Agnes provides a bit of dinner music on the world’s tiniest saxophone. Very talented ladies, these Robber Mice. I’d love to see them as a jazz quartet! Natasha on drums, Alice on guitar, and Violet on keyboard …
I have a couple of square foot stand of catnip that has recovered from winter and is over a foot tall. Some migrated into my aloe vera pot that I bring into the spare bedroom that has generous sun puddles for the winter. My cat thinks the spare bedroom is very relaxing.
I did something like this. I started with plants, not seeds, but I had, “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.” I also had a variety of other herbs, including oregano, basil, Fennel, cilantro… And a lovely collection of peppers, including Tabasco, Jalapeño, Cayenne, and Habanero. Alas, I never got to try them. Just as the approached being ready…they vanished. I asked around the garden department and was told birds were the cause. I scoffed, saying I should have charred feathers… Seriously, it turns out that birds love them, and are not affected by the capsaicin. This is by design. The birds have a tasty treat, the seeds exit in the rear, and new plants are spread. Other animals, who would not be as efficient, are discouraged from eating them,
I’m waiting for my stimulus check. Buying a small greenhouse for the backyard. I cannot grow anything outside in this freaking Outback! There will be catnip, several plants, so I can rotate them :)
Pucky’s four course meal, lined up on the sill. Does he finish each pot before moving on to the next one or does he graze between them sampling a bit here, a bite there?
Georgia has been spying on our household. My spouse (aka Ms Sprout) plants all sorts of herbs for me to cook with but the cats nom them when we’re not looking then barf on the fresh cleaned rugs.
About forty years ago we once left our cat (Pooka) alone overnight. When we came home the next day every potted plant I had had been ripped from its pot and strewn throughout the house, including the dirt. Pooka met us at the door and loudly informed us of what she had done and why she had done it. I apologized and was eventually forgiven. We have had several more cats through the years but nary a potted plant.
Many, many years ago, when mine was a three generation household, my mother took pride and joy in her Boston fern and her spider plant. They hung from the ceiling and draped to the floor. Then, through a series of unfortunate events, we acquired mice. To counter the mice, we acquired Smoky (Methuselah). He used to deposit a dead mouse at my mother’s feet each morning, as if to say he was earning his keep. Unfortunately, he also had a taste for Boston ferns and spider plants and eventually nommed them right back to the soil.
OT: It’s going to be quite a day. Paul is in a foul mood, Yum Yum is in a foul mood, and the apartment is too small for me to find a quiet place to hide.
Why, Woman? Why do you set yourself up for failure this way? A nice big heavy covered terrarium might give your little mini-garden at least a fighting chance.
I just planted my own herb garden yesterday — I’ve got parley, rosemary and thyme (no one in the house likes sage) as well as other herbs. I just hope the ferals don’t see it as their buffet….
My brother put a nice little Obituary in the local paper for our Mom yesterday. It was sure nice to see my family name in the newspaper for once without the obligatory followup sentence: “…wanted for questioning concerning….”
P.S., Where did you think I got my rather unusual sense of humor from? My thanks to all of you for your kindness and sympathy. We are going to have a celebration for Mom in August, hopefully when things have settle down. It will be a humdinger!
See, I’m like the Woman here—if I ever start a herb garden, it’ll be for parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme…JUST so I can make that Scarborough Fair reference. :P
Not sure about cats, but the local deer turn up their noses at rosemary, oregano and sage. I suspect the strong smell/taste turns them off. I never see any damage to the thyme but they devour the parsley!
Puck: Welcome, everyone, to Pucky’s Cat Catfé, where you can enjoy a good meal, and if you’re not careful, you might learn something. Today we have Beatrix from the Bookstore speaking about the age-old struggle of Herbs vs. Spices.
Bea: Thank you, Puck. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, herbs come from the green leafy part of the plant, while spices come from the root, stem, seed, fruit, flower or bark of the tree or plant.
Puck: I see. And how do you use herbs and spices in cooking?
Bea: Well, Puck, herbs can be used either fresh or dried, and often have a delicate flavor. You often see them in salads, as garnishes, and in sauces like pesto and spaghetti. Spices, on the other paw, are almost always dried, and have a strong flavor.
Puck: Thank you, Bea. And I see we have some samples of both herbs and spices. Ladies, how did you obtain these delicious items.
Agnes, Alice, Natasha, and Violet: We’ll never tell!
Does anyone else think the steam rising from Lupin’s cup looks a little too angular? I thought it might be spelling something, but I couldn’t make it out.
I remember singing that song regularly in my middle-school music class yet having no idea it was less than 30 years old at the time, but nonetheless understanding it was about a guy telling his ex where to head in.
