Kittehs! The Horror!

What better way to start my vacation then with a post about KITTEHS!!!!

Really, one can only tolerate so much cuteness in one day. Despite the dastardly heat this past Saturday (88 degrees at 10:00 am up to 104.5 degrees at 5:00 pm in Sonoma) I found myself completely in thrall of these lovelies. But really, can anyone blame me? I mean, for pity's sake, their cuteness is quite demonic and therefore absolutely irresistible.

First, the duet: Samantha (the calico) and Tiburon (the tabby). Both girls, about 2 months old, rescued from the animal shelter in Petaluma.



Then some Samantha details:

Clearly she is thinking, "Yes, human, come closer so I can practice my claw-sharpening skills on your soft, fleshy, furless face. Yes, closer... closer..." (Notice the serious whiskerage.)



Samantha, being exhausted from her various skill improvements, decided she'd relax with my Kindle. She was certain that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies would be to her liking. She ended up dozing off instead, the poor tired little sweetling. (Notice shaved little belleh!)



Then there is Tiburon (aka the blood thirsty shark). This is what happens to kittehs after they've been scratched behind their ears for just a little bit. Total collapse. She stayed like this for a LONG time. In fact, I was unable to depart because of it. How could I possibly move? I might have disturbed her!



Okay, look, if you're going to get sick from the overwhelming cuteness, please take it elsewhere... (Notice the multi-colored schnozzle.)



And finally, a must have for all you Rorschach fans. What do you see there? No, please, keep it to yourself... really...

Picture Catch-Up

It's been a while since I posted pictures, so here are some catch-up pictures. Hope you enjoy!

A picture of Joe with the lovely, fog-shrouded Golden Gate in the background. This was taken on the J&B day we had on his last visit to SF.



Joe and I drove down below the bridge, on the north east side. While walking out on the dock there was a big ole' seagull chilling out. I took a nice pic of the big guy just sitting there. As I went to snap another pic, he just took flight... I love this shot... look at his cute little web feet...



Some fungi I came across while talking a walk through Muir Woods with Michael and Edwin. Tasty.



A lovely yellow flower -- if you know what kind a flower it is, let me know -- seen on the same Muir Woods walk.



And saving the best for last, my folks! This is from their March trip. We went to the Japanese Tea Garden.

I Have Kindled my Reading Fire

Test drive of my bro's Kindle was a success. So, he got me one as a VERY early xmas/bd present -- yes, I'm painfully spoiled.

I've already downloaded a bunch of books:
The Strain, by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo Del Toro
World War Z, by Max Brooks
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (yes, the four Bennet sisters are quite adept at decapitating zombies -- as if there was any doubt)
The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters
Fool Moon (Dresden Files, book 2), by Jim Butcher

I'm contemplating We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land, by Jimmy Carter, but the sample only goes up to part of the introduction, so I don't get a real sense of Carter's writing, so I'll have to wait to check out the book in the store so I can read the first few pages of the first chapter.

I also downloaded a free book Amazon was providing, Serial, by Jack Killborn and Blake Crouch. We'll see how that goes.

Oh, and an issue of the Narrative writing journal. Just to check it out.

Anyway, I'm digging it. Is it possible I'm reading faster with this device? I find that hard to believe, but who knows.

To Kindle or Not to Kindle..

My friend, Walker, recently passed a Kindle commentary by Pierre Tristam along to me as I had told her I was taking my brother's Kindle for a test drive.

I loved the article and, in essence, agreed with him... the Kindle is a good supplement, but it won't replace my desire to have the physical book. I was talking to another friend about it last night and he, being somewhat of a purest and a skeptic, was opposed in principle to the Kindle. But, as I explained, I read so many books that I don't keep or, frankly, don't want to keep, why shouldn't the Kindle be a good solution? If I come across a book on the Kindle that speaks to me like any number of other books have in the past, I'll have no problem buying a hard copy and adding it to my collection. But for all those murder mysteries, spy novels, the occasional guilty pleasure of a romance novel, the random funny books I find and the multitude of fantasy novels the Kindle may prove very worthwhile.

Tristam write, "Most of all, books' physical existence reassures me." He's right. There is something about seeing those books on the shelf, knowing I can pull one down, feel it's weight in my hands, finger through the pages looking for a particular passage or quote, that somehow ensures me that all is okay with the world, even in times that often seem dire.

But boy, finding a book I'm interested in and being able to download it in seconds and be reading it in minutes... well, that's something, too!

Laziness is a Virtue

It is my humble (perhaps not so) opinion that being lazy is, in fact, a virtue. Why is it that people think we should always be productive? Always doing something. Accomplishing something. Achieving something. Blah. I say, be lazy. Lounge. Recline. Nap in the middle of the day if you like.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that I'm on a little vacation. It is easy to be lazy when you have rented a little cottage amid tall redwoods. A place where you can stumble out of bed at your leisure and immediately curl up on the couch with a book until you feel productive enough to get breakfast together -- at, oh, around about 11 a.m.

Pan to just around one o'clock when you decide it might be worthwhile to take a drive somewhere, like out to Occidental to peruse the little shops. Then another leisurely drive out to the ocean via Coleman Valley road. Maybe a stop in Bodega to check out the historical location of the school house from The Birds. Then maybe a late (4:00) lunch at a tasty, tho' decidedly over-priced, restaurant on Tomales Bay. Ah, fresh oysters. Wine. Fresh cut french fries. Grilled sardines. Yum.

Pan back to the cottage for another evening of doing absolutely nothing -- not even games. Just sitting on the porch or couch reading, occasionally chatting, but mainly just being quiet. The only real noises the crackling of the fire, the occasional snorts of the pug or the periodic Michael-chuckle.

I say, laziness is a good thing and done far to infrequently. Revel in it when the opportunity arises!

Fire Fire Burning Bright

Ah, the joy of a smoldering fire. Here we are up in the Russian River area in our little weekend cottage getaway. Michael shows off his fire-making prowess as we settle down for the evening.



We had a really nice drive up to Healdsburg where we walked around the square a little and then had dinner outdoors (restaurant patio). Weather is warm, tho' the night is cool enough for the fire. There were many children playing on the grass next to our table. It made Edwin and I cranky. Kids, who needs 'em!

The cottage, built in 1938, is terrible cute and quaint. Perfect for the 3 of us and The Gobi.

Tomorrow perhaps some wine tasting and a drive across the valley and the hills to Calistoga.

Birdie