Cleopatra in her element

Here, Cleo shows her displeasure at being asked to move from her throne, er, the bed. We left her alone, and the bed did not get made that day.

Did you know that silly cat pictures, often with captions, predate the internet by over 100 years? It's true. Victorian photographers did it.

Oliver is in a hat

I have had a request for more pictures of Cleo and Oliver, but since they rarely leave the bedroom or do anything photogenic these days, you get a few older pictures.  We are heading to a potluck for Benjamin's philosophy department, and there is a chance of rain. Such is your weekend update.

In the meantime, Oliver is in a hat. Your argument is invalid.

Post-Thanksgiving Hike Photo Massacre

This is the only picture that survived my photo accident last weekend. We went to Lake Catherine State Park for our annual post-Thanksgiving hike. The main trail we planned to hike was closed for no apparent reason (at least not apparent to us) but we managed to put together a decent hike from the other two loops.  It had rained all day Thanksgiving, so there was actually a good amount of water in the little creeks and the waterfall. It would probably be a good place to go swimming in the summer.

Mr. Meowster

Meowster in full voice.

 One of Oliver's nicknames is Mr. Meowster. He likes the sound of his own voice, and he uses his voice a lot. He just starts, for no apparent reason, and continues until he goes back to his cat napping. Sometimes it is to let us know that the food bowl is empty, but mostly, it is just to let us know he is there, at least as far as we can tell.

Mr. Meowster does not approve of paparazzi.

He really wants to be with us in the evenings, when we are in the living room, and he really wants to go out on the deck and into the yard to eat grass. Miikka likes to chase Oliver, when he notices that Oliver is in the room. Too often, Meowster sabotages himself through his incessant meowing. If he would just stay quiet, Miikka would ignore him - I know this because on the rare occasions Oliver refrains, he is left unmolested. But Oliver is our kitty of very little brain, so he never quite makes the connection. Sigh.

Miikka and autumn

Oh no, my dog lost his head!

 Miikka has been enjoying the fall weather as much as we have. On Friday, when I stayed home from work with a cold, he spent the day lying around near the door (or part way through it) or running around the back yard, playing in the leaves. He has been full of extra energy too, especially in the evenings. Instead of being tired out by the heat and humidity, he is bouncy and mischievous and ready for play.

One content pup.

Some mornings, when he is curled on the couch, and looking oh so cute, it is almost painful to leave. I just want to snuggle up with him and play in the leaves myself.

Puppy Pool Party!

Don't know where all the dogs went during this photo, but there were a lot of them.

On Saturday, the Maumelle Community Center pool was transformed into a puppy pool for a puppy pool party, benefiting the Maumelle Friends of the Animals.  Since Miikka loves playing in water that comes from a hose, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to see if he liked swimming.

Mama, what have you done to me?

Short answer: no. Long answer: still no.  He was somewhat intimidated by all the big dogs and their outsized exuberance - at one point, he and Benjamin were vaulted by a Great Dane - and water deeper than his toes.

OK, you made me swim. Can I get out now?

He followed me into deeper water where he was forced to swim, and he was actually quite good at it (I also took him in to the deeper water and let him go - he streaked back to the side of the pool) but did not enjoy it.

I'd rather just watch from here, thanks.

Too bad.  The retrieving dogs seemed to be having a lot of fun, jumping in after tennis balls.  Benjamin and I decided that, had the pool been filled with mud, then Miikka might have enjoyed the swim more. Ah well. Guess he will have to stick to chasing the hose and digging ankle traps in the yard.

It is amazing...

This morning, I woke up with a migraine. I had to force myself to go to the gym (after spending 5 solid minutes petting Cleo, and another 20 giving belly rubs to Miikka), and I was sure I would not make it through my workout. But I did, and by the time I finished my weight workout, the headache had receded. Now, I am feeling fine, chipper even. It is amazing what modern drugs, exercise, and a fabulous pair of red shoes can do for one's mood. All that, and the Dodge Charger with the license plate "NSFW" that I saw on the commute in. (Mom, that means "not safe for work," commonly used on naughty or icky pictures online.)

Creamy, in a totally safe for work picture.

 And now, it is Friday, with a long weekend ahead of me. The weather is gray, with a chance of more rain - yes, I said more. We actually had a measurable amount yesterday! And it isn't supposed to be hot - only mid-80s. I plan to work on redecorating Kirby's room, and taking walks, and maybe doing some yard work. Whoo! Maybe I will even bake something - bread, Snickerdoodles, who knows.

Creamy does her thing

This mouse shall learn a lesson!