Wonderful Herb Garden Adventure. Made strip bigger to see characters in last panel. Unfortunately forgot how to return setting to smaller size. Any clues for old Banjo Gordy?
Those four are safe for cats, but you might be surprised at some of the the ones that are toxic: https://leafandpaw.com/2017/11/22/the-pet-safe-kitchen-herbs/
I know from experience that rosemary is safe from cats. It’s the only plant to survive the devastation that is kitty cat in my house. I now have a huge rosemary bush outside after the plant spending a year on my table next to the cat food dishes. The faces the cats gave when trying to taste the plant was priceless.
Yup, that’s about how it is. Had a planter out on the porch years ago in which we were growing lettuce. This was back when Smokey was a year or two (she’s about twelve now). Smokey discovered the planter and it became a true wonder, a cat bed with lovely green treats. And last year and this we’ve had the problem of DC deciding the veggies under the grow lamp were a kitty salad bar. Had to find a way to out smart him until we could plant the garden.
McColl34 Premium Member over 4 years ago
Oh, the poor little plants! They had no chance at all. (You would think the Woman would know better by now.)
Le'letha Premium Member over 4 years ago
I see the mice have dressed for dinner and left their stripes behind! Also, love that night-sky blue. Gorgeous. Mmmm….
McColl34 Premium Member over 4 years ago
Remember me to one who lives there . . .
Jayfbird1969 Premium Member over 4 years ago
Sorry to say this, but woohoo! Elvis sunflower is back! Such an epic poof. And the lovely robber mice ladies are back too
Yoshifan over 4 years ago
Odd face of the day: Elvis bottom left.
Jungle Empress over 4 years ago
The Return of Sunflower Elvis.
RAGs over 4 years ago
How do the boys feel about cactus?
dmah Premium Member over 4 years ago
Agnes provides a bit of dinner music on the world’s tiniest saxophone. Very talented ladies, these Robber Mice. I’d love to see them as a jazz quartet! Natasha on drums, Alice on guitar, and Violet on keyboard …
Colorado Expat over 4 years ago
SUNDAY FUNDAY!!!
Space_cat over 4 years ago
So lucky our 3 kitties have absolutely no interest in our plants
Strob Premium Member over 4 years ago
Appearing tonight at the diner – opening act, Simon and Garfunkel; headliners, Pucky and the Nighthawks.
PoodleGroomer over 4 years ago
I have a couple of square foot stand of catnip that has recovered from winter and is over a foot tall. Some migrated into my aloe vera pot that I bring into the spare bedroom that has generous sun puddles for the winter. My cat thinks the spare bedroom is very relaxing.
marilynnbyerly over 4 years ago
If it was catnip, I’d understand, but cats don’t care for any of those plants. Not the first outside cat has ever touched mine.
Robin Harwood over 4 years ago
Another example of the triumph of optimism over experience. The herbs are, as the more percipient might have guessed, doomed.
Robin Harwood over 4 years ago
But it’s nice to see the word “twee” popping up again.
Ninette over 4 years ago
Is it by night or 24 hours?
Cassia over 4 years ago
Oh, naughty Puck, babe, has such teeth, dear
And he keeps them pearly white
A fork and knife has our Puck, babe
And he takes them, ah, out at night
You know when that cat bites with his teeth, babe
Tiny plants are filled with dread
Wailin’ sax, oh, plays Robber Mouse, babe
When they should all be asleep in bed
But on the sill, huh, huh, whoo Sunday evening, un huh
Wait four Robber Mice, whoa, big as life, eek
And someone’s sneakin’ ’round the corner
Could that someone be Puck the Knife?
Look out, herbs, Pucky’s back! oh yeah!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8iPUK0AGRo
Mack the Knife – Bobby Darin
Songwriters: Kurt Weill / Bertolt Brecht / Marc Blitzstein
jennifer.usher over 4 years ago
I did something like this. I started with plants, not seeds, but I had, “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.” I also had a variety of other herbs, including oregano, basil, Fennel, cilantro… And a lovely collection of peppers, including Tabasco, Jalapeño, Cayenne, and Habanero. Alas, I never got to try them. Just as the approached being ready…they vanished. I asked around the garden department and was told birds were the cause. I scoffed, saying I should have charred feathers… Seriously, it turns out that birds love them, and are not affected by the capsaicin. This is by design. The birds have a tasty treat, the seeds exit in the rear, and new plants are spread. Other animals, who would not be as efficient, are discouraged from eating them,
Charliegirl Premium Member over 4 years ago
Oh, Pucky, you’re a bad, bad, boy. But I’m sure the siren call of the saxophone led you to the irresistible greenery.
PammWhittaker over 4 years ago
I’m waiting for my stimulus check. Buying a small greenhouse for the backyard. I cannot grow anything outside in this freaking Outback! There will be catnip, several plants, so I can rotate them :)
WelshRat Premium Member over 4 years ago
I wondered if that was where they were going in panel #2.
