Nature Friday - Wildlife Spottings

 Hi pals, hi pals,

It is Styxy your favourite window watcher with some very exciting news. It has been very exciting at our house, as always.

The other day, I was sitting guard on my guard stool when I saw them. I saw them and then more of them and more of them. Lady counted at least 19! They are hard to count because they keep moving around, and I wasn't even there to chase them!

Did you guess it was all my turkey friends? So many turkey friends. They are so fun to watch. They move around and they sometimes fight each other. I wish I could be like angel Phod and chase them. He just wanted to see them fly. I would want to taste them.

They were out there for a long time and then they moved on. I hope they come back soon.

your pal, Styxy, the window watcher warrior 

Mischief Monday - Stupid Ideas from The Internet - by Styxy

 hi friends, hi friends,

Besides hats, I think people should be banned from looking at stupid things on the internet.

Lady was scrolling along waiting for Man to make dinner and she came across videos of people setting a cucumber behind their cats and seeing the reaction. The cats were freaking out. 

So she made our dinner, and when we weren't looking she put a cucumber behind us.

Then we ate and she waited and waited and made so much video of us eating. 

Finally, I finished first and saw the cucumber. I did not freak out, but I very, very slowly walked around it and checked it out.

Here is a screen shot from that.

2 minutes later Grissie finished and she just walked right up to it and checked it out. She thought it was stupid and walked away.

We didn't have the reaction of other cats, but apparently it still amused our Lady (who clearly needs a life).

your pal Styxy the cautious

Mischief Monday - Home Alone - by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends,

The most horrible thing that has happened to us since coming to live here, ok, second most terrible thing, as dressing up is the most terrible thing, oh and Tigris says forced snuggling is worse, so maybe like the 3rd most horrible thing to happen since we came to live here. A horrible thing happened. 

Trigris protecting me from the kids, she is a very good mom

The people left us alone in the house for 87 million hours. We only got food and water when the two of Callie's kids came over to feed us and play with us and take good care of us and mow the lawn because they were bored. 

I was forced to drink out of a water dish and not Lady's water glass

Our people have argued that first 4 nights is not 87 million hours, and that it was less traumatizing then taking us to a kennel where they thought we may thought they were truly abandoning us. We haven't lived with them for 4 months yet and the people thought 4 nights at home with kid check ins would be the best for us. 

Having to play puzzles in the sun with kids

We were both very happy with them when they came home and gave them lots of love and attention and we hope they never go away for so long ever again, or they take us with them. Because we saw proof on Lady's camera we could have gone with them. 

This was taken a vineyard

Lady says there are no plans for the people to leave us for 87 million hours for a long time. We don't have to worry about it. Because of this promise, we may let her tell you about her little vacation.

your pal Styxy, who guarded the house and played well with the children

Nature Friday - A Nighttime Visitor - by Styx with a dramatic re-creation

 Hi friends, hi friends,

We have a very exciting night here recently.

First the power flickered for no reason. So Man got up to unplug the things that were set off by a power outage.  He had just gotten back to bed when he heard us hunting. He got up again and next thing you knew the lights were coming on and the Man was yelling. The Man then ran to the bedroom to get an old t-shirt. You see, there was a bat in the house. The bat had been on the dining room floor. The Man wanted the t-shirt to grab the bat in. 

By the time he got back to the dining room, the bat was gone, Tigris was hiding and Lady was awake and confused. 

Man and I went on a bat hunt.

A dramatic recreation

It didn't take long before I spotted it, hanging near Angel Lee and Phod's pictures. The Man quickly wrapped it in the t-shirt, and made his way to the front door. The Lady grabbed me so I couldn't go out while Man tossed the bat and t-shirt outside.  In the morning the bat was gone, so we hope it flew away.

I get to have so many wildlife adventures in this house, maybe it is almost as good as getting to be outside. 

your pal, Styx-Man, the Bat Hunter

Mischief Monday - I Was Thwarted - by Styx

 Hi pals, hi pals,

I tasted the freedom and had the cool grass on my feet and the sun at my back and I hate to admit it, but that sweet, sweet grass lead to my downfall.

The Lady stupidly used the front door when she was doing bird feeder stuff and I was able to make a break for it.

Lady was screaming and I scooted under the deck. Man came out and called me and I stuck my head out and then I ran in the grass. Lady went inside to get treats, while the Man was calling me to stop and wait. The bush was thick so I stayed on the grass. Then the sweet sweet grass was calling my name and I couldn't resist it any more. I stopped for a snack and my man was able to scoop me up.

Dramatic recreation of my taste of freedom

My love of grass thwarted my freedom. 

