Breaking Cat News by Georgia Dunn for March 25, 2019

The spiny wretch has a new hat.

Tommy!

It’s always a joy when a potted cactus blooms! (Except sometimes it means they are dying). Does Natasha find it a kindred spirit because of its spines?

It will take a concerted effort by many robber mice to get that plant off the table!

Great to see you again, Tommy and Sophie!

I understand why Elvis doesn’t like the Plant of Many Teeth, but I think he’s being overly critical. The bloom is beautiful! So good to see Tommy and Sophie again, both interested in the same thing for a change. I’m sure Sophie’s looking at it with an artist’s eye.

Elvis (BCN’s fashion correspondent) is giving a scathing review on the red carpet . . . well, on the tablecloth . . . er, on the table! Anyway, the hat is obviously too large and the colors are all wrong for that skin tone (clash city)! Succulents obviously have no fashion sense! It should have consulted Elvis, who is (of course) a fashion expert.

Methinks the robber mouse is eyeing up the ‘hat’ to steal.

“The plant of many teeth has a new hat.” I seriously doubt that sentence ever been written before, in the history of mankind. ;-)

Of course the Tommy squad likes it. One has the shirt, the other has the fashion.

Under the plant of many teeth

The Robber Mouse stands

Gathering needles, brave is she,

Formulating her plans

And the weapons she will soon create

With patience at her command.

…….

The plant is green and sharp and strong,

With a hat all bright and new

Elvis is highly critical,

Saying it’s gaudy, in poor taste, too

But Tommy says he disagrees,

And Sophie loves it, too.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: The Village Smithy

Prickly debate coming up.

Flowers on prickly pear cactus are solid white, the size of my outstretched palm, and filled with ounces of sticky yellow pollen powder. I once found a bee at the bottom of a prickly-pear blossom, lying on its back, kicking all six legs in the air, and clearly having one blissed-out time.

I swear if you leaned in real close, you could hear it giggling.

Oh look, looks like the crooked thief who was trying to steal the plant got impaled by the thorn!

Like it, but don’t hug it, Tommy!

Awww Sophie and Tommy! ♥ That flower “hat” reminds me of their personalities. Flamboyance, colour, delicate artistry, and its colours match Sophie’s outfit!

Lots of us say from time to time which of These Cats we like best. And that can change form day to day, as each takes his/her spin in the spotlight.

But I have to say, I love every single moment of Sophie. And Tommy is a close second. Maybe it’s because they are semi-regulars so their appearances seem special.

My hat is off to people who can handle plants. The only thing a catus has to look forwad with me is certain death.

Sophie should be the Arts reporter for the Network, if she isn’t already.

That is a lovely flower on the cactus.

Elvis, don’t gaudy and overly flashy mean the same thing?

We live where cactus is grown everywhere. I love when they bloom!!!

Since nobody’s done it yet: SPOILER ZONE

You know that Tommy would like it. :D

It doesn’t look like i’m going to make it to the book sighning in Portland today.

My mistake.

I didn’t realize that it was going to be at 7:30 PM, and i was making my plans for an am. Since i have a 6:00am client tomorrow, being in Portland in the evening isn’t an option.

Poop!

Still have the day off. Still going to pick up Jenny and do a day trip.

Gathering cat the “teeth”- but what for?(I know but don’t want to spoil

Once again we have a rainy, gloomy Monday here, but the rest of the week is supposed to be better. Hope everyone has a “sunshine day” no matter what the weather is where you are!

Puck, on the other paw, probably thinks the hat looks pretty good, but a matching cape would be purrfect.

Hi, Shaunn Munn! I know you’re taking some time off, but want to let you know that you are not forgotten. I always love to read your thoughtful, wise, and funny comments, I miss you and hope you’ll be back soon. (but, no pressure…..really. I just want you to know how important you are to our family!) Love & hugs heading your way!

Sophie agrees with Tommie, write down the date this is special. She didn’t even try to deflect. The cactus has brought Sophie a little closer to being a nice cat.

Something I must share — hopefully Georgia will catch it as well.

As some may know, IRL I am a Special Education teacher. One of my students, a very reluctant reader, noticed my copy of “Lupin Leaps In” on my desk. He ASKED if he could borrow it! He then READ IT cover-to-cover in two days. I told him that I have another BCN book, and he’s asked for me to bring it in for him to read! He’s very enthusiastic about this reading!! He’s told me some of the stories!

YEAH!!!

There are now 93 reviews of “Lupin Leaps In” on Amazon. Come on – 7 more and it’s party time.

Hmmm…. Just saw something in the second panel, although I could be hallucinating. The cactus seems to be indicating that it doesn’t like Elvis very much either. The central group of cactus spines just under the “hat” looks kind of like a scrunched up pair of eyes, the darker green dot underneath is where a nose would be, and the bottom set of spines looks like a scowling mouth. Maybe I’m just getting more senile than I thought!

Yes, I can see that! But then I find faces in many places, my significant other gets very exasperated with me sometimes when I point these out to him. I was sitting behind a cop at a plastic modelers convention, and had to sneak a phone pic of the back of his head because his hair, as is typical, was very short and the fat rolls very distinctly (to me anyway) formed two slitted eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Of course the ears were backward, but with a little imagination…

Sophie sees potential or maybe inspiration.

Years ago my mother bought a beautiful Christmas cactus. It lasted through Christmas, and kept right on going through spring and into the summer. She was quite proud that she was able to keep the bloom alive for so long. I picked it up and looked at it – I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the flower was fake and had been applied with a hot glue gun…

By the pricking of my thumbs,

something funny this way comes …

Is anyone else sensing a lack of DOOM today?

I don’t share Elvis’s opinion of the cactus’s hat. I think it’s quite nice.

Over the years I have seen quite a few cactus/cat interface malfunctions.

Cactus seem to be the superior life form. Except when the repository is pushed off the flat surface. But even then, in its death throes, the cactus defends against all comers.

I tried to get Wild Kingdom to document the drama but Marlin refused to put Jim in that much danger. Anacondas, wildebeest, Tasmanian devils, no problem. Cat with a cactus, no go.

Where are you, Robin? Send up a flare. It’s so rare not to see you post at least a little.

There Natasha is gathering up cactus spikes to make her (untouchable) coat!