I've been to the fat farm...

...... and I gained 4 pounds.  Oh, just a minute...I guess I better elaborate.  I jokingly began to refer to my sister's little acreage as the fat farm because I figured I would lose some weight when I went there..... doing chores..picking weeds...scooping poo...turning compost piles..digging in the garden...more poo....feeding horses..more weeds and dragging 100 foot hoses around...  and chasing around after cats...and visiting and going for our evening walks after all day busy....whew...see what I  mean?..... But....  I always come away heavier than when I went there.  I have no idea how it is possible... it's just reeellly weird....because we are never still a minute... and are very busy.  However, I do bake and we do eat very well and ....oh, alright I see what happened.

So...  now I'm home and better get busy and lose that 4 pounds....  a few days of walking 9's and 18's on the golf course, and doing a lot of practice swinging ought to do it.

There is still snow on some mountains...and it was misty and raining at the higher altitudes all along the way....

Stopped at Finn's Creek for our lunch....

... and fairly flew along for several more hours.... lots of traffic and lots of stops for construction holdups....... summertime travel in this area...... arrrgghhhh...not a lot of fun.

Shadow....once a feral.  Still only seen by a very small "inner circle", which doesn't include any kids.  I feel quite honoured that he let me touch him and pick him up right from square one.  I think he thinks I am an extension of my sister somehow....  we look and sound alike...and somehow...he knows I am "safe".  He can be quite lovey with us.

...still keeping a wary eye on us....

Cleo.....keeping a wary eye on us too because she knows we will shoo her off the soft stuff.  She loves our clothes...the laundry...the comforters...the pillows if we are not careful.... and..of course... anybody who will give her a "crunchie"... but, she only likes to be petted and brushed...not picked up....

Hey.....  enough with the camera already!

Mister Thompson like to lounge on the bed...which is really high...and he is ah ...uhm... how to put it delicately...he is sensitive.... don't want to hurt his feelings...  somewhat overweight.... but, somehow still manages to get up there.  Vikki has dieted him a bit...and he has become more mobile and healthier over the years she has had him...his coat is now glossy and soft..it used to be awful ...stiff and dull.... but, still he maintains his husky stature.  He can't seem to shake it.

When I looked up and saw this on the way home I was all of a sudden transported right back to Portugal....    look!..... a castle!!

Oh, alright....it's a mountain.  Had me going for a tick of a second there.....

This little guy was the centre of attention at the rest stop on the way back.  He has his own little box behind the older dude riding the 'bike.  He wears his safety  harness and is clipped to a large steel ring on a very short strap..in case he should somehow get dislodged.... he loved his ride.  The guy was all the way from Montana so they had put on some miles... this was in the Rockies just outside of Golden B. C.

..oh, boy......now......where was I?.....

Oh, yeh...... I remember.  I was right in the middle of holidaying in Portugal.  Well, not literally...we were home, but, I was reliving it through my photos..... for me and for you..... but real life got in the way.  I wrecked myself.  Injured my ribs leaning into a woodbox and that was it.  That will be 4 weeks ago on Saturday.  Lost a month of summer already and we only have 5 months of summer around here.  Haven't been able to do much .... and time just slid past.

Finally, yesterday, it didn't hurt anymore to sneeze and cough.... woohooo ...so.... things are looking up.  Meanwhile, no golf of course, and my summer is dwindling already, so I'm still a bit grumpy.  Hope poor Mister BV doesn't think I'm a "lot" grumpy... which I probably am.  Okay.  I am.

We drove to the Okanagan over the weekend...which was not all that comfortable in a small sporty car.  I was wishing I had a corset or at the very least a towel to wrap and tie around me. But... we got there and I enjoyed petting horses and cats...and spent time outside at least.  The weather was great....

My sister and I always joke about it being "Vikki's Fat Farm" ... We don't diet, but we usually work hard enough that we can lose a few pounds.  Not this time...she is still recuperating from a broken wrist...and my ribs are wrecked...so we didn't do as much physical stuff.... (well, she did... she always does and is pretty darn tough in spite of a poorly healing wrist.)

It was still busy enough with a lot of non farm related stuff... almost too busy.  But... I did manage to get in my fun times with the furry guys.

oh..hahha..... sorry...couldn't resist.  This definitely lets you know farm cats live around here.  Didn't see many with hats on this visit though....

Mr. Thompson says hi... howarya? c'mon in....my food dish is right over here.

Okay..if you're not gonna find those scrumblies for me ...then I'll just have a little lie down while I wait...

Aaaaa, yes... a chance to rest my weary toesies..... seeing as I am a pretty big dude...and they get tired and the pebbles hurt them when I walk on the driveway....

Oh, boy....says Cleo........ guys.  Come in and pet me instead...  I can wait for my grub til later....

I better stay out here says Kira.....I'm not allowed in the house because I do the same thing to the furniture..... scraaaaatch!  But... come back outside as soon as you drop your suitcase and visit me too.....

Aaaah.....sun and scratching and petting ...nothing better is there?  Nope...not for me.  Not even food.  I'll just eat something later.   Oh, and ...say, come over here and see my horses.

Remember Mickey?   looks as good as ever doesn't he?  'Specially for a guy diagnosed with emphysema some years back and given no chance.  Vikki washes his hay so he gets no dust in his food.  He is pretty coddled.... and doing fine as are all her pets.  And.... that Suzi..... the cheeky little 34 year old Arab....just look at her!

