighbor cat pal Brewster, he doesn't get it either. I love the snow...I really do. I guess it's in my genes, being from Wisconsin and all. Here's a pic from a earlier blog - a younger me in the snow at our house in Rock Springs. This was about 3 feet of March snow pack so, with wise paw placement, a fellow could stay on top...most of the time.

My paws are pretty furry in the winter. Nice tufts of fur - not long - between each pad help keep things insulated. But, I gotta admit, as I get older, my tolerance for cold paws has diminished. Perhaps I got soft during the two warm winters on Long Island? Who knows.

This is a bad picture, but here's one strategy I pursue. Occasionally, I'll ask Oom to kneel down. I can hop up, warm my paws and do a little grooming. Or, when the white stuff gets deep, I'll clamber up on her shoulders and ride for a bit. Usually, she gets that I don't want to go inside already and she'll head off in a direction I'm interested in exploring. My paws warm up in a few minutes, and then I'll do a Diesel Dive, clambering down to go on my merry way.

I'm looking into getting a pair of catluks though. You know, mukluks for cats? Nice moose-hide catluks would really make the difference, especially on my longer snowy treks and for rock hopping in the brook during the winter. I wrote the cool people at Steger - Boo has a pair of their mukluks - about a set of catluks - like small sled dog booties but for snow cats. I haven't heard back from them. Hmmmmrrr?

Tomorrow's forecast?

Born to Climb; tree-scaling revealed

Mrrrrr Friends,

The world of tree-scaling continues to occupy my time here in Upper Jay. I have a host of new trees and species varieties to work with and have set some goals for myself as cats around the world prepare for the 1402nd bi-annual Catolympic Games to be held in Australia this December. Primarily, my new home is allowing me to hone my trunk skills. As those of you who follow the blog know, I am better known in the cat world for my small-branch paw skills.

Here’s a very quick video previewing my latest work. Unfortunately, the cameraperson was not quick enough on the start button to capture my lightening 30-foot sprint up to the base of the tree in question, but she recovered herself just as I started my ascent.

Look at the base of the Linden tree in the video, then click the play button and you’ll see my tightly coiled black form spring to life. Not only will you see my no nonsense climb, if you watch closely, you’ll also catch a glimpse of my radical head down descent. Since its introduction at my 2007 debut at the Catolympics, the “Diesel Dive” is catching on!

I was born to climb.