Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Ready or Not
It turns out the first Earthquake I experienced in Seattle, happened on April 29th, 55 years ago! Sorry to say I am old enough to remember, please don’t hold it against me! 🙂
Rise Up! : Sign Language Version
Check out this inspirational post from my friend Pete. A beautiful song of encouragement in sign language!
My step-daughter Emma works here in Norfolk in a school for children with special educational needs. Because of Coronavirus, she is currently working from home on teaching projects. She decided to use her sign language skills to help and inspire the kids at the school, many of whom have great problems with communication. She worked hard to create a sign language version of the popular and inspiring song, ‘Rise Up!’
I don’t normally make such requests, but on this occasion I am asking all of you, wherever you live, to share this blog post on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and on any other social media platform you are a member of.
Sign language is international. and so many people trapped at home during the current lockdown may be thrilled and inspired by Emma’s video. Let them know it will all be over soon, and that one day they will ‘Rise Up’…
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Dreaming of the Most Beautiful Lakes in the World!
Oh the places we’ll go when we’re freed from our homes! As for me, I’m dreaming of the most beautiful lakes in the world – and they’re found in the Canadian Rockies! Don’t believe me? Let me show you!
We’ll start in Banff with Vermillion Lakes where you’ll see the mountains reflected in its quiet waters.
We’ll head north where you’ll fall in love with Lake Louise, perhaps the most famous of them all!
Right next door is Moraine Lake which might become your new favorite.
But don’t make the decision hastily as the next two beauties will take your breath away!
Bow Lake
Peyto Lake
Leaving the crowds behind we’ll head to Jasper National Park and soak up the solitude at Medicine Lake
and Maligne Lake.
See what I mean? I can hardly wait to return to the most beautiful lakes in the world!
Oh the places we’ll go when we’re freed from our homes!
~ Susanne
Benji’s Steps For Spring Gardening
Well it’s that time of year again so Sue has asked me to lead you through the basic steps of spring gardening! If you’re lucky like me your humans – Bob in this case – will have already installed garden beds in a sunny place.
Your first job is to prepare the soil. Tools help for this purpose.
Next you plant your seeds – or itty bitty plants called ‘starts.’Â Or you may even move existing plants around and around like Sue does every year.
The next step is critical and definitely requires a cat like me. You must rid your garden beds of pests lest they sneak in underneath and eat your crop before you do!
After your beds have been planted and all unwanted pests have been removed, you watch and wait,
through sunshine and rain
until you finally get to enjoy the fruit of your labor
and it is catmint!
A work cat, after all, is worthy of his wages. 🙂
~ Susanne and Benji
Ambling in the Rainy Day Garden
After being missing in action for most of April, the rain returned to the Pacific Northwest and was welcomed by all.
I took a walk in the garden admiring the raindrops on the Lady’s Mantle
the Chives
and the budding Clematis. It won’t be long before they burst into bloom.
Tiger was happy to join me on my walk –
while Benji took a rainy day nap inside.
~ Susanne
How Many Browsers Does One Blogger Need?
Three so far!
Microsoft Edge
My computer came loaded with Microsoft Edge and I’ve used it for everything including blogging. Until it became increasingly buggy. First, I started losing my credentials when reading other blogs which caused my comments to show up as ‘Anonymous.’   Next, and even more annoying I can no longer upload pictures when creating a post. And more recently I’m finding glitches with comment notifications.
Chrome
Okay, fine. I’d already switched to Chrome to solve the anonymous problem and I’ve been using it to load pictures. So it had become my browser of choice for blogging. Until today that is, when I opened my blog in Chrome and found that the font had shrunk making it hard to read. Sigh.
Firefox
Enter Firefox! Rather than log a case with WordPress I thought – what the heck – let’s try another browser!  So yes indeed I downloaded Firefox and I now have three – count ’em three! – browsers on my PC to use when one or the other of them causes me heartache.
I’m using Firefox to create this post – so far so good. The font is what I like, I’m able to upload my pictures and my credentials are working on other blogs.
I hope there is not a fourth browser in my future!
Now before I leave you I want you to know that I accomplished this amazing feat this morning while being continually harassed (excuse me, entertained) by my office helper, you know the one.
That will be all for now.
~ Susanne
A Thanks and Celebration of Four Years of Blogging!
I debated whether to make a thing out of April 22nd or not – the date I published my first post four years ago. What is there – after all – to say about it? That I’m surprised to still be at it today? Well yes, there is that!
But as I considered further – I thought it would be a great time to thank those – both human and feline – who inspired my adventure in blogging.
I’ll start with my brother John who blogs here about food and entertainment. I’d written some cat stories a few years ago but wasn’t sure how to proceed with my newfound hobby. It was he who suggested I start a blog and to show me the possibilities recommended the blog of a man named Pete.
It was with a bit of fear and trepidation that I released my first post four years ago. Thanks to both of you who not only left me tips on that first story in 2016 but for continuing to provide your blogging support today!
Finally – and perhaps most importantly – are the cats who by their good looks and charming antics continue to fuel the stories that form the backbone of Cats and Trails and Garden Tales.
And lest I forget – thanks to my husband – my faithful reader and willing participant in my life and stories. And of course to all of you who take the time to drop by and visit. We so appreciate it! 🙂
~ Susanne, Tiger & Benji
The Eyes Have IT!
This week I’m thankful for all of you bloggers who faithfully give us prompts and challenges. You really help to keep my creative juices flowing – which would otherwise dry up.
So for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, Seeing, I give you the wonderful eyes of my two favorite felines.
TigerÂ
Benji
To close I would like to share a poem with you – written by my best friend in junior high. I have always remembered it, even loved it for its truth and simplicity, I wonder if she knows?
So here’s to Cindy S. wherever you are.
“The cat sits
and smiles and sings;
he knows a lot of secret things.”
~ Susanne, Tiger and Benji
Water, Fire and Ice!
In celebration of Earth Day this week, I thought I’d give you a tour of water, fire and ice from my place in the world.
The first picture is not my own as I have not yet scaled these heights. Still, can you see me waving from the northwest corner of the USA?
Notice the blue everywhere!  Water covers 70% of the Earth’s surface and the Pacific Ocean, the largest body of water takes up 30%. I’m thankful to enjoy its beauty on Washington’s rugged coast.
Further south in Oregon lies the Graveyard of the Pacific where you can see the wreck of the Peter Iredale. Perhaps the ocean was misnamed by Ferdinand Magellan who thought its waters peaceful?
Fortunately for us, we enjoyed tranquil sailing on the Pacific during last fall’s cruise to California. I hope it’s not our last.
For fire let’s go to Yellowstone National Park, which sits in the caldera of a giant super volcano, as evidenced by erupting geysers and bubbling hot springs! I never get tired of visiting this masterpiece of creation!
Lastly, there’s no better place to see ice than in Alaska’s Glacier Bay.
So there you have it! Water, Fire, Ice!
Yes, our planet can be wild and turbulent, but it’s still rather magnificent don’t you think?
Shared with Sunday Still’s, Mother Earth.
~ Susanne
Forest Flowers
Sometimes the loveliest flowers thrive in the unlikeliest places. They don’t want our care – they prefer to live wild where rivers and forests remain intact.
Yesterday I showed you a Trillium but here is another.  See how easily it grows from the messy forest floor?
The Bleeding Heart grows too without a fuss. Delicate yet hardy, even the name is lovely.
Last – and possibly least of all – is the humble dandelion – an intruder in our gardens – but lovely next to the trail.
~ Susanne
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