Some neighbours up the road had goats.... they charged right over to the fence to see us.....not the neighbours...their goats.  I bet they thought we had some goodies for them too.  That fencing probably was not the best for goats.  They stuck theirs heads straight through the spaces....

Nubians

No cats live at my house....

All cats shown on my blog belong to my sister who is 600 km from here. I only see them on the rare occasion of my visits...but it is almost like they are my own. They are all really friendly, loving and we can tell they remember me. Each is special ... each is beautiful and has endearing little habits or traits. I used to have cats of my own years ago... as a matter of fact I used to raise Siamese cats. But... being single and busy for a few years after a major move...I just didn't get more right away...and all of a sudden years went by without any at my house. Then... I just got used to not having any around to wreck things...and now... well, Mr. BumbleVee doesn't really love cats and has terrible allergies..so.... nuff said....













This is Shadow... a little guy that adopted her after she finally coaxed him out of her shed after many weeks to months of trying... he was a tiny wild kitten at that time. The only one to survive of a litter of an unknown Mom.....

 










He is all black ..with greenish eyes... hunts outside as much as all day if nobody calls him home... ...sometimes comes when called. He then hops up onto a small table in the kitchen and waits for his treat... lots of pets and a teensy lick of butter from a finger.... then off he goes to clean and tidy himself. He must remember me from last year because he does not come out for strangers.. AT all. Certainly does not let them pick him up. I didn't realize that and just went straight to him to pet him and he purred and said hi and tried to climb up on me...that was it...V. was very surprised and said "either he thinks you are me or he remembers you". He is a very clever little guy. And...puts himself to bed each night about 9:30 to 10:00..in his own little basket on a dresser.











This is BIG Mr. Thompson who came by way of a sister in law... not sure why. "Mister" weighs in at 22 lbs... in spite of all the dieting, playing and exercise she has put him through in order to encourage some weight loss. Mr. T seems able to hang on to those pounds in spite of her best efforts. Poor Vikki... she is somewhat embarrassed as she never has had a fat cat...and my own sweet Mister BumbleVee really had her going with this cat the first time we saw him. "Oh, my god...Vikki!! Look at this cat!" She ended up laughing so hard it was at the piddling pants stage.... before Greg finished with her and the cat. We all had a good laugh at poor Mr. T's expense. Honestly, it was too funny...but, of course, you would have had to be there to appreciate the humour of it. He just sauntered away when we had prodded and poked to ensure it was lots of fur and not all flab. Poor old guy. (Honestly, I really don't know if he is old...nobody does...but he is not young) All of her life, she has done all in her power to keep her animals healthy and happy and they all have lived to ripe old age... she knows what she is about when it comes to animals let me tell you. She has a horse that has been diagnosed with severe emphysema and the vet wanted to put him down much more than a year ago.. let me show you Mickey too..

























he is fine at the moment...enjoying his life at her house. He still bucks, snorts and "rodeos" when she opens the corral gate the first time in the spring. I almost fell off the fence cuz I was too close when it happened... missed the 10 seconds of wildness with my camera... dang it!! Of course, she does have to wash his purchased hay before she feeds him so that he doesn't cough... it is usually too dusty....and adds holistic things to his mash...and..well, treats him like a big pet dog. (and, I have to say he seems very happy and so does Mister Thompson..so ...there.... ) The big black and white cat has lost a few pounds since he came to stay at the "Fit Farm"... but the best thing is...he is much more relaxed and happy. His overall shape and musculature has definitely changed and he is now able to jump onto chairs and plays outside a lot. He didn't do that at all at first. He was not happy; seemed anxious and unsure of what was happening. Now.... his fur is so much more soft and shiny ... it was awful when I first saw him...stiff and dull. Now..it is glossy, soft and we brush and comb him to get out the old stuff. He loves it. He is like a big brother/mother/dad to little Shadow. Took him under his wing... or paw.. since the first day Vikki found the little kitten. Mr. T. roughhouses like a young cat with Shadow. Hard to believe I know..if you just see him wandering around the house...checking the dishes for a leftover scrumblie.....











Here he is. ... under coaching... trying to do a crunch from his fav position.... uuhhffff... come on Mister Thompson...you can do this !!!











Uhm.... no....I can't.... let me just rest a bit okay?......











Of course, this is Tiffany... hard to play favourites...but, I have to say... I think she is mine. I love that soft, gentle face. A little lady.

She remembers that I know her chimes trick...and that perhaps I can be cajoled into an extra teensy bit of cheese and for sure some extra pets and hugs....

 










Here is her sister, Cleo. Definitely more aloof, but also very soft and friendly. From the same litter of kittens... given to my sister by two young girls at a time in Vikki's life when she herself was having a very tough time. They thought she needed some cats to keep her company. Oh....but they were bad kittens...I remember they almost drove her to distraction..... now look at 'em.....











Oh....here is William..... checking out the steps we built. Yep...he says they will do nicely to aid in his ability to race up and down the side hill "shopping" for mice.
As well as her four "inside" cats.... (who are in and out all day)..... she also has two that live outside. In a huge garage/shed building. For outside cats...they are ultra clean... very friendly... follow us around like dogs... and actually come when they are called. How unlike cats! They are allowed to play outside if somebody is around home...but are kept inside at night and if we all leave the property. He is a lean, clean, mousing machine. His little sidekick Keera is all black and looks exactly like shadow with the exception that she has yellowish instead of greenish eyes..... can't believe I have no pic of her. Such a dainty little black lady. Talks to you all the time..... follows so close underfoot you have to be careful.... absolutely comes to see you right away if called. What a crew. And so much fun.!! ....