 Lately, Creamsicle has taken to joining us for meals and some petting. She is very insistent, and will let you know with headbutting that ignoring her is not an option.  One morning last week, however, she decided that it was time to take on the mouse. Most mornings, we have two computers out and open on the kitchen table, the one on the left being the newer one, with an actual (computer) mouse attached.
 

Take that! You shall remember the fearsome name Creamsicle!

She attacked for all she was worth, as if it was a real mouse to be disemboweled. Some of you may remember what she can do to a stuffed mouse.  Luckily, the computer mouse seemed to be made of sterner stuff than the felt mouse.

What? It was asking for it! And surely you wanted iTunes open, so I opened it for you.

She didn't do any real damage, but she did open a few programs and reconfigure the desktop... Oh Creamy. Why don't you go play with Miikka instead? It would get less cat hair on the table. They do play, by the way. Miikka dances around her, barking, and she lays on the floor, taking occasional swipes at him and hissing. When she is done playing, she goes over to a hatbox that is in the living room. Once she is on the box, Miikka knows to leave her alone. Don't know how she taught him that, but it seems to work.

Summer left-overs

Daylily in the front garden, from Amber as a housewarming gift

Since nothing much has been happening around here for the last month, here are some random pictures from earlier in the summer, before the yard had been overcome by heat and lack of rain, and before we lost our will to hike and go outside.

They ain't kidding about being steep...

 Pinnacle Mountain, the last time we went hiking, in June.

The view from the top, if you survive that long.

Our meager crop of Yukon Gold potatoes from one of the planters. The leaves all gotten eaten by bugs at some point. Ah, gardening.

Curse you varmints. You know they eat raccoons in this state, right?

 Raccoons came to visit several times at the beginning of the summer, before someone got smart and took the birdseed to the garage.

A pooped Miikka after a successful party.

Franklin and Fala

Of all the presidential memorials in D.C., I think the Franklin Roosevelt is my favorite - partially because of the monument itself, and partially because unlike the Jefferson and Lincoln monuments, it was not swarmed by people and yelling tweenagers.  It is designed to feel like four different rooms, each representing one term. There are no steps, which makes it easily the most accessible for people in wheelchairs, or on crutches, or just with bum knees. Each room had lovely water features, quotes and statues. The shade was welcome, because even at 10:30 or 11 in the morning, it was hot.

Eleanor only has this little nook, but at least she has that - I don't think any of the other presidential wives are mentioned at all. (Wikipedia says she is the only First Lady depicted in a memorial).

We sure could use something as visionary as the CCC these days. Every state park we have been to in Arkansas has some sort of notice to the effect that the trail was first cut by the CCC, or the lodge was built by the CCC, or the bridge was put in place by the CCC workers who had to lug each rock in over 5 miles of trail, by hand. You get the idea. They did great work, and it gave people hope and money in a time of national distress.

Right out of a black and white picture - the breadline.  At least we haven't fallen that far, yet.

This statue was not in the original design, but I think it is great that it is there, even if Roosevelt was never pictured using a wheelchair.

This statue was somewhat controversial because you can't tell that Roosevelt is in a wheelchair. Check the Wikipedia entry for more information about that. I don't care, one way or the other - it is just a nice statue.

And it has Fala.  You can tell that she has been well-loved by her shiny ears and nose. I had to give them a rub as well. How great is that - a pet in a presidential monument?  I mean, Lincoln liked cats, but all we get for him is a big august statue - nothing to make him human. Same with Jefferson. But Roosevelt, well, he gets Eleanor and Fala.

The Statues of Washington D.C.

Good gracious me, D.C has tons of statues! They are everywhere - the traffic circle, in front of random buildings, at monuments, in front of museums, int he bathroom. Well, maybe not the latter, although, it really wouldn't surprise me.  What casinos are to Las Vegas, statues are to D.C. (and I have seen slots in the bathrooms in Vegas!). Here are just a few of the statues we saw while we were there in June.

Yes, this one is inspired by the little brush/blowy thing that people used to use to clean out typewriters..   And look at how big it is. Just imagine the typewriter that would need it!

Most of the statues have little signs telling you not to touch, not to sit or climb on them, which is always sort of a bummer, even for grown-ups. This arrangement, on the other hand, specifically encouraged visitors to sit on the chairs. A nice rest on a very hot afternoon.

Some sculptures were grave and thought-provoking, others were just plain goofy. This set of statues were in the Sculpture Garden, which is part of the National Gallery of Art. There were many more scattered throughout the garden area, just off the National Mall.

This fountain is at the center of the garden, and all around the rim, people sat and dipped their feet in the water. We joined in - did I mention it was a really hot day?  In the winter, this pond is converted to a skating rink. How neat is that?

