3-D TUXY AND TABBY TUESDAY: THE SHOW

Since the weather has turned colder, my 3-Ds think that the back door is a revolving door (which, of course, it can only be if someone is there to constantly open and close it).

Here are the three of them -- Domino, Dylan and Dante virtually begging to get inside -- after only being out for a couple of minutes.  (Domino corrects me -- she never begs, says she.  Queens don't grovel, they wait patiently.)  And, obviously, I'm out there with them taking the pictures.  It's really not that bad.  One of the better days weatherwise.

So, I open the door and Dylan is the first one to rush in (as usual), followed by Domino.  For some reason Dante stayed outside.

No sooner have I closed the door behind these two when they just stand there staring out -- like they'd give anything to be outside again!  (I'm not falling for it this time, though.)

You'll notice the streaks on the window where frantic, muddy paws have left their mark.

Something outside has caught Domino's attention ...

... and Dylan's, as well!

It's Dante!  He's busy digging -- and 'tocking out of his rear end at the same time.

 What happens next has the two of them look away in disgust!  Domino simply closes her eyes, while Dylan turns his head.

 It's Dante -- 'in flagrante delicto'!

When he's finished, Dante returns to the back door only to find no one there but his own reflection.

"Hey!", shouts he.  "Ware did efurrybuddy go?"

That's all folks ... it's the end of the show!

MANCAT MONDAY: DYLAN IS ART, ETC.

Dylan is about to show you a side of himself that he hasn't shown before.  His alter-ego is named "Art", and here he is.  (Of course, these pictures of Art were taken before the devastation caused by the CATerpillar.)

 Unlike Dylan, Art doesn't appear to be scared out of his mind -- just curious is he.

 In fact, Art has an air of bravado about him!

Art actually poses for pictures instead of running away.

Apparently, the CATerpillar thinks he is Art, as well.  

 Way back in June, who would have ever thought that THIS ...

... would turn into THIS!
What a metamorphosis!

I guess "Art" (like beauty) is in the eye of the beholder!

THE 3-Ds AT HOME: HELP!!!

So, furst of all, here is the result from the pool for "Domino at her Best".  And which 'best' did YOU like best?  Number 6, titled "HELP" was the runaway winner.

"Help!  I really mean it -- Help!!!"

This is our house as it was.  Serene and beautiful. 

Then something strange started to happen.

 Domino had a rather uneasy feeling.

 Not to mention Dylan, who is always on guard.

"Dere's sumfin rottin in da state of my gardin!", says he.

Domino sees red flags! 

On the other paw, Dante seems clueless.

 Well, maybe some of the flags are yellow and orange, too -- but you get the drift!

 Then yesterday there was such a commotion outside in front, that all kitties stayed inside and dared not even look out the window!  When we checked after the noise had subsided, this is what we saw.  We didn't have a driveway anymore!!!

And where once there was an idyllic garden space outside our front door ...

 ... now there was only devastation!

Where once there was a lovely patio seating area just outside our front bay window ...

... now there is NOTHING!  Worse than nothing!  There's dirt and debris all over the place.   There's no place to sit and even the bushes are gone.

Why?  Why?  Why, you may ask?  And in this you are not alone.  The 3-Ds want to know, too, why they're outdoor haven has been destroyed -- of all things by a CATerpillar!

 "Yoo crack me up!" says Dante.  "I noo all along dere wuzza problem.  Fings is not always as PURRfect as dey may appear."

Dante is right on the money with this one (which is a good thing because the reno is going to be very expensive!).  The soil in our area is just about pure clay.  As a result it shifts and anything built on top of it shifts, too.  

We've had problems with the front steps for about 10 years now, and keep getting temporary fixes.  Well, the time has come to get it fixed once and for all.  To do this, they need to destroy everything and start from scratch.  Even the driveway had sunk several inches over time, and we had temporary patches in front of the garage so the car wouldn't get damaged going in and out.

To top things off, we always went for the cheapest solution and never hired real professionals -- friends of my son, and then one of our neighbours -- all with bad results.  

This time we have real pros at work -- the best in the business, and a guarantee that will last as long as we're in the house.  No more sinking or shifting for us.  Or for the cats.

Dante will likely miss the big gap on the stairs because chipmunks would hide in there, and he was always poking his paw about in the crack, trying to catch one.

"Dat's OK, says Dante.  "I gots biggah fish ta fry!"  Yes, that's right Dante, there's a nice salmon in the fridge for all of us to share, although a plate of fish and chipmunks does go rather well together.

Stay tuned for the results in about a week from now!  For the front walkway and driveway, that is (not Dante's dinner).

TUXY TUESDAY: DOMINO AT HER BEST

Here are some random "best" photos of Domino over the past several years.  She has so many 'best ones', though, that I had to pick but a few.

#1  FLORAL FEMME FATALE

#2  DRESSED FOR A TEA PARTY 

 #3  TENDER TOOTSIES

 #4  SHADES OF BLACK AND WHITE

#5   ASSPHALT BACKDROP

 #6  HELP!

 #7  BASKET CASE

 #8  POLKA-DOT PULCHRITUDE

 #9  I'M FALLING FOR YOU!

#10  EYES OF GREEN

#11  STRAIGHT A HEAD

 #12  HANGING OUT IN THE HOOD

 #13  IT'S EASY AS ONE, TWO ... TREE!

#14  FAIRY INTERESTING!

 #15  IN A FOG

#16  THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

So which one is YOUR favourite?  Domino wants to know.  We'll announce the results tomorrow.

DANTE AND DYLAN BEYOND BELEAF!

The two mancats are out in the back yard surveying all the chaos around them.  Big winds from the night before had blown most of the remaining leaves off the trees.

"Hey bro -- kin yoo beleafs dis?", asks Dante. 

 "No", says Dylan, "I cant beleafs my eyes!"

 "Let me take a closah look."

"Yup, dey're efurrywhere -- efun fallin' frum da sky!" 

"Whaddya fink?", asks Dante.  "Shud we stay heer or investigate furdah?" 

"I stays heer close to da back door", says Dylan cautiously. 

 "Yoo go ahead.  I'll keep gard", reiterates Dylan.

Dante's curiosity is peaked.

Not so Dylan's, whose main concern ...

... is a quick escape inside.

Meanwhile, Dante bravely ventures off into the masses of leaves -- leaving Dylan dumbfounded.  Or is that just plain dumb?  (We just mean he had nothing further to say, of course  -- at least for now.)