Sunday, June 9, 2013
Back in the Saddle
As you can see, it has been awhile since I last made an entry into the blog. Both Squad Car and Roo are grown cats now and are getting along fine in the gallery. However, they still create some challenges for me in the gallery and I will be telling you about them in the near future. They still are the most wonderful company and my life would be barren without them Later.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Lulled Into Complacency!
I was lulled into complacency by two of the best lullers (not a word, but it describes them well) in the world. Things had been going so well for a long time. No accidents, no major Catastrophes, and I was feeling great about the taming of the gang of two. They were being perfect little angels.
Usually, during the day when I am painting, Roo stays up front in the window and Squad Car hangs out in her hammock in the back window. When a customer comes in, depending on how Roo feels about the person, she will either stay where she is or run to the back and get in her hammock until the customer leaves. They are so well trained by the master trainer, me. Lulled again!
It was a Thursday and I was just about done with a painting when a customer came in. Roo ran to the back and got in her hammock and I went to the front to greet the prospective art buyer. Nicely enough, she decided to purchase one of my larger paintings. We talked for about twenty minutes, I put her painting into an art bag, took the painting out to her car. A really nice way to start the day.
When I came back into the gallery, I noticed Roo had not returned to her favorite roost. Maybe Squad Car and her were playing or sleeping. Wrong again! As I came around the partition that separates the gallery from my studio, guess what I saw? The gang of two basking on my painting. What could I do? As I stood there, they both casually rolled over on their backs so I could scratch their fuzzy bellies. Of course, this smeared the painting even more and added much color to their hairy little bodies. What used to be a lovely seascape was now a very colorful and abstract piece of art. I did not even know they could paint.
After shooing them off the painting and depositing it in the trash can, I still had two moving pastel covered cats to corral and clean up. They were not cooperative at all. After many wet paper towels, lots of hissing and a couple of claw marks on my person, they were reasonably clean again. However, I was not. I looked like I was the one that had rolled on the unfinished picture. Neither one of the Rembrandts volunteered to help clean me up. They both went to sleep.
I learned a lesson today. Don't become complacent with healthy, mischievous cats. Sooner or later, you will pay for it. I now have a large box that I place over my painting when I have to go meet a customer or even go to the bathroom. Who knows how long that will work.
Usually, during the day when I am painting, Roo stays up front in the window and Squad Car hangs out in her hammock in the back window. When a customer comes in, depending on how Roo feels about the person, she will either stay where she is or run to the back and get in her hammock until the customer leaves. They are so well trained by the master trainer, me. Lulled again!
It was a Thursday and I was just about done with a painting when a customer came in. Roo ran to the back and got in her hammock and I went to the front to greet the prospective art buyer. Nicely enough, she decided to purchase one of my larger paintings. We talked for about twenty minutes, I put her painting into an art bag, took the painting out to her car. A really nice way to start the day.
When I came back into the gallery, I noticed Roo had not returned to her favorite roost. Maybe Squad Car and her were playing or sleeping. Wrong again! As I came around the partition that separates the gallery from my studio, guess what I saw? The gang of two basking on my painting. What could I do? As I stood there, they both casually rolled over on their backs so I could scratch their fuzzy bellies. Of course, this smeared the painting even more and added much color to their hairy little bodies. What used to be a lovely seascape was now a very colorful and abstract piece of art. I did not even know they could paint.
After shooing them off the painting and depositing it in the trash can, I still had two moving pastel covered cats to corral and clean up. They were not cooperative at all. After many wet paper towels, lots of hissing and a couple of claw marks on my person, they were reasonably clean again. However, I was not. I looked like I was the one that had rolled on the unfinished picture. Neither one of the Rembrandts volunteered to help clean me up. They both went to sleep.
I learned a lesson today. Don't become complacent with healthy, mischievous cats. Sooner or later, you will pay for it. I now have a large box that I place over my painting when I have to go meet a customer or even go to the bathroom. Who knows how long that will work.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Territorial Disputes
It is finally starting to warm up in the Hill Country of central Texas. With that warming comes problems in the Gallery at Spicewood. During the winter, Roo spends much of her time in the front of the gallery next to the big windows where lots of sun comes into the gallery. Squad Car on the other hand, spends a lot time in my studio on a nice soft leather chair with her blanket spread on the chair. There is a small window there but it is on the north side of the building and no sunshine makes an appearance.
