Category Archives: Leisure

Molly and the Feline Siam

When Siam arrived in our household, he let us know he didn’t belong. “I want to be a terrifying tiger,” he mewed from what has become his favorite spot on the sun-drenched ottoman. His voice was so high-pitched I almost couldn’t hear it. Could it be that I imagined it? While I pondered that possibility,Continue reading “Molly and the Feline Siam”

CiCi Fancies a Rim Adventure

At 19 years old, Cici Brannen may be slow, deaf, and nearly blind. To accommodate her limitations, her human mate, Pam, anticipates her every need, like a water fountain, a daily brushing, and a good book to read. In return, the fragile feline accommodates Pam by watching her fish and photograph birds. “Life is good,”Continue reading “CiCi Fancies a Rim Adventure”

Puzzling the Pieces

Like many puzzle aficionados, Beamer Baclawski spent January 29, National Puzzle Day, working on a jigsaw puzzle. “Why would anyone cut up a perfectly good picture only to reassemble it?” he asked, though he didn’t pause his nifty paws work to puzzle an answer. Anyone familiar with jigsaws would recognize the enigma of the puzzle—itContinue reading “Puzzling the Pieces”

A New View of Old Birds

While engaged in her favorite pastime of backyard birdwatching, Miss Kitty found herself distracted by a copy of Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird that I had left for Tania and Nancy, Kitty’s humans. Naturally assuming it was a field guide to her fine-feathered friends, Kitty pawed through the pages. Finding neither pictures nor plates, however,Continue reading “A New View of Old Birds”

Crack, Bam, Dot—Creating Chaos Out of Colorful Order

When a neighbor recently invited me to play mah jongg, I balked. Having played once, more than a decade ago with my friend Claire, I didn’t want to appear foolish. So, I sought out Mr. Beamer Baclawski. He’s a fanatic, doesn’t suffer fools quietly, and did teach me to play Rummikub. I started with theContinue reading “Crack, Bam, Dot—Creating Chaos Out of Colorful Order”

Scrubbing for Wildlife

Mickey Blanchett takes after housemate Rick when it comes to observing birds. On a recent bus trip organized by the Calusa Nature Center to the Archbold Biological Station in Venus, Florida, Rick spotted horned owls, swallow-tailed kites, and caracara when everyone else saw cows. His wife, Nancy, is accustomed to people gathering around Rick whenContinue reading “Scrubbing for Wildlife”

Purr-fectly Understandable

John Caskey, an avid reader of this blog, shared with us the article, “Your Cats Can Tell When You’re Speaking to Them,” which appeared in the January 2023 issue of Scientific American. The author, Tanya Lewis, reported on a study published in Animal Cognition that found cats, like dogs, can discriminate speech addressed to themContinue reading “Purr-fectly Understandable”