And Chef Puckardee!
MoonlitKnight Premium Member over 4 years ago
I believe Mr. Simon would tip his hat to you for that shout-out in panel 2, Ms. Dunn.
dadoctah over 4 years ago
If you’re going to plant parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, at least have the decency not to line them up in that order.
cat19632001 over 4 years ago
Bon Appetite, Pucky.
cat19632001 over 4 years ago
Pucky toe beans!
Gent over 4 years ago
Eat plants? Great cat! You gone vegan or what?
cat19632001 over 4 years ago
Pucky’s four course meal, lined up on the sill. Does he finish each pot before moving on to the next one or does he graze between them sampling a bit here, a bite there?
cat19632001 over 4 years ago
::munch, munch, munch::
swallow
::munch, munch … ::
arolarson Premium Member over 4 years ago
Good one on the crawl Burt!
OliverT over 4 years ago
That’s my boy! The trademark Elvis flare!
ElliottB.C.Rennie over 4 years ago
Georgia has been spying on our household. My spouse (aka Ms Sprout) plants all sorts of herbs for me to cook with but the cats nom them when we’re not looking then barf on the fresh cleaned rugs.
Pet over 4 years ago
I have the same problem with my chickens.
They free range all day and they found my pots of arugula and herbs and just went to town! I had to move them to the back deck, silly chickens lol!
Pet over 4 years ago
Angry ELVIS POOF in panel 5 lol!
Oh, Elvis! <3
lauradolan over 4 years ago
About forty years ago we once left our cat (Pooka) alone overnight. When we came home the next day every potted plant I had had been ripped from its pot and strewn throughout the house, including the dirt. Pooka met us at the door and loudly informed us of what she had done and why she had done it. I apologized and was eventually forgiven. We have had several more cats through the years but nary a potted plant.
Kitty Katz over 4 years ago
Simon and Garfunkle, who else?
Are you going to Pucky’s buffet?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, grow fine!
Have a fine salad of edible herbs,
They are open all day, any time!
…….
Tell him to fix me a quick pesto sauce
Parsley, sage rosemary, and thyme,
A few small leaves us surely no loss,
Eaten under the midnight moonshine!
…….
Oh, let me listen to Agnes’ sax
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme,
Everyone come to eat and relax,
Tasty, savory, plants are so fine!
Grace Premium Member over 4 years ago
The Woman needs inside shutters :)
tatempleman over 4 years ago
“Presumably at Scarborough Fair” got me snorting coffee and laughing so hard, I woke up everyone else!
Tigrisan Premium Member over 4 years ago
Slow Saxophone! Brought Bob Seger to mind…and one of the robber mice playing it is the best :)
ladykat over 4 years ago
Many, many years ago, when mine was a three generation household, my mother took pride and joy in her Boston fern and her spider plant. They hung from the ceiling and draped to the floor. Then, through a series of unfortunate events, we acquired mice. To counter the mice, we acquired Smoky (Methuselah). He used to deposit a dead mouse at my mother’s feet each morning, as if to say he was earning his keep. Unfortunately, he also had a taste for Boston ferns and spider plants and eventually nommed them right back to the soil.
OT: It’s going to be quite a day. Paul is in a foul mood, Yum Yum is in a foul mood, and the apartment is too small for me to find a quiet place to hide.
diskus Premium Member over 4 years ago
What was the woman thinking? Im with Elvis.
drmickeyg over 4 years ago
I love the pull-chain on the sun in Panel 6 that turns it into the neon sign in Panel 7. ♥
DorseyBelle over 4 years ago
I spy 4 Robber Mice!
A R V reader over 4 years ago
Poor woman, she’ll soon have no more thyme left.
DeerOrchid Premium Member over 4 years ago
The face on the rosemary in panel 2 is so sweet, and multiple faces on the thyme. Then in panel 6, the thyme faces seem concerned.
Andrew Sleeth over 4 years ago
Awww, the Woman has that Earth-mother, peasant thing going on. I want her to have all my babies!
GSD Mom Premium Member over 4 years ago
Why, Woman? Why do you set yourself up for failure this way? A nice big heavy covered terrarium might give your little mini-garden at least a fighting chance.
Miss Mina over 4 years ago
I just planted my own herb garden yesterday — I’ve got parley, rosemary and thyme (no one in the house likes sage) as well as other herbs. I just hope the ferals don’t see it as their buffet….
SunflowerGirl100 over 4 years ago
Poor Pucky. He wants to pig out and it looks like the Robber Mice are going to take it all.