Now that it is getting warmer, the front windows are too hot for Roo so she migrates back to my studio looking for cooler digs. She finds Squad Car's chair and blanket, sees that it is unoccupied at the time (possession is nine-tenths of the law) and homesteads the place. Roo is sleeping soundly very quickly not knowing that Jaws (Squad Car) is heading back to her lair. I love to watch these little dramas.
Squad Car hops up on the chair (Roo pretends to be asleep) and circles her prey. The first step in repossession is the steely stare. After staring at Roo for about fifteen minutes with no apparent reaction on Roo's part, Squad Car moves in for the "licking gambit". She gently starts licking Roo's head and back while purring all the time. I guess she thinks this will irritate Roo, but Roo is strong and steadfastly ignores the licking and purring. Squad Car stops the licking seeing that is doing no good and pauses for a couple of minutes to figure out what to do next.
Squad Car remembers her ace in the hole - violence. That always works. She moves in closer to Roo, purring the whole time, and quickly bites Roo on the hind leg two or three time in rapid succession. Roo of course retaliates and the battle of the chair is on. Usually, they both fall off the chair, Roo runs to the front of the gallery and Squad Car claims her spoils of victory.
Here is the neat part. About ten minutes later, Roo comes to the studio, jumps up on the chair and they both go to sleep back to back happy as bugs in a rug. They don't hold grudges very long. Cats can teach us so much!
Now that it is getting warmer, the front windows are too hot for Roo so she migrates back to my studio looking for cooler digs. She finds Squad Car's chair and blanket, sees that it is unoccupied at the time (possession is nine-tenths of the law) and homesteads the place. Roo is sleeping soundly very quickly not knowing that Jaws (Squad Car) is heading back to her lair. I love to watch these little dramas.
Squad Car hops up on the chair (Roo pretends to be asleep) and circles her prey. The first step in repossession is the steely stare. After staring at Roo for about fifteen minutes with no apparent reaction on Roo's part, Squad Car moves in for the "licking gambit". She gently starts licking Roo's head and back while purring all the time. I guess she thinks this will irritate Roo, but Roo is strong and steadfastly ignores the licking and purring. Squad Car stops the licking seeing that is doing no good and pauses for a couple of minutes to figure out what to do next.
Squad Car remembers her ace in the hole - violence. That always works. She moves in closer to Roo, purring the whole time, and quickly bites Roo on the hind leg two or three time in rapid succession. Roo of course retaliates and the battle of the chair is on. Usually, they both fall off the chair, Roo runs to the front of the gallery and Squad Car claims her spoils of victory.
Here is the neat part. About ten minutes later, Roo comes to the studio, jumps up on the chair and they both go to sleep back to back happy as bugs in a rug. They don't hold grudges very long. Cats can teach us so much!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Feline Therapists
When I come into the gallery in the morning and find some small catastrophe (notice what the first three letters spell in CATastrophe) such as the peanut caper or the broken shelf incident (see previous blog entries), or cat vomit on my keyboard, it tends to upset me. Then, two little souls so glad to see me come running to the front of the gallery and welcome me with purrs, tails twitches, and rubbing. My point, they are always glad to see me no matter what my mood, how I look, or what I am wearing. All I can do is love them back.
I am not perfect. I have stepped on tails, been late with the chow, treated them rudely when I have not had a good morning or day, and within ten minutes, we are best buddies again. They do not hold a grudge for long. Wish I could say that about me and my dealings with humans. Cats live in the moment. I think this is probably true for all animals, domesticated or wild.
Humans can learn so much about living a good life from these little therapists. I have customers come into the gallery far the first time and not be too terribly friendly or outgoing. Most of the time, I can pick up Squad Car, walk into the gallery holding her in my arms with her purr motor revving and ask the person "do you like cats". Even if the initial answer is no, within a couple of minutes, Squad Car is getting petted and the person is more open and friendly. A win-win situation almost every time.
There is nothing like a happy, purring cat to make a happy, purring human being.
I am not perfect. I have stepped on tails, been late with the chow, treated them rudely when I have not had a good morning or day, and within ten minutes, we are best buddies again. They do not hold a grudge for long. Wish I could say that about me and my dealings with humans. Cats live in the moment. I think this is probably true for all animals, domesticated or wild.
