Breaking Cat News by Georgia Dunn for August 30, 2020

Don’t worry, Elvis. Bears wouldn’t dare mess with Baba Mouse!

My favorite campout as a child was in the yard of our farmhouse. August, and so many shooting stars! Fireflies were common; shooting stars, wow.

I am SO with Elvis on this one.

Just adding a comment on yesterday’s cartoon:

Cats, dogs and other animals don’t worry nearly as much about limitations as they do about getting around and past them, a skill we can all use.

My eyes are still a bit blurry from reading too long. Is Elvis saying lightning bees? I predict somebody is going back into the house to close the window. Of course, the Siamese cat voice can still be heard through the closed windows, but maybe not quite so loud.

“Fire and being sticky.” “I love the smell of s’mores in the evening!”

Gent, are you camping out in the backyard with them and eating their s’mores? Just asking, since Elvis is so concerned… :)

Georgia posted some photos of the backyard tent on Instagram back in July. Unfortunately, since I’m not a member, Instagram won’t let me go back that far, but I found this one on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/breakingcatnewscomic/photos/a.1531644423547639/3375186815860048/?type=3&theater

Gent, are you hiding in the People’s backyard?

Elvis sounds like I feel. My two youngest granddaughters are off to University this year. Much farther than the backyard but Jeasus, Mary and Joseph protect them. Can one pray too much? I’ll just keep trying. The lightning Bers help. So lovely.

Excellent advice from Elvis. If they don’t follow it, they will be doomed.

S’mores are way too sweet for me. Graham Crackers + Peanut Butter! Roasted Marshmallows! Chocolate nibbled slowly while listening to stories around the campfire. But all of them jammed together – Buzz! Until the sugar rush goes away!

OT but wonderful.

I came across this a few days ago, and had to share the story of a Brittany Spaniel named Dexter – it’s one of those that make you say “Wow”…

Due to an accident, he lost his right front leg and severely injured the left front as well. Demonstrating an amazing determination, Dexter started getting around on upright on his hind legs! A quote from his Vet (Dr. Chris Franklin) Via the Denver Post:

“He’s developed massive, weight-lifter thighs,” said Franklin, adding that Dexter recovered by his own will. “It was his desire to adapt. He chose two legs. They (the Paseks) didn’t make him walk on two legs. He accepted that he has this adversity and that he’s not going to let it get him down. He has amazing resilience. He’s like, ‘I got food in my bowl and the sun is shining. I’ll be fine.’ ”

The Denver Post story here: https://theknow.denverpost.com/2020/08/27/dexter-dog-ouray-walks-like-human/244346/

Instagram: @dexterdogouray

[Ouray is a quirky, folksy mountain town at the North end of the Million Dollar Highway (US 550) in Colorado; I love to stop there for lunch and a mid-day break on the way to visit relatives.]

Hi Elvis! ((waving to Elvis))

I love this cartoon! Elvis yelling “COME BACK INSIDE! THERE ARE BEARS!” And then the man saying “ Yeah. I wish Elvis would stop yodeling though “! Love every panel, there’s a laugh in every one!

I love everything about this comic! All our favorite outdoor cats and Elvis yelling in the background. As a Siamese cat owner, I know exactly what that sounds like when they stand in the window and yell at you out in the yard.

“Lightning bees”? Is Fire Bees taken already?

I live in a city in the high desert. Even at night in the summer it is often too hot to stay comfortable outside, lightning bugs don’t exist here, and light pollution does for the stars. I miss the forests from where I grew up, bonfires, and being able to see blankets of stars in the remote area where I went to college.

Beatrix in her little sleeping bag in the last panel: Too Adorable!

And Baba Mouse has joined them so they’re safe, Elvis! Calm down!

SUNDAY FUNDAY TIME

I see Baba Mouse!!!

WTF are s’mores?

Such a magical time….. Who doesn’t want to go back and relive a time in your life when you felt like this family?? Peace and happiness everyone!.

