I'm late, I'm late.... for the Mad Tea!!

What a magnificent day! Perfect blue sky and my lilacs are now blooming. Remember when I said you'd all be able to enjoy mine long after yours were history for another year? Now's that time. It is also time for this.













Actually, it is almost past time for this... so I am having a quickie tea party.... sort of a "Bearly Tea Party" ....cuz, I happened on the invitation and information a bit late. It's taken me a while to catch up on some back reading of blogs since being away. .. so, it is not really a proper Mad Tea.. it is just sort of a bit "off" tea.










I really wanted to do something... but was also busy helping with the laundry room...(which is still a shambles). I was washing socks in the kitchen sink... talking out loud to nobody in particular... and some of the bears overheard. There was whispering...I went to check in the front room... and saw them. Getting prepared... So.. we talked a bit more and they were all, like, you know... saying... ..oooooh... let's bring some "outside" inside ... how about some lilacs ? .... and let's have tea and crisps in the dining room.... and, pretend we are outside! 'Quick ... go get the camera.... So, we did.

Well, right off the bat, you can see Posie was hoping for more than tea.... but at least she sort of pretended to just use her wine glass as an elegant chair. It took quite awhile for her to climb up there ....


























Rosebud said that she would pour...as she was biggest... and hopefully could lift the pot.













Posie hopped down and claimed a dainty pink cup with gold trim just as soon as Orange Pekoe was served. Just a simple refreshing cup of tea for an impromptu party. You can see that it was very informal.... mix and match cups and pot.....













She had to stand on tiptoe to dip her Date and Walnut crisp...













Obviously this guy misunderstood totally.... must have thought somebody said "ski" party or something... why is he wearing a toque? He seemed happy enough to stay though...and said he did enjoy his lovely tea. Very polite he was.














Scruffy was using Posie's pink tea cup while she was off chatting... got a bit carried away and his little green and yellow tie got dunked too....I squeezed it out for him and he said "good enuff" and dunked a bit more carefully.













Stanley insisted on bringing that darn baby even though we had already decided there were no kids allowed... it was to be bears only. Honestly, he carries it everywhere with him... ...













Leonard seemed mesmerized by the ladybug that landed on his foot.... even the scent of dates and walnut couldn't tempt him.













Stanley finally set the baby aside long enough to have tea. It was sleeping anyway. Hey..he's a lefty..who knew?













Percy, so innocent and polite in spite of the piercing and that almost mohawk hairdo..... but, that was before Scruffy happened along and showed him how to climb onto the cake plate. Seeing as how Scruffy has lived here longer... Percy probably figured he knew all the rules... or at least how many could be bent....










Oh, dear... isn't there always somebody who shoes up lated and gets the crumbs? Poor Fergus...





















"So... how'd you boys like the party"? asks Posie.... as they were eating the last of the tasty crisps.













uuppffffff..... maybe we ate too much... I have a tummy ache says Scruffy....yeh..no kidding! piggy wiggies !!

No cats live at my house....

All cats shown on my blog belong to my sister who is 600 km from here. I only see them on the rare occasion of my visits...but it is almost like they are my own. They are all really friendly, loving and we can tell they remember me. Each is special ... each is beautiful and has endearing little habits or traits. I used to have cats of my own years ago... as a matter of fact I used to raise Siamese cats. But... being single and busy for a few years after a major move...I just didn't get more right away...and all of a sudden years went by without any at my house. Then... I just got used to not having any around to wreck things...and now... well, Mr. BumbleVee doesn't really love cats and has terrible allergies..so.... nuff said....













This is Shadow... a little guy that adopted her after she finally coaxed him out of her shed after many weeks to months of trying... he was a tiny wild kitten at that time. The only one to survive of a litter of an unknown Mom.....

 










He is all black ..with greenish eyes... hunts outside as much as all day if nobody calls him home... ...sometimes comes when called. He then hops up onto a small table in the kitchen and waits for his treat... lots of pets and a teensy lick of butter from a finger.... then off he goes to clean and tidy himself. He must remember me from last year because he does not come out for strangers.. AT all. Certainly does not let them pick him up. I didn't realize that and just went straight to him to pet him and he purred and said hi and tried to climb up on me...that was it...V. was very surprised and said "either he thinks you are me or he remembers you". He is a very clever little guy. And...puts himself to bed each night about 9:30 to 10:00..in his own little basket on a dresser.











