TUXY TUESDAY WITH DOMINO: BASKET CASE

Domino is just relaxing in her basket chair catching a few rays.  However, with Domino you never know what mood is going to strike.

 It begins with a vague sense of disquietude.

Then her ears PURRk up ...

 ... and her eyes narrow as the feeling grows.

 "I sees yoo dere", she says, menacingly.

 "Prepare to be PETrified!", she announces ...

... as she breaks into a fit of maniacal laughter!

 The cackle turns into a horrifying howl!  Run, efurryone, run!  Domino's gone 'off her rocker'!

Just as quickly, Domino returns to normal.

"Doan be silleh!", she says. "Dis isn't a rockah  -- is just mai baskit chair an' yoo kin see i'm not off it!"  

Case closed.

MANCAT MONDAY WITH DYLAN: "THE EAGLE HAS LANDED"

When Dylan's outside he is on high alert.  With his helicopter ears and his eagle eyes, nothing can get past his notice.

Dylan likes to make sure that the back patio door is still open, even if just a crack.  If not, he will immediately beat a retreat to said back door and yowl at the top of his lungs.

Knowing he has a fast and easy escape route, his sharp senses take in all of the stimuli which surrounds him, until finally ... 

... he finds trust in its familiarity.

 His heightened senses can gear down ...

 ... as his ear flaps flip up ...

... and he glides into position for a landing. 

Now totally relaxed, Dylan waxes philosophical.  "Aftah all, wot is an
 E-Gull?", asks Dylan. "It must be an
 E-Male wif wings -- just like me!"

Being Enlightened makes it so much easier to fly.

TUXY TUESDAY WITH DOMINO: HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST!

Before Grampa passed, we had a birthday party for one of my lady furiends, Susan.  Domino dressed up in her best party dress and acted as hostess.  She was there to greet the guests, entertain them a little before dinner and then to wish them goodnight in her own peculiar way.

Before the guests arrived, Domino is checking out the venue to make sure everything is ready.

"Doan touch dis PURResent, Mama!  Is NOT fur yoo!"

Domino positions herself in the PURRime greeting spot.

 And none too soon, because here's the birthday girl herself -- Auntie Susan!

And right behind is Auntie Renate ...

 ... who scoops Domino up and tries for a cuddle.

"Not now", says Domino.  "Lemme go -- I gots moar work to do!"

And just then Auntie Val makes her appearance!

"C'mon in!" exclaims Domino.

Auntie Val had a birthday card for Mama even though Mama's birthday was in October ('cause Auntie Val missed it).  The card was mesmerizing to Domino because when you opened it, many cats would sing "Happy Birthday" in catspeak, of course.

"Meow meow meow meow, meow meow ...

Meow meow meow meow, meow meow ...

Meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow

Meow meow meow meow, meow meow"

Domino checked that card upside down and inside out, but she couldn't find where they hid the cats.

So FURustrated, she gives it the back of disrepect.

"I think it got wind of my disapproval, if yoo gets my drift", says Domino.

Not finished exploring, Domino moves on to the strange smells emanating from Auntie Val's PURRse ...

... but settles instead on the enticing aroma of Auntie Val's feet!  Domino is a sucker when it comes to socks seeped in human scent.

So, Domino waits while all the ladies enjoy their dinner.  Daddy has now taken over the task of waiting on them hand and foot at the dining table (although Domino did a pretty good job with Val's foot just a moment ago).

Domino thought she'd take a little nap in the meantime.  She deserves it after all that hard work.

And before you know it, she has fallen fast asleep ...

... and doesn't notice when efurryone tiptoes out the door at evening's end.

Sweet dreams little PURRincess!

A good time was had by all.

BYE, BYE GRAMPA!

A week ago my father-in-law, Wladyslaw (Walter) Parij, passed away at the age of 88.  He was born in Poland, and was a veteran of WWII, specifically of the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy.  He endured many hardships in his early years before he emigrated to Canada after the war.  There he met his wife, Jozefa and they had four children, one of whom is my husband (also Walter Parij).

In the last few years he was living in a retirement home which he called "The Hotel".  By this point he had Alzheimer's and was pretty confused, but happy at his room in the hotel with its regular meals (for which he was normally first in line).

We would bring him to our house on a regular basis for dinner and a visit -- and that included kitty time, too, of course.

Here he is on his 88th birthday last May.

Walter Sr. never had a pet of his own.  He thought animals only belonged on a farm.  However, as he mellowed in his latter years he became quite enamoured of my three cats -- especially Dante who knew who "Grampa" was and would come out to greet him whenever I yelled "Grampa's here!".

 Grampa was always good for some real good chin 'scritchens'.  Even though Dante loved him, he was still compelled to do that arms' length thing that cats are wont to do.

Dante liked to sit on one of the extra dining chairs closest to Grampa, but would hop down when offered something yummy.

Grampa and Dante weren't just fairweather furiends -- oh no!  Whatever the weather, they'd sit together.

Grampa would even kiss Dante on his mouth, though I never managed to capture one of those special moments on camera.

Grampa loved to dangle toys at the kitties.  It aMEWSed him endlessly.  Here he is enticing Dylan to play.

And, on the softer side, if he could catch one, Grampa liked to cuddle.  Domino was happy to oblige.

I am so glad that Grampa was able to experience the joy of pets in his last years.  They never failed to make him smile.

Grampa passed quickly and peacefully and we'll all miss him, as we do with all of those we care about.  Bye, bye Grampa!  See you later on the Bridge.