Here at Colehaus, absolutely nothing is happening. It’s January, the month in which we get a LOT of rain and gray days and nothing much happens outside. Which is why Mom isn’t out weeding the garden already, despite neighbor cat J who clearly wonders why not, especially since the neighbor “accidentally” dropped a bag of grass seed in our bark mulch and it’s all sprouting. Grrr…
Neighbor cat J – © Colehauscats.com
We had the barest smattering of snow early on…
… 34, 35, 36… Counting flakes – © Colehauscats.com
… and then, nothing. We were kind of looking forward to a bunch of snow days like last year, especially since the weather people said this winter would be just like last winter. Nope.
Some bulbs are starting to come up. We didn’t have bulb sprouts until late April last year because of record rainfall and then, one extra hot day burned almost everything before anything even had a chance to bloom.
Yay, bulbs – © Colehauscats.com
The holly bush is berry-ing like gangbusters. This is a first.
Extra berries on the holly this year – © Colehauscats.com
And the last visiting raccoon is excited about that, can’t you tell? Actually, he was pouting because we’re not feeding him any more. Can you blame us? Just look at him! He’s so… so… ample it looks like he doesn’t have legs!
Last raccoon pouting – © Colehauscats.com
Over the past few weeks, we weaned the raccoons off the outside cat food so they can go learn to be raccoons in the wild. They were becoming a bit too comfortable around us and we know they wouldn’t make reliable house maids or grounds keepers, not to mention having difficulty getting work permits. They made good use of all that summer and fall food and are all very, very chubby. They’ll be fine doing all the things raccoons do down in the greenspace behind our development – hunting up grub, climbing the oaks and maples, sprucing up their houses for spring visitors.
Speaking of sprucing up, Mom finished lightening up the Cat Den with cream and ash blue paint. Probably looks like light purple or gray on your screen, but really, it’s soft blue.
New cat den colors – © Colehauscats.com
Sunny wasted no time inspecting that paint ladder before Mom had a chance to use it.
Ladder inspector Sunny – © Colehauscats.com
Ladder inspector Sunny on the job – © Colehauscats.com
And she didn’t stop with just the ladder inspection. She wanted to know why Mom wasn’t painting out in the hall, too. Demanding girl, Sunny is.
Painting inspector Sunny – © Colehauscats.com
And that’s all from here. Everyone’s doing well, inside and out, and Mom’s looking forward to her first year of not having to do any major garden work, meaning she won’t be felling any trees this year or digging out tree stumps and yards of dirt to dispose of. Whatever will she do with herself all summer?
Uh, Mom? Remember me? And my painting? It’s been a while…
Patient Quint – © Colehauscats.com
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A Colehaus Cats flashback:
2017 – No post
2016 – Olivia’s Weekend Plans
2015 – No post
2014 – For the Record…
2013 – Ruby Tuesdays
2012 – No post