Lady and Man were glad I was safe and are now being extra, extra careful.

your pal, whose love of treats got the best of him, Styxy

Nature Friday - With Your Host Styx

 Dear pals, dear pals,

I am so excited to get to write the blog again. I love writing to you all. It was really hot here last week. The temperatures were in the 30s/80-90s, which Lady says for some people isn't hot. We thought it was hot. With the humidex it was close to (40/100). We sat around and moved less.

I

It may be hot, but I still want to enjoy the morning sun

 I asked the Lady to collect some pictures for me. I am calling this, things I want to eat. 

Yellow food

Purple snacks

Pink and green

Looks too chewy

Roadside snacks

I hope you enjoyed this week's Nature Friday. I am so happy Rosy and Sunny host this.

your pals, the plant eating Styxy

Mischief Monday - Unfair - by Styx

 Hi pals, hi pals,

I have to tell you something that is very unfair in our house, so unfair, so unfair and it is making me sad. Sometimes to get treats, I have to do a puzzle. I started with some of the dog puzzles. I do not like the rocking ones and the moving ones. Then the Lady and Man got me a cat one. Level 2. I figured it out in only a few minutes. I am a very smart boy, so smart. I can do puzzles. I like treats. Treats in puzzles is nice. 

My cat watermelon puzzle

Oh, back to unfair. Tigris will have nothing to do with puzzles. She will look at them and look at the people and walk away. She walks away from food. So instead of making her do a puzzle for treats, she just gets some. She doesn't have to do a puzzle. 

Eating treats

It does not seem fair that this very smart Styxy has to work for the treats. I should just get treats for free too.

you pal, who is treated unfairly, Styxy

Nature Friday - So Many Friends - by Styx

 Dear pals, dear pals,

When I look out the window I get to see soooooo many friend.  There are so many creatures I want to invite in. But Lady and Man say no and they say I can't go out and say hi. I have to wave from the window.

Do you see my new friend?

Just the other day I saw this friend.

Lady said she is a much better friend than the bad kitty I saw a few weeks ago.

This friend was being stalked by another friend. I so, so want this one to be my friend.

Editor's note: This is Callie's cat Ash

However, the big friend didn't seemed bothered. She had a nap.

I can tell we would all be great friends.

Friends with everyone, your pal Styxy

Mischief Monday - A Barrier by Styx

 Hi pals, hi pals,

Happy Monday! I am so happy to be here, but sad to tell you all about how my people may have found a way to actually stop me from exploring they ways I want to. 

You may remember when I first came here (can you believe it is almost 3 months), I was a little nervous and I hid under the washer and dryer. Then when my people took the entire laundry apart, I got in the ceiling. I got in the ceiling 2 more times before the people figured out, their attempts to stop the unstoppable Styxy from getting in the ceiling were for not. So they made this area a no Styxy zone. 

Last weekend, they put up barrier I have yet to figure out how to get by. Lady says more importantly the Man and Lady did it without many HBO words. They are not the most handy people. 

It still needs a frame, but works for now. 

I really don't think this is fair. I think I should be allowed to get into the ceiling. They should have built stairs to let me get down more easily. Don't you agree?

That was the mischief this week.

I hope you are all well friends. 

your pal, the stifled explorer Styxy

Nature Friday - A New Friend - by Styx

 Dear pals,

I tried to make a new friend on Wednesday morning. He or she came to visit at 6 am. I heard him/her, and I so wanted to be friends. I would be a very good friend. 

Lady and Man said that this guy couldn't be my friend. He was a bad kitty and would make me stink. I don't know he or she seemed nice. I think he or she would be a good friend. 

I watched him/her walk away. 

I was hoping he or she would come back soon, but my people put mothballs around which are supposed to help keep them away. Maybe they will ignore the smell and be my friend.

Pals to everyone, Styxy

FFF Nature Friday - By Styx

 Hi pals, hi pals, hi pals!

I am so excited, so so excited. Lady said I could do the FFF Nature Friday post again. She said I did such a good job the first time, because I am the smartest boy and a good writer and I am brilliant and good and I like nature.

I have 2 for you this week.

Here is the first one.

I love the sun.

The sun is warm.

The sun is bright.

I miss the sun in the dark of night. 

The sun shines in.

I find the puddles.

It is like getting the best of cuddles. 

Here is the second one.

First there were two

now there are more

Let me out

open the door

I could hunt those baby chicks

They wouldn't get away from your pal Styx!