This is BIG Mr. Thompson who came by way of a sister in law... not sure why. "Mister" weighs in at 22 lbs... in spite of all the dieting, playing and exercise she has put him through in order to encourage some weight loss. Mr. T seems able to hang on to those pounds in spite of her best efforts. Poor Vikki... she is somewhat embarrassed as she never has had a fat cat...and my own sweet Mister BumbleVee really had her going with this cat the first time we saw him. "Oh, my god...Vikki!! Look at this cat!" She ended up laughing so hard it was at the piddling pants stage.... before Greg finished with her and the cat. We all had a good laugh at poor Mr. T's expense. Honestly, it was too funny...but, of course, you would have had to be there to appreciate the humour of it. He just sauntered away when we had prodded and poked to ensure it was lots of fur and not all flab. Poor old guy. (Honestly, I really don't know if he is old...nobody does...but he is not young) All of her life, she has done all in her power to keep her animals healthy and happy and they all have lived to ripe old age... she knows what she is about when it comes to animals let me tell you. She has a horse that has been diagnosed with severe emphysema and the vet wanted to put him down much more than a year ago.. let me show you Mickey too..

























he is fine at the moment...enjoying his life at her house. He still bucks, snorts and "rodeos" when she opens the corral gate the first time in the spring. I almost fell off the fence cuz I was too close when it happened... missed the 10 seconds of wildness with my camera... dang it!! Of course, she does have to wash his purchased hay before she feeds him so that he doesn't cough... it is usually too dusty....and adds holistic things to his mash...and..well, treats him like a big pet dog. (and, I have to say he seems very happy and so does Mister Thompson..so ...there.... ) The big black and white cat has lost a few pounds since he came to stay at the "Fit Farm"... but the best thing is...he is much more relaxed and happy. His overall shape and musculature has definitely changed and he is now able to jump onto chairs and plays outside a lot. He didn't do that at all at first. He was not happy; seemed anxious and unsure of what was happening. Now.... his fur is so much more soft and shiny ... it was awful when I first saw him...stiff and dull. Now..it is glossy, soft and we brush and comb him to get out the old stuff. He loves it. He is like a big brother/mother/dad to little Shadow. Took him under his wing... or paw.. since the first day Vikki found the little kitten. Mr. T. roughhouses like a young cat with Shadow. Hard to believe I know..if you just see him wandering around the house...checking the dishes for a leftover scrumblie.....











Here he is. ... under coaching... trying to do a crunch from his fav position.... uuhhffff... come on Mister Thompson...you can do this !!!











Uhm.... no....I can't.... let me just rest a bit okay?......











Of course, this is Tiffany... hard to play favourites...but, I have to say... I think she is mine. I love that soft, gentle face. A little lady.

She remembers that I know her chimes trick...and that perhaps I can be cajoled into an extra teensy bit of cheese and for sure some extra pets and hugs....

 










Here is her sister, Cleo. Definitely more aloof, but also very soft and friendly. From the same litter of kittens... given to my sister by two young girls at a time in Vikki's life when she herself was having a very tough time. They thought she needed some cats to keep her company. Oh....but they were bad kittens...I remember they almost drove her to distraction..... now look at 'em.....











Oh....here is William..... checking out the steps we built. Yep...he says they will do nicely to aid in his ability to race up and down the side hill "shopping" for mice.
As well as her four "inside" cats.... (who are in and out all day)..... she also has two that live outside. In a huge garage/shed building. For outside cats...they are ultra clean... very friendly... follow us around like dogs... and actually come when they are called. How unlike cats! They are allowed to play outside if somebody is around home...but are kept inside at night and if we all leave the property. He is a lean, clean, mousing machine. His little sidekick Keera is all black and looks exactly like shadow with the exception that she has yellowish instead of greenish eyes..... can't believe I have no pic of her. Such a dainty little black lady. Talks to you all the time..... follows so close underfoot you have to be careful.... absolutely comes to see you right away if called. What a crew. And so much fun.!! ....

That * ^%$#@& Mountain Pine Beetle

My sister's place in British Columbia......

""The beetles kill the trees by boring through the bark into the phloem layer on which they feed and in which eggs are laid. Pioneer female beetles initiate attacks, and produce pheromones which attract other beetles and results in mass attack. The trees respond to attack by increasing their resin output in order to discourage or kill the beetles, but the beetles carry blue stain fungi which, if established, will block the tree resin response. Over time (usually within 2 weeks of attack), the trees are overwhelmed as the phloem layer is damaged enough to cut off the flow of water and nutrients. In the end, the trees starve to death."" They turn brown and then red as they die as these at the top of the property have this year. It is pretty sad to look at a total stand of dead trees... right next to some greenery. It has already been several years now and by the time it ends... almost all of B.C.'s pine trees will have been killed.










this is the blueish stain....









