Oh, one of my favorite original strips has made it to newspaper format! I’m particularly interested in Lupin’s accommodations – signing, reading whiskers, the teleprompter – because they’re such lovely details.
And the frustration of a cricket inside somewhere is real.
I was typing a comment here and suddenly, a big tree fell and missed my bear cave by that much. And it also shorted the power lines. Mondays are never good, are they.
I’ll bet it was that mystifyingly mysterious super sneaky spy strange big bad orange cunning cat who planted that pesky pestering cacophonous cricket to persistently pester you.
The building where I work has a shower in the basement men’s room. Recently, a cricket got itself trapped in the drain, and whenever it began chirping, I felt like I’d stepped into the shower scene from Psycho. The little bugger even had the tempo right.
I recall an “educational” electronics kit from years ago (intended to help teach basic electronics and soldering skills) which was an electronic cricket! It had a photocell, and the circuit was designed so that it would only make noise in the dark… (And it was a rather annoying noise, to boot!)
I’ve always been a tiny bit mystified of people’s annoyance with the sounds of frogs, crickets, cicadas, or most animal vocalizations. I mean, I’d probably get tired of hearing howling coyotes every night, or something on that order… but I love to sit, spring and summer evenings, on the front porch, listening to the insect, bird, and amphibian sounds from the wooded creek behind the house. Owls in the trees overhead too.
For many years, I had a very modest hearing loss that didn’t interfere with conversation or understanding movie or television dialogue. But the first sounds to vanish entirely were insect and frog song. Eventually, a couple of years ago, certain ring tones went away… doorbells and telephones. I’d be watching a movie on TV, and a character would for no apparent reason walk across a room and either open a door or pick up a telephone handset. So I realized I could no longer hear sounds of those frequencies.
I finally went for a hearing exam and got hearing aids. [And, P.S., both of those were less expensive at Costco than any other source I checked out.]
The crickets were back! The spring peeper frogs!
And I love it! Yes, even when one of those critters finds its way inside the house.
I even kept a terrarium with three green tree frogs in my bedroom from one spring to the next. Because they didn’t experience winter that year, they chirped and sang every night, lulling me to sleep, even when snow blanketed the neighborhood.
That second spring, I released them by the woody creek.
One of my favorite online yoga videos is Melissa McCloud’s Core Strength on doyogawithme.com. It’s shot outdoors and about a third of the way through, a cricket starts to chirp. It must have driven the sound guy nuts but I think the chirping helps set the mood.
The cats at the colony that I help out with here in Cape Canaveral survived the last two major storms. Please send good wishes and thoughts that the ’cane will push out to the Atlantic. They knew where to hide but until I see them after the storm and count furry noses, I worry a great deal about them.
Timely. We have one in our house right now. It’s somewhere near our front door. Where? Beats me. Cats are uninterested so the cricket provides accompaniment to our TV all night long. If I find it, I’ll release outside it so it doesn’t become a cat toy.
Pandora is doing great. I had to get my son to stun her mouse on Friday and he didn’t get it very stunned. I decided to see how well Pandora did with one that still had a bit of fight in it and though she missed the first strike, her second strike was perfect. Great coil and constriction* and though it took her a bit longer to subdue her meal, she seemed to be hungry after her shedding. She still had a bit of skin stuck to her scales. Everything I read said that snakes feeding left messes but she never has.
*Great coil and constriction sounds like a great phrase to use instead of cussing, something like Jumping Jehoshaphat!
I can’t remember ever seeing a cricket inside the house, but this time of year the yard is filled with tiny black or dark brown crickets hopping out when you walk in the grass. And I have seen those creepy cave crickets in the bend-over crawl space under the house. None of these seem particularly noisy, although I do hear normal cricket noises at night. And enjoy them—I’ll be glad in a few weeks when it cools enough to take the window a/c out so I can fall asleep to the chirping for a while before cold weather sets in. I know, I can get crickets on Sleepo but it’s just not the same. ; )
DennisinSeattle about 5 years ago
Good day to be deaf, Lupin!
kangtourcat Premium Member about 5 years ago
Does snoring count?