Thank you to Aunty-Yam for hosting FFF and to Rosy and Sunny for hosting Nature Friday. Because of them I got to poem and talk about nature which I love so much.

your pal, the poet who knows it, Styxy

Nature Friday - Welcome Summer - by Styx

 Hi pals, hi pals, hi pals,

Today is summer! It means we will have great sun puddles and long hot days and nights and more sun and birds and deer and all the things that Styxy loves. 

Trying to enjoy the sun puddle.

It also means yesterday was Lady's birthday and she and Man were out for 87 million hours.  For those of you who don't know Lady well, she has a thing for cemeteries, and thought to herself, nothing says celebrating a half century like walking around looking a grave stones. (Editor's Note: Lady has lived in the Ottawa area for nearly 32 years and never really just wandered around Beechwood the National Cemetery, and thought it was time.) 

I would not be jealous of this sort of thing normally, except you would get to run in grass and climb trees and stones  . . . .ok, I would be jealous, but I am extra jealous because she and Man had a close encounter with the big birds that visit our yard.

Zoom not used

There were 6 or 7 young males. Lady and Man watched staff chase them away (as they were near where a police funeral was going to happen). With them that close and dumb, I, Styxy, the great hunter would have had a great feast.

That is the nature I missed out on. I can hope Lady gets me a leash and takes me next time.

your pal, Styxy who wants to be free!

Mischief Monday - Crash and Play by Styx

 Hi pals, hi pals,

You are not going to believe it is me who caused some mischief. Not your calm pal Styxy who can just be found kicking back and enjoying life. 

The other night the dishwasher was full, and without thinking Lady and Man left a container on the counter. It made a loud scary noise when the ghost of Hailey, who was a counter surfer, threw it on the floor and smashed. Man was so happy to be cleaning up glass at 3 am. Bad ghost Hailey, bad.

In other news, to help me not be so busy (even though I have calmed down a lot), my people tried puzzles. First they tried the puzzle in the picture above. Then they tried the dog ball.  It was ok, but I knew it was for dogs.

Then they got me a cat one. It was ok. I get bored of working for food. Tigris refuses to work for food. It is beneath her.

Lady and Man are getting better at this cat, I mean ghost, proofing and I fear all the best fun will be done soon.

Lady said I should say, for those who read the deer and car story, that in the end, the car also lost. It was a write off and Lady had to get a new car. She said dealing with all of that was like a part time job. (It made her very grumpy).

your pal, who likes to play with ghosts, Styxy

FFF Nature Friday - By Styx

 Hi pals, hi pals.

The Lady says I can do my first FFF Nature Friday. I am so excited. I am so excited. Thanks to Aunty-Yam and Rosy and Sunny for hosting this.

Here I go.

I sit at the window and dream

of drinking cold water from a stream.

Lady and Man are so so so mean

They really don't have a nice gene.

Inside they make me stay

Missing the sun and her rays

Oh how I want to be free.

As a bonus I will title some pictures Lady took on a walk I did not get to go on (although I know I would not like a harness).

A think to eat

another thing to eat

Things to climb

Way better food outside

I hope you have enjoyed my first FFF Nature Friday.

Your pal, Styxy who wants to be free

Mischief Monday - Inadequate by Styx

 Hi pals, hi pals,

The Lady person showed you last week how she got bird spikes to keep me off the banister. Her first attempt was inadequate. 

I am a very agile cat and I learned I could jump across them to land on the post on the landing.

This was great until those spikes tripped me and I fell off.

I wasn't hurt at all because I am Super Styx.

However, the people were really freaked out so they put up more.

It looks sooooo ugly, but apparently safety first!

So far, this has been working. I miss my balance beam.

you pal, Super Styx who wants to walk the tightrope, who is sorry we didn't get to visit this weekend but Lady went away to Cheese Fest. 

Nature Friday - Spring - by Styx

 Hi pals, hi pals!

One place I can sit and stare for longer is outside. There is so much to see, including Callie's cat Ash. We have stare offs. I want to know why Ash can be outside and I have to be inside. Outside is where all the good things are.  Turkey, deer, birds, Ash, trees, turkey, deer, Ash, leaves, wind, moths, bugs, Ash, birds, squirrels, so much , so much!

Lady says to tell you she is making an effort to go out and walk. She says now that she doesn't have to go outside 87 million times a day she feels like she is missing spring. I said let me out, let me out! She said no. She is mean. Styx needs to go out and hunt. Styx is a fierce cat. 

Here are things the mean Lady won't let me experience.

Trillium - I can smell them, they are everywhere! 

Trees in the sugar bush - I can also smell these

The field I spy

The pond - too far for me

I hope you enjoyed all the things Styxy can't have.

your pal,  Styx