His Grace Cmdr. Sam Vimes and Hobbes conversing with the local cardinal.
photo credit: HMS Defiant
Posts Tagged ‘cats’
What am I sappy cat blogging?
June 20, 2014
What am I celebrating on tattoo Tuesday?
May 20, 2014
Today is Root Beer day. On this day in 1876 Charles Hines introduced commercially bottled root beer to the public in celebration of the centennial of the USA in Philadelphia.
Here are some bottles from my root beer cellar being watched over by Cmdr. Sam Vimes.
Root beer, of course, had been around for a long time. It is one of those homemade concoctions like birch beer, ginger beer, spruce beer, and sarsaparilla, that has many different recipes. Some of the ingredients in root beer (from Wikipedia) include:
Main ingredients
- Sassafras albidum – Sassafras (roots) – safrole. The oil from these roots is believed to be carcinogenic so artificial versions are generally used instead. However, natural extracts with the safrole distilled and removed are available.
- Smilax regelii – Sarsaparilla.
- Smilax glyciphylla – Sweet Sarsaparilla.
- Piper auritum – Root Beer Plant or Hoja Santa.
- Glycyrrhiza glabra – Liquorice (root).
- Aralia nudicaulis – Wild Sarsaparilla or “Rabbit Root”.
- Gaultheria procumbens – Wintergreen (leaves and berries) – the oil can be toxic.
- Betula lenta – Sweet Birch (sap/syrup/resin).
- Betula nigra – Black Birch (sap/syrup/resin).
- Prunus serotina – Black Cherry.
- Picea rubens – Red Spruce.
- Picea mariana – Black Spruce.
- Picea sitchensis – Sitka Spruce.
- Arctium lappa – Burdock (root).
- Taraxacum officinale – Dandelion (root).
Foam
- Quillaja saponaria – Soapbark.
- Manihot esculenta – Cassava, Manioc or Yuca (root).
Spices
- Pimenta dioica – Allspice.
- Theobroma cacao – Chocolate.
- Trigonella foenum-graecum – Fenugreek.
- Myroxylon balsamum – Tolu balsam.
- Abies balsamea – Balsam Fir.
- Myristica fragrans – Nutmeg.
- Cinnamomum verum – Cinnamon (bark).
- Cinnamomum aromaticum – Cassia (bark).
- Syzygium aromaticum – Clove.
- Foeniculum vulgare – Fennel (seed).
- Zingiber officinale – Ginger (root).
- Illicium verum – Star Anise.
- Pimpinella anisum – Anise.
- Humulus lupulus – Hops.
- Mentha species – Mint.
Other ingredients
I bet you thought I forgot the tattoo. Nope – here it is:
What am I sappy cat blogging?
May 16, 2014
Cmdr. Samuel Vimes and Hobbes posing for the camera.
They are both Maine Coon cats and are still growing. Sammy is 2 years old and Hobbes is only 9 months old. They are terrific companions for each other and are great fun to watch.
From Wikipedia:
Maine Coons are the second largest breed of domestic cat. Males weigh from 15 to 25 lb (6.8 to 11.3 kg) with females weighing from 10 to 15 lb (4.5 to 6.8 kg). The height of adults can vary between 10 and 16 in (25 and 41 cm) and they can reach a length of up to 48 in (120 cm), including the tail, which can reach a length of 14 in (36 cm)and is long, tapering, and heavily furred, almost resembling a raccoon’s tail. The body is solid and muscular, which is necessary for supporting their own weight, and the chest is broad. Maine Coons possess a rectangular body shape and are slow to physically mature; their full potential size is normally not reached until they are three to five years old, while other cats take about only one year.
What am I sappy cat blogging?
May 2, 2014
How cool is this! The Friends of the National Zoo are auctioning a chance to learn to train one of their lions.
The description reads:
Join a lion keeper for a crash course on animal training! During this special behind-the-scenes experience you will learn about operant conditioning and the importance of training the National Zoo’s lions. Afterward you will have the opportunity to observe a real live training session between one of the Zoo’s lions and their trainer. This unique experience ends with an opportunity to a try out your new skills as a trainer!
There are a lot of other things to bid for on the site – all going to support the Smithsonian institutions. One I particularly like is the sloth bear spray painting. Suggested value $325.
What am I sappy cat blogging?
April 18, 2014
Cmdr. Samuel Vimes attempts to send back his new brother, Hobbes.
Good thing Zappos returns are free.
Just kidding – they get along great. It is just that boxes are irresistible.
What am I sappy cat blogging?
April 6, 2014The Flying Cats of Woodbury Place
Cmdr. Sam Vimes in mid-leap captured on my iPad
Sam’s new brother, Hobbes, also in mid-leap
Both kitties in a quieter moment. Hobbes arrived on Tuesday evening. Both are Maine Coon Cats. We are happy for the addition to our family and thank Cousin Linda for these furry blessings.
What am I sappycat blogging?
March 28, 2014
“If you’re an adult, especially a cat-loving adult, a more sophisticated hotcake might be in order. It doesn’t get any classier than these Japanese pancakes, which serve as a playground for sweet frolicking kitties. And if pancakes aren’t your breakfast style, check out the donuts!
The cats are so cute you just want to eat them up. And you can, because they are completely edible! Actually, sadly, you can’t eat them because these adorable confections are not for sale. They are made by a Japanese housewife named Caroline, who bakes them up every February 22 (Cat’s Day in Japan) for her family to enjoy.
So, unless you marry into Caroline’s family, you’ll just have to ooh and ah over these awe-inspiring photos. And could you really stomach eating such pure cuteness in the first place? It would be like lighting up your kitty swatting a ball of yarn candle.”
Thanks, Katie, for this reference reblogged from The Cat Channel
Gunsmoke and Knitting 