Le'letha Premium Member about 5 years ago
Oh, one of my favorite original strips has made it to newspaper format! I’m particularly interested in Lupin’s accommodations – signing, reading whiskers, the teleprompter – because they’re such lovely details.
And the frustration of a cricket inside somewhere is real.
Jungle Empress about 5 years ago
Whenever we have a cricket that we can’t locate, Blossom seems to be on the hunt for it. Only she can protect us from the evil insect invaders!
Robin Harwood about 5 years ago
Difficult to imagine anything more annoying for someone with normal feline hearing.
Robin Harwood about 5 years ago
And for yesterday’s Autumn fans:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44484/to-autumn
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45134/ode-to-the-west-wind
Lady Bri about 5 years ago
Silence is golden.
Ruth Brown about 5 years ago
Once again, Elvis is correct.
WelshRat Premium Member about 5 years ago
I love a laid back Lupin.
about 5 years ago
That’s how I feel whenever I hear car alarms.
Gent about 5 years ago
I was typing a comment here and suddenly, a big tree fell and missed my bear cave by that much. And it also shorted the power lines. Mondays are never good, are they.
Janetb689 about 5 years ago
Love lupin’s non cavalier catitude with his toe beans showing..then I realize duh! He` deaf… sorry I `m on dorian overload here in so fla
cat19632001 about 5 years ago
Despite the seeming nonchalant eyes in panel two, I think Lupin’s twitching tail betrays him. He’s more than a little interested in this.
cat19632001 about 5 years ago
Crickets: mobile play toys provided by Ceiling Cat.
cat19632001 about 5 years ago
I love Elvis’s Annoyed Squint and Ear.
cat19632001 about 5 years ago
“If there’s one thing I hate. All the Noise, noise, noise, Noise!”
Gent about 5 years ago
I’ll bet it was that mystifyingly mysterious super sneaky spy strange big bad orange cunning cat who planted that pesky pestering cacophonous cricket to persistently pester you.
Alicelth Premium Member about 5 years ago
I love panel two with Lupin’s blase ’tude and oh ((((((((((((((toebeans!!!!!!!!!)))))))))))))))
Toebean maniac out of control….8)
lsnielson about 5 years ago
I am with Lupin. The sound of the crickets outside help me fall asleep at night. Prayers for safety for any of you in the path of the hurricane.
GSD Mom Premium Member about 5 years ago
It’s probably already been said, but crickets are infinitely preferable to cicadas, the loudest insect in the world!
Andrew Sleeth about 5 years ago
The building where I work has a shower in the basement men’s room. Recently, a cricket got itself trapped in the drain, and whenever it began chirping, I felt like I’d stepped into the shower scene from Psycho. The little bugger even had the tempo right.
Colorado Expat about 5 years ago
I recall an “educational” electronics kit from years ago (intended to help teach basic electronics and soldering skills) which was an electronic cricket! It had a photocell, and the circuit was designed so that it would only make noise in the dark… (And it was a rather annoying noise, to boot!)
jimmjonzz Premium Member about 5 years ago
I’ve always been a tiny bit mystified of people’s annoyance with the sounds of frogs, crickets, cicadas, or most animal vocalizations. I mean, I’d probably get tired of hearing howling coyotes every night, or something on that order… but I love to sit, spring and summer evenings, on the front porch, listening to the insect, bird, and amphibian sounds from the wooded creek behind the house. Owls in the trees overhead too.
For many years, I had a very modest hearing loss that didn’t interfere with conversation or understanding movie or television dialogue. But the first sounds to vanish entirely were insect and frog song. Eventually, a couple of years ago, certain ring tones went away… doorbells and telephones. I’d be watching a movie on TV, and a character would for no apparent reason walk across a room and either open a door or pick up a telephone handset. So I realized I could no longer hear sounds of those frequencies.