Humans can learn so much about living a good life from these little therapists. I have customers come into the gallery far the first time and not be too terribly friendly or outgoing. Most of the time, I can pick up Squad Car, walk into the gallery holding her in my arms with her purr motor revving and ask the person "do you like cats". Even if the initial answer is no, within a couple of minutes, Squad Car is getting petted and the person is more open and friendly. A win-win situation almost every time.
There is nothing like a happy, purring cat to make a happy, purring human being.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Gallery Jungle Cats
It got really cold here in the Texas Hill Country this week. Usually, a cold day here is 30 degrees and then it warms up the next day. Not so this week. It has not been above freezing for the past three days and the lows at night went down into the teens. You might well be asking why am I giving you a weather forecast that has nothing to do with cats in a gallery.
I have three foliage plants sitting out in front of the gallery hopefully making the gallery look more attractive. With the cold weather, I had to bring them inside the gallery where interactions with the gang of two was inevitable. The interactions started immediately!
Squad Car, as usual, was afraid of the new intruders and hid for about two hours. Roo, on the other hand, was curious right off the bat. She sniffed and did her sneaky walk all around the plants for about fifteen minutes and realized there was no danger here. Too bad for me and the plants. The next thing I knew, she was tasting the plants. Then she climbed up into the deep, dark jungle and started roaming through the potted plants. Stems were broken, leaves were shredded, and dirt was dug. She was in hog heaven.
About this time, Squad Car thinking how dangerous could it be if Roo had made friends with it, came wandering up to check out the new territory. As she approached the plants, Roo rooted deeper into the jungle and only her little beady eyes could be seen. Evidently, Squad Car did not see the beady eyes and moseyed up to the plants only to be pounced upon by a dangerous jungle cat, Roo the Beast. Squad Car jumped straight up squealing like a little piglet and ran for cover with the Beast right behind her. Roo headed back to the jungle to lay in wait for another unsuspecting target.
Finally, Roo got tired of waiting and got up on her bench and went to sleep. Squad Car finally came up and explored the plants, but never would get into the plants. She soon tired of the new gallery addition and got up on the bench beside Roo and went to sleep. Roo liked that jungle motif and when she woke up, got right back into the plants and started chewing on them. I needed to protect the plants from extinction.
I had two very large plastic bags that I put customer paintings in. I put the bags over the plants and set the plant pots on the bag so it was like a little greenhouse (cat proof, I hope). Seems to be working so far. Hopefully, it will be warm enough by the weekend to set the plants back outside. Here are a couple of photos of the jungle cats.
I have three foliage plants sitting out in front of the gallery hopefully making the gallery look more attractive. With the cold weather, I had to bring them inside the gallery where interactions with the gang of two was inevitable. The interactions started immediately!
Squad Car, as usual, was afraid of the new intruders and hid for about two hours. Roo, on the other hand, was curious right off the bat. She sniffed and did her sneaky walk all around the plants for about fifteen minutes and realized there was no danger here. Too bad for me and the plants. The next thing I knew, she was tasting the plants. Then she climbed up into the deep, dark jungle and started roaming through the potted plants. Stems were broken, leaves were shredded, and dirt was dug. She was in hog heaven.
About this time, Squad Car thinking how dangerous could it be if Roo had made friends with it, came wandering up to check out the new territory. As she approached the plants, Roo rooted deeper into the jungle and only her little beady eyes could be seen. Evidently, Squad Car did not see the beady eyes and moseyed up to the plants only to be pounced upon by a dangerous jungle cat, Roo the Beast. Squad Car jumped straight up squealing like a little piglet and ran for cover with the Beast right behind her. Roo headed back to the jungle to lay in wait for another unsuspecting target.
Finally, Roo got tired of waiting and got up on her bench and went to sleep. Squad Car finally came up and explored the plants, but never would get into the plants. She soon tired of the new gallery addition and got up on the bench beside Roo and went to sleep. Roo liked that jungle motif and when she woke up, got right back into the plants and started chewing on them. I needed to protect the plants from extinction.