Vikki sat down after we had been separating usable branches from one pile to another at her little farm for about an hour... and wondered if we were nuts or would be able to make a dent in it?
There is no recourse for home and property owners. The sad thing is... even if trees are endangering power lines... homeowners must call repeatedly for help.. finally, overworked Hydro people arrive... survey the situation...tag only the trees that are immediate danger to power lines... instruct as to which arborist is to be used. The company then arrives to take down the huge trees and this is the type of mess left in their wake. On every single property in the province. They don't take it away...don't offer help to have it removed.... each owner has to foot the bill for removal and good luck finding anybody to buck it or to move it. If the segments were longer a mill nearby would take it... for only $300 ... but they need 32 foot lengths in order for it to fit into the bunks on its trucks..... arborists cut 12 to 15 foot lengths as they are topping and dropping the old trees. Some trees are huge... 150 years old. Considering it is now major tinder for fire ... and the drought season is about to begin...and if it is near your home... well, you can understand how it is essential to get it moved. Pronto! If you have trees taken down by other than Hydro... you have to pay to have them felled as well as for the removal. It will be thousands of dollars for most homeowners. A huge and unmanageable bill. A lot of people are just leaving them to fall over when and where they will. It usually is about two years or so before they become really dried out and crack or fall on their own... I hope a huge percentage fall in the opposite direction of homes, vehicles and animals.....










This is part of the mess from only 2 trees on this area of hillside above the house. So far only 8 trees have been taken down... there is a total of 38 pine trees on her property. Odds are all of them are goners. One huge fir is considered to be in harm's way as well... because sometimes the Pine beetle is indiscriminate. Apparently, if they run out of pine they will take a spruce or fir....Here is our pile of larger branches that we managed by the end of a very hot day. Hard to tell how large they are from this pic... ..but most would make nice little logs for wood burning stoves or fireplace inserts...about 3 to 6 inches diameter. These will be cut into foot long pieces and piled for personal use.










look Vikki! we did so make a dent in that pile!

The huge piles of small branches and pine needles... to be raked up, burned (if only she could get a permit, but even those are unobtainable at the moment in B.C> too close to Fire Season), or hauled away. ...if you can find anybody who wants the work...










We found a guy to buck up some of it for her..... even got him to cut a few ovals about 6 to 8 inches thick...so we could build some steps into her garden.... they will be her reminder that once there were trees here.

Through the mountains..and over the bridges...

Still plenty of snow through the passes.....

























right down to the highway in spots....










the new highway ..up on stilts from the look of it... last year under construction..now..can hardly see much of the huge canyon area from the finished road. Good thing...it is a looong way down there...makes ya feel kinda queasy.... see those tiny trucks over there?... it is huge too.....










here is what it looked like last year...we were still driving under it on the old road....












ahhhh...the peace and quiet of the little farm.... Actually at times it was more noisy than the city. Busy traffic along the nearby road.....big trucks at silage time, hauling all day and most of the night.... chainsaws bucking up fallen trees.. (the Pine Beetle is killing every single tree in the province) more pics to come... .... the farmer baling across the way... 3 tractors in operation til way after dark. I was watching the lights moving around the fields well after midnight the first night of baling. ...the guy on the property below using a Bobcat to move some earth and the guy next door chopping things alongside his driveway with a motorized weed cutter... . our patio in the big city is a morgue in comparison. Okay ...a morgue with birds .... lovely chirpy birds.













Ohhh.... Sweet Tiffany was waiting..... such a velvety softie....













...but, clever too... look at the trick Vikki taught her. She plays chimes on command....













..and, this week, she played them plenty.. all on her own... just milking it for all it was worth. It was like she remembered me from last year. Remembered what a push over I am. Back and forth she went... playing her chimes and coming straight to me for a pet and a "good girrrlll" ... and perhaps a tiny chunk of dry kitty chow.....

