Staycation Musings: Cats and Chipmunk!

(Latte on Chipmunk Patrol, LCS/SJS 2008)

(Java and Jack on Porch, LCS/SJS 2008)

Jack woke me up this morning with his scratchy cat-tongue and exfoliated the side of my right cheek. He ends the licking festival with a big love-chomp on the chin (OUCH!) while Latte sprawls out on the end of the bed, belly-up, head back. She manages to open one green eye, gazes in our direction, and proceeds to close it. She drifts back to sleep. Pathetic. Incredibly cute, but pathetic at the same time. These cats are on a permanent staycation!

Java quietly perches on the bottom step and peers out the window on bird-and-critter control. Last night, however, on the porch, Java was on her back under the wicker couch with her paws out and rolled her head. I started taking photographs of her and she posed like a cat model! I snapped fun shots of her.

Speaking of critter control, a darling little chipmunk frequents our backyard, raids the bird feeder, and sneaks into our garage if the door is left open. I will refer to it as Chipmunk! because whenever Steve sees it, he yells Chipmunk!. (Steve does not like Chipmunk!, because in addition to eating all the birdseed, Chipmunk! torments the cats. Plus, chipmunks can be destructive and messy, and I know this first-hand as one was trapped for three days in a public library where I worked. That's another adventure.) Perhaps Chipmunk! is aware of his annoying trait. Chipmunk! will not only stare and torment the cats, it will stare and torment Steve, even when Steve will lightly bang on the glass (and that only startles me.) Chipmunk! stares back, and pilfers the birdseed. Last week, Chipmunk! even enjoyed its breakfast upside down.

Speaking of breakfast, it's time to visit the refrigerator. I peer out the window and do not see Chipmunk! Ah, no birdseed in the feeder. That's why. I peer out on the porch and cats are sleeping. Again. What a life.