I had two very large plastic bags that I put customer paintings in. I put the bags over the plants and set the plant pots on the bag so it was like a little greenhouse (cat proof, I hope). Seems to be working so far. Hopefully, it will be warm enough by the weekend to set the plants back outside. Here are a couple of photos of the jungle cats.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Terms of Kitty Endearment
Goody goody gum drops. I am now caught up and all of my previous blog is on Blogspot now. I am live. If you are tuning in for the first time, you may want to go to the last entry in September of 2010 and start reading up to now. The entries from now on would probably make more sense.
A gallery out in the Hill Country of Texas (Gallery At Spicewood) can get pretty lonely at times. During the week, I can go two or three days without a single visitor. Luckily, I have two permanent visitors, Roo and Squad Car, my trusty gallery cats.
They are always at the front door in the morning waiting to greet me with squeals, purrs, and lots of rubbing. It is really great to always have someone waiting who is glad to see you. This is one of the reasons I look forward to going to work. They entertain me, soothe me, make me happy, and best of all, they trust me. They can count on me and I can count on them to lift my spirits. Let me talk about Squad Car first.
In the morning after I finish feeding, watering the cats and the plants, tidying up the gallery, putting out the open signs, lighting the candles and various other chores associated with running your own business, I sit down and put my feet up and plan the day. This is where my little day-planner-helper shows up. Squad Car jumps up on my chest, does a little gentle kneading and lays down on my chest trying to get comfortable. When she gets into the position she wants, the purring starts, her breathing slows, and she goes to sleep. A little black and white soul laying on my chest trusting me that nothing bad will happen to her. To use a good old Texas phrase, "It don't get no better".
We sit there for fifteen or twenty minutes mentally planning my day (paintings, computer, etc) and then I gently lift her off my chest, get up and gently put her back on the chair. She briefly wakes up, licks a couple of ruffled spots on her coat, purrs a little, and goes back to sleep while I start my day.
Talk about Zen moments. Thank you Squad Car.
Next, Roo and her Zen moments.
A gallery out in the Hill Country of Texas (Gallery At Spicewood) can get pretty lonely at times. During the week, I can go two or three days without a single visitor. Luckily, I have two permanent visitors, Roo and Squad Car, my trusty gallery cats.
They are always at the front door in the morning waiting to greet me with squeals, purrs, and lots of rubbing. It is really great to always have someone waiting who is glad to see you. This is one of the reasons I look forward to going to work. They entertain me, soothe me, make me happy, and best of all, they trust me. They can count on me and I can count on them to lift my spirits. Let me talk about Squad Car first.
In the morning after I finish feeding, watering the cats and the plants, tidying up the gallery, putting out the open signs, lighting the candles and various other chores associated with running your own business, I sit down and put my feet up and plan the day. This is where my little day-planner-helper shows up. Squad Car jumps up on my chest, does a little gentle kneading and lays down on my chest trying to get comfortable. When she gets into the position she wants, the purring starts, her breathing slows, and she goes to sleep. A little black and white soul laying on my chest trusting me that nothing bad will happen to her. To use a good old Texas phrase, "It don't get no better".
We sit there for fifteen or twenty minutes mentally planning my day (paintings, computer, etc) and then I gently lift her off my chest, get up and gently put her back on the chair. She briefly wakes up, licks a couple of ruffled spots on her coat, purrs a little, and goes back to sleep while I start my day.
Talk about Zen moments. Thank you Squad Car.
Next, Roo and her Zen moments.
Disaster Averted
January 19, 2011
I got to the gallery today about 9:00 am, feeling pretty good, whistling a little ditty, looking forward to a day of a painting, and perhaps, even selling a painting or two. As usual the two cats greeted me at the front door purring and rubbing against my legs. Always a good way to start a day.
As I walked toward the studio where my computer is, I noticed some papers laying on the floor beside the partition that separates the computer nook from my studio. I peered gingerly around the partition and was appalled by what I saw. The shelf I had installed about six feet off the ground had fallen onto my computer desk. It was hanging precariously by just one screw about six inches above my monitor and computer. The printer that had been on the shelf was laying on the floor upside down with all the paper scattered about the room. Lordy, Lordy, what a train wreck!