I finally went for a hearing exam and got hearing aids. [And, P.S., both of those were less expensive at Costco than any other source I checked out.]
The crickets were back! The spring peeper frogs!
And I love it! Yes, even when one of those critters finds its way inside the house.
I even kept a terrarium with three green tree frogs in my bedroom from one spring to the next. Because they didn’t experience winter that year, they chirped and sang every night, lulling me to sleep, even when snow blanketed the neighborhood.
That second spring, I released them by the woody creek.rbluecat Premium Member about 5 years ago
One of my favorite online yoga videos is Melissa McCloud’s Core Strength on doyogawithme.com. It’s shot outdoors and about a third of the way through, a cricket starts to chirp. It must have driven the sound guy nuts but I think the chirping helps set the mood.
metagalaxy1970 about 5 years ago
The cats at the colony that I help out with here in Cape Canaveral survived the last two major storms. Please send good wishes and thoughts that the ’cane will push out to the Atlantic. They knew where to hide but until I see them after the storm and count furry noses, I worry a great deal about them.
ltrauth about 5 years ago
Timely. We have one in our house right now. It’s somewhere near our front door. Where? Beats me. Cats are uninterested so the cricket provides accompaniment to our TV all night long. If I find it, I’ll release outside it so it doesn’t become a cat toy.
maggijoseph Premium Member about 5 years ago
May all humans, cats, and other beings find a safe harbor during Dorian.
Janet Gamble Premium Member about 5 years ago
Ah crickets…the insect bag pipers of summer!
I AM CARTOON LADY! about 5 years ago
I don’t mind the sound of crickets but, my cats will chase down any that dare get inside!
Font Lady Premium Member about 5 years ago
OT: Pandora Report
Pandora is doing great. I had to get my son to stun her mouse on Friday and he didn’t get it very stunned. I decided to see how well Pandora did with one that still had a bit of fight in it and though she missed the first strike, her second strike was perfect. Great coil and constriction* and though it took her a bit longer to subdue her meal, she seemed to be hungry after her shedding. She still had a bit of skin stuck to her scales. Everything I read said that snakes feeding left messes but she never has.
*Great coil and constriction sounds like a great phrase to use instead of cussing, something like Jumping Jehoshaphat!
Happy, happy, happy!!! Premium Member about 5 years ago
I only hate crickets that are in my bedroom at night.
willie_mctell about 5 years ago
Lupin’s remarks are scripted?
junebug42493 about 5 years ago
I’m with Elvis cricket noise up close is awful
Catmom about 5 years ago
I can’t remember ever seeing a cricket inside the house, but this time of year the yard is filled with tiny black or dark brown crickets hopping out when you walk in the grass. And I have seen those creepy cave crickets in the bend-over crawl space under the house. None of these seem particularly noisy, although I do hear normal cricket noises at night. And enjoy them—I’ll be glad in a few weeks when it cools enough to take the window a/c out so I can fall asleep to the chirping for a while before cold weather sets in. I know, I can get crickets on Sleepo but it’s just not the same. ; )
skipper1992 about 5 years ago
On the subject of cats and nuisance creatures, here is an updated score:
Dead mouse under the dining room table in need of disposal: 1
Adult child’s determination to assert his independence and not ask me to do things that he could do himself: 0
knight1192a about 5 years ago
Yeah, no whiskers on the cricket to drive Lupin nuts. Poor Elvis and Puck though.
cat19632001 about 5 years ago
I know I’m usually one of the toe bean freaks … um, enthusiasts, but for some reason I just love to see the back of Lupin’s head.
Erin Pierce about 5 years ago
I spend a good part of late August-early September rescuing crickets from the pool…perhaps they honor this action by not entering the house
kittylover.truitt about 5 years ago
Well I believe the interview went well ! Thanks for all the encouragement !
Miss Mina about 5 years ago
Poor Elvis!
Fennec! at the Disco 11 months ago
This! ↑↑↑ This story is a huge favorite!