We came home on Tuesday evening, but,the yard and garden have been taking up most of my time so I haven't been on here more than a few minutes to check some blogs. I think I got weaned cold turkey from "computering"at my sister's fat farm. Well, she said perhaps I could call it the Fit Farm or something more exotic instead... either way...it was supposed to jump start my fitness program as I haven't done much this whole year and am getting soft and feeble. By the end of the second day I could hardly move.... She motors around like it is no biggy.... all day....... Then she falls into bed and sleeps like a log. I kept up all day and fell into bed and tossed and turned..fell asleep about 3 a.m.... got up at the crack of dawn...and went again...dragging my butt and yawning...but still keeping up. Honestly, for the past three days I have been sleeping in and enjoying it.... she gets up too early. Well, too early for me. But... that is me... I think if it is too early for me it is too early. I am definitely opinionated.... and rarely diplomatic or tactful. She has dial up....reeeellly slow dial up. No wonder she doesn't bother reading my blog...(plus she has absolutely no time anyway) it takes so long to download.. that it kicks her off before she ever gets to see it. I couldn't even check my mail. But...we were so busy I didn't even miss it. By the time I got home....I couldn't think what to write, seemed to have no desire to spend time on here and definitely needed to spend some serious time in the yard. Still have pots to plant... need to mix some new dirt and compost and add it to the cement-like dirt in the garden areas. I did nothing out there last year because of my broken foot.. ....and it shows. Yards and gardens are a huge commitment.... thank goodness now the perennials have filled in most of it...but I still like to plant some annuals for a special show of colour when the early bloomers have finished. This fall I definitely want to get some tulips planted as well. Funny how that has gone for years now...by October...I am finished gardening...and never get around to digging in any bulbs.... perhaps this year.....

bizeee weekend !!..

and the perfect one to be indoors too. It poured rain every day. But we were happily playing with clay. I spent the whole weekend at a Jack Johnston sculpting course. What fun. Look what we made (under close supervision by Jack) I am showing only the ones I asked permission...there was one more. Only 6 in the class so it was a great time with lots of individual attention. My brain was boggled by the end of day 3 and I have already forgotten what we learned on Friday....but...I ordered the DVD...so I can go over it all once more.... and hopefully many more times after that.... this is Jack's head













Here is Aleta's head....













Vivian's head














Diane's head















Caroline's head














Chris's head... she will be an Eskimo when finished...














.. and, here is my little man.... I like how his face turned out to be kind looking...one nostril got a little flattened in the baking process...perhaps he turned on his face a bit or something.














...going to visit my sis for a few days...have a good week everybody...!!

making faces....

Delta took a beating and got a bit muddy... but survived the rain and hail.... still looking beautiful ... looks like a sun bonnet dropping over a little face.










How can delicate flax look so perfect after a blustery day?

Today we golfed (my old guys and me) ... we had a small opening in the weather ..not perfect but at least we didn't have to wear earmuffs. I even took my coat off on the third hole. The wind picked up on the 9th...but by then...we were done. Only a small 9 hole course for us on Wednesday. It's plenty. Can't afford a 5 hour day right now.... had to come home to play gopher for the carpenter. You know... get me the stubby in my toolbox? ... oh, I need the vice grips... where's my Phillips?... can you see the hammer? .... I need the plumb bob...
Only today he was dismantling even more, so I was a burro part of the time and then the gopher. It does save him a lot of slogging up and down steps and I get some exercise. Not enough..but some. Then, I made the mistake of saying about choosing a piece of nice coloured arborite to match the green paint... and there was still a piece of soft blue gray mottled arborite on the sink side... .... I say was because it is now in the garbage pile. If I am having green on one side... no use having blue on the other.. but..to get it out...the sink had to come out...then...the toilet almost came out... (my laundry room is also a bathroom) .... for now the toilet is the only thing he hasn't taken out. And..if it is too much trouble to paint around it... well, it too will become history. sigh.... he is all excited and said..you are getting a new sink! I was happy with my old sink. I was happy having a fairly nice working laundry room. When will I be able to wash clothes?
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Okay...I'll play dolls instead.










I managed to find an occasional half hour and did finish a Button Babe. I forgot to take one before I got this far... next time. These pics have been posted before.....but just to show the progression...here they are once more ...










A self covered button. Any fabric that is a nice flesh colour... and one on which the Pigma pen doesn't run or isn't too deeply ribbed to wreck a very delicate nib. Then, I lightly pencil in features and use watercolour pencils. Some outlining around eyes, lips and nose with .005 Pigma pen..some brown..some black. A spray of Krylon fixative to protect and hold the colours.













Then, I play with different fabrics for hats...or decide on yarns, fur or wool for hair.... it's lot of fun.













The rhinestone "jewel" on her black velvet hat is a vintage earring found in Mom's jewelery box... I bet she would giggle to see it used for this. I imagine she wore this pair a few times... "bling"! It needs daylight ..or perhaps candlelight to see the true sparkle.
Katerina may eventually have some ribbon or a small ruffle at her throat. Still might just need that little bit extra.... we call it OTT (over the top)... and it is almost a must for our dollies...