I had put the shelf up this high because of you-know-who. So I figured the shelf had just fallen off the wall due to my bad carpentry and short screws. This is where the plot thickens. As I was carefully taking down the remains of the shelf, and trying to keep it from falling on the computer, guess what I found clinging to the dangling shelf on a protruding screw? A little, fuzzy mouse toy! Now, how did that get up there?
Then I started doing some detective work. The previous day I had moved a four-drawer filing cabinet about four feet a way from the shelf never thinking what a foolish thing I was doing. This is what I suspect happened, but of course they are keeping mum.
One of the two gallery citizens discovered she could jump from my computer desk to a credenza, then onto the four drawer filing cabinet. New territory to explore. Then the blinding revelation occurred to the intrepid climber. With a little luck and a big jump, she could get to the forbidden shelf, so up she went in a cloud of dust and a "Mighty Hi Ho Kitty Away". Now, once the pathfinder was up there, the other member of the climbing party could follow in her paw prints. At this point, we have two full sized cats, a rather heavy HP printer, a couple of large art books, some papers, a lamp, and the final straw, a fuzzy toy mouse just asking to be played with. I do not know who brought the mouse up. I have watched them play with their mice and they can get very rambunctious. I imagine the screws in the wall finally gave way under the stress of the jumping and playing and the shelf went down like the Titanic. There were two survivors.
I cannot prove this theory, but I have a very strong hunch this is what happened. Of course, the two little innocent angels would not even look at the carnage all day. There will be no confessions forth coming.
We must live right here in the gallery. Nothing was broken except the shelf. The printer works fine, the lamp was all right (bulb not even broken) and the computer fired up perfectly. After a little cleaning and restructuring, everything was back to normal. Of course there was no offer of help from those two and they slept most of the day. Oh well, another day in paradise.
Here a couple of pictures of the gang of two looking innocent.
I got to the gallery today about 9:00 am, feeling pretty good, whistling a little ditty, looking forward to a day of a painting, and perhaps, even selling a painting or two. As usual the two cats greeted me at the front door purring and rubbing against my legs. Always a good way to start a day.
As I walked toward the studio where my computer is, I noticed some papers laying on the floor beside the partition that separates the computer nook from my studio. I peered gingerly around the partition and was appalled by what I saw. The shelf I had installed about six feet off the ground had fallen onto my computer desk. It was hanging precariously by just one screw about six inches above my monitor and computer. The printer that had been on the shelf was laying on the floor upside down with all the paper scattered about the room. Lordy, Lordy, what a train wreck!
I had put the shelf up this high because of you-know-who. So I figured the shelf had just fallen off the wall due to my bad carpentry and short screws. This is where the plot thickens. As I was carefully taking down the remains of the shelf, and trying to keep it from falling on the computer, guess what I found clinging to the dangling shelf on a protruding screw? A little, fuzzy mouse toy! Now, how did that get up there?
Then I started doing some detective work. The previous day I had moved a four-drawer filing cabinet about four feet a way from the shelf never thinking what a foolish thing I was doing. This is what I suspect happened, but of course they are keeping mum.
One of the two gallery citizens discovered she could jump from my computer desk to a credenza, then onto the four drawer filing cabinet. New territory to explore. Then the blinding revelation occurred to the intrepid climber. With a little luck and a big jump, she could get to the forbidden shelf, so up she went in a cloud of dust and a "Mighty Hi Ho Kitty Away". Now, once the pathfinder was up there, the other member of the climbing party could follow in her paw prints. At this point, we have two full sized cats, a rather heavy HP printer, a couple of large art books, some papers, a lamp, and the final straw, a fuzzy toy mouse just asking to be played with. I do not know who brought the mouse up. I have watched them play with their mice and they can get very rambunctious. I imagine the screws in the wall finally gave way under the stress of the jumping and playing and the shelf went down like the Titanic. There were two survivors.
I cannot prove this theory, but I have a very strong hunch this is what happened. Of course, the two little innocent angels would not even look at the carnage all day. There will be no confessions forth coming.
We must live right here in the gallery. Nothing was broken except the shelf. The printer works fine, the lamp was all right (bulb not even broken) and the computer fired up perfectly. After a little cleaning and restructuring, everything was back to normal. Of course there was no offer of help from those two and they slept most of the day. Oh well, another day in paradise.
Here a couple of pictures of the gang of two looking innocent.
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