This is one of several statues outside the fantastic National Museum of the American Indian. If you are in D.C. and have a chance, visit this museum. Eat at the cafe (it is pricey, but the food is mostly worth it  - for the love of cultural diversity, just don't eat the chicken strips!) - it showcases Native American foods from all over the country and even South America. Watch the little introductory video and wander through the exhibits.

Many thanks to Jeannette for pointing us in the direction of Albert here. He sits in a little grove of trees outside the National Academy of Sciences. He was another statue that encouraged climbing (or at least didn't discourage it).  In fact, it was rather difficult to get a picture of him alone, because a family with several children was visiting, and climbing all over him. If we had been alone, I might have climbed him myself, but I have too much dignity (err, was wearing a skirt that might have flashed innocent bystanders). What a pity.

Makin' pickles

Cucumbers, washed and ready to be pickled

Earlier this summer, before it had been so hot for so long, I decided to try my hand at making pickles.  I have canned various fruits and made applesauce and jams, but I have never made pickles. All the recipes I looked at seemed really easy, too easy even. I mean, surely it should be difficult? No? All I have to do is make a brine and put everything in the jars? Huh. Well then, let's give it a try. I used the dill pickle recipe from The Joy of Cooking (the 1960s or 1970s edition), with a few consultations of various web sites.

Slicing up the cukes.

The cucumbers are from the farmer's market, a variety specifically for canning and/or pickling.  Since I like pickle spears and don't plan to eat them in sandwiches, I went with the spear shape. It was also the quickest - only 2 cuts per cuke.

More cukes...

Some of the cucumbers did have to be cut in half because they were too tall for the pint jars, but again, not too difficult to prep.

Sterilizing the jars

I had plenty of jars in the garage, left over from previous canning projects. I just needed to buy new lids - apparently, the little rubber seal only works once. But, the jars did need sterilizing, since they had been sitting in the garage for a year or so.

Look at that busy stove!

The brine was really simple - pickling salt, vinegar, and water. Just boiled together. So simple. Too simple?

3 jars of pickles, whoo!

Once the jars were filled with the brine and dill seeds and the lids were on, I re-boiled the jars. I think that step was sort of optional - if you are going to eat the pickles right away, they can just be stored in the fridge.  Since I was planning to store the pickles for longer, I boiled them.  We haven't tried them yet - I think I am still not convinced that such and easy process is correct, or safe or something, but we will, soon enough.

One final glimpse of Amsterdam...for now

Since it is now July, and we went on our trip in May, I think it is time to wrap up my recap. Above, some of the wonderful roof lines of Amsterdam. I don't know how nice these houses are inside, but outside they were so much fun to look at.

The totally awesome Amsterdam Public Library - free internet for everyone! The library building is fairly new, and has great views, cool architecture, and as I said, free internet. Who needs an internet cafe when the library is available? And it wasn't being abused, like some libraries in the United States that I can think of... Anyway, we didn't really explore the library too much, but we did like what we saw.

I think this is the same view that is on the cover of our Rick Steves guidebook. A canal in the Jordaan neighborhood, complete with bikes, canal boats and a lovely sky. Ah...

That little building in the middle is reputedly the narrowest house in the Netherlands. It is full-sized farther back, but narrow at the front, because there used to be taxes based on how much canal frontage your house had. So, to avoid paying an exorbitant tax on a wide house, this builder just put most of the house off the canal. Sneaky.

The Anne Frank House Museum. The line was around the corner of the building, and we had already seen so many museums (including the Amsterdam History Museum, which is enormous), so we skipped it. I assume the house is somewhere behind that facade.

Enlarge this picture to see the lovely way the Vondelpark rules are spelled out. What I don't understand is why trumpets are allowed, but not drums. Must be anti-hippie or something, since the Vondelpark was overrun with hippies in the 70s...

And thus concludes my tour of Amsterdam, Delft, Brugge, Brussels and points in between. I hope you enjoyed it. We shall be returning to normal, somewhat boring, Arkansas in your next post.

Miikka on Monday

It has been a little while since I posted Miikka pictures, so here are some to brighten your Monday. No, that is not a giant toilet paper tube - if came from the giant printer we have at work. Miikka enjoyed destroying it.

Sometimes, Miikka takes a break from destroying paper tubes and chasing squirrels. Sometimes he even joins me for a relaxing afternoon siesta on the couch.

He and Creamsicle get along fairly well, as seen here. Some days he prefers to chase her though. She does not appreciate such rude behavior.

Me, rude? Never. This is his best cute, I'm-not-really-a-trouble-pup face. It works all the time.

I am about to go get some squirrels for you Mama! Watch me go. See the path he has forged between the bushes? He takes a flying leap and hits the ground running.

We had a cookout/potluck at our house on Saturday night.  Looks like someone had a good time at the party! He was too tired to even start to destroy this box.