GaryCooper over 4 years ago
This is why we have no indoor plants in our house. Because cats.
rs0204 Premium Member over 4 years ago
My brother put a nice little Obituary in the local paper for our Mom yesterday. It was sure nice to see my family name in the newspaper for once without the obligatory followup sentence: “…wanted for questioning concerning….”
P.S., Where did you think I got my rather unusual sense of humor from? My thanks to all of you for your kindness and sympathy. We are going to have a celebration for Mom in August, hopefully when things have settle down. It will be a humdinger!
judyuinms Premium Member over 4 years ago
Oh, the whole Robber Mice gang! So adorable!
scyphi26 over 4 years ago
See, I’m like the Woman here—if I ever start a herb garden, it’ll be for parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme…JUST so I can make that Scarborough Fair reference. :P
ocarol7 Premium Member over 4 years ago
SUCH adorable PJs, Pucky-
rbluecat Premium Member over 4 years ago
Not sure about cats, but the local deer turn up their noses at rosemary, oregano and sage. I suspect the strong smell/taste turns them off. I never see any damage to the thyme but they devour the parsley!
Kitty Katz over 4 years ago
Welcome to Pucky’s Cat Catfé
Puck: Welcome, everyone, to Pucky’s Cat Catfé, where you can enjoy a good meal, and if you’re not careful, you might learn something. Today we have Beatrix from the Bookstore speaking about the age-old struggle of Herbs vs. Spices.
Bea: Thank you, Puck. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, herbs come from the green leafy part of the plant, while spices come from the root, stem, seed, fruit, flower or bark of the tree or plant.
Puck: I see. And how do you use herbs and spices in cooking?
Bea: Well, Puck, herbs can be used either fresh or dried, and often have a delicate flavor. You often see them in salads, as garnishes, and in sauces like pesto and spaghetti. Spices, on the other paw, are almost always dried, and have a strong flavor.
Puck: Thank you, Bea. And I see we have some samples of both herbs and spices. Ladies, how did you obtain these delicious items.
Agnes, Alice, Natasha, and Violet: We’ll never tell!
Michael G. over 4 years ago
" … baby, I’m out of time!" – Mick ‘n’ Keith, August 1966
sdjamieson Premium Member over 4 years ago
Does anyone else think the steam rising from Lupin’s cup looks a little too angular? I thought it might be spelling something, but I couldn’t make it out.
skipper1992 over 4 years ago
I remember singing that song regularly in my middle-school music class yet having no idea it was less than 30 years old at the time, but nonetheless understanding it was about a guy telling his ex where to head in.
Banjo Gordy Premium Member over 4 years ago
Wonderful Herb Garden Adventure. Made strip bigger to see characters in last panel. Unfortunately forgot how to return setting to smaller size. Any clues for old Banjo Gordy?
prrdh over 4 years ago
Those four are safe for cats, but you might be surprised at some of the the ones that are toxic: https://leafandpaw.com/2017/11/22/the-pet-safe-kitchen-herbs/
Kawasaki Cat over 4 years ago
With three cats in the house we can’t have any plants. I gave up trying.
scaeva Premium Member over 4 years ago
OMG! Today IS Talk in Complete Sentences Day.
I’m speechless.
metagalaxy1970 over 4 years ago
Love the knife and fork that Puck has. I only did the cat grass once. My two fuzzies ate them and I did the clean up afterwards……..
Happy, happy, happy!!! Premium Member over 4 years ago
I like a salad for dinner from time to time. :)
herrdoktorpangloss over 4 years ago
Had to look up “twee.” Now I know.
over 4 years ago
That’s the best Elvis poof yet!
willie_mctell over 4 years ago
Mice eat herbs?
BillJackson2 over 4 years ago
OT: Spreadsheets
Gent over 4 years ago
You want some fries to go with that, Puck?
miscreant over 4 years ago
I know from experience that rosemary is safe from cats. It’s the only plant to survive the devastation that is kitty cat in my house. I now have a huge rosemary bush outside after the plant spending a year on my table next to the cat food dishes. The faces the cats gave when trying to taste the plant was priceless.
knight1192a over 4 years ago
Yup, that’s about how it is. Had a planter out on the porch years ago in which we were growing lettuce. This was back when Smokey was a year or two (she’s about twelve now). Smokey discovered the planter and it became a true wonder, a cat bed with lovely green treats. And last year and this we’ve had the problem of DC deciding the veggies under the grow lamp were a kitty salad bar. Had to find a way to out smart him until we could plant the garden.
NWdryad over 4 years ago
You would think that Georgia would have learned by now not to leave any plants in the house…
Mx Crazy Cat Person over 4 years ago
Can I eat at Pucky’s All-You-Can-Eat Moonlight Buffet? I hope so I like herbs.
Also, I do love a poufy Elbiff, and at least he knows its entrapment!
Gemina13 over 4 years ago
PUCKY, NO