A little bit of camping can help one appreciate houses.

We do have bears around here, but not very many. I’ve only seen one myself, and heard a couple of reports from neighbors.

Bears outside? Oh no! Where? Where?

Calm down, Elvis. If there’s any danger, Tommy will either love up on it or Baba Mouse will swat at it and give it the Cat Glare.

I love today’s arc especially. What a wonderful memory for the Boy and Girl to have – camping out in the backyard with Mom and Dad, Baba and Tommy, enjoying s’mores, fireflies and the togetherness. Gives one the fuzzies! And Elvis yodeling – oh funny and cute. Thank you Georgia Dunn for a wonderful arc today!

Owl City: Fireflies

I cannon believe my eyes

As ten million fireflies

Surround my Humans there outside

I watch closely while they’re there

In case there could be a bear,

Stealing picanic baskets through the night!

…….

And I’d like to make myself believe

That those s’mores are lovely

It’s hard for me to think that something so sticky sweet

Could be something so delish!

…….

I try everything to warn

But looks like they’re ’till dawn

I tell them to come inside,

But I will do what I must,

And still I am gonna trust,

That my breakfast will be there at morningtide!

…….

And I’d like to make myself believe

That those s’mores are lovely

It’s hard for me to think that something so sticky sweet

Could be something so delish!

It’s nice to see them having such a wonderful time. Also, hello, Baba Mouse and Tommy!

I love Baba’s and Tommy’s sleeping bags!

Each of our cats have adopted their own human. Belle always orders Marie around, Holly Berry likes Alexandria, Mac is Mittens favorite and I belong to Giblet.

Mac went back to school in Connecticut yesterday and Mittens is rather upset. She threw-up in the hallway, Mac’s room and shredded mat in front of the litter pan. She is letting us know, in no uncertain terms, that She did not give permission for him to leave.

So having Elvis warn of Bears and complain about lightening-bees looks very familiar. I have to go now, Giblet is insisting on head scritchies.

So long sad times

No more bad times

We are rid of you at last

S’more gay times

Sticky play times

We’re together & having a blast

Campy nights are here again

The lightning bees, so clear again

Yeah, let’s sing a song of cheer again

Campy nights are here again

Summertime

Campy nights

Happy days

Are here again!

[Jack Yellen / Milton Ager]

Big boi lol

Selfless, determined Elvis will save the day – um, night.

Recently I wanted s’mores, so I toasted the marshmallows over my gas stove. Suboptimal, I have to say. Not only for the lack of ambiance of a real fire, but it was really hard to get the marshmallows nicely golden. And I had no graham crackers, so I used shortbread. That was a win!

We have a guard cat like Elvis as well – the tuxedo in my profile picture. Whenever we start roasting chiles (and I’m from New Mexico, so this is frequent), he comes in to the kitchen to yell at us about how horrible and dangerous it is. He doesn’t like the smell of the charred skins or the inevitable shriek of the smoke detectors, but he won’t stay away. He has to be there telling us we’re in danger!

TheRE aRe BeARs!

Bears? BEARS? Um, come to think of it. has anyone seen Gent around recently? Guard your s’mores.

BEARware of bears

Yes Elvis you do offer completely calm and not at all panicky advice.

Once again our brilliant Georgia has managed to create a magical, heartwarming, funny and beautiful episode with TWO laugh-out-loud panels (“fire and sticky” and the last one with Elvis’ dire warning).

It’s interesting that Tommy is right in the middle of the people pile, but Baba is off to the side at a slight distance. So many cats—so many personalities.

Lightning Bees!

I’m in awe of the beautiful variety of angles Georgia uses to show us a scene! And to combine that talent with comedy and heartwarming moments that are sweet without being cloying! She is a marvel!

LIGHTNING BEES! Also known as “Christmas Light Bugs” IIRC.

Wave to Elvis, everyone!

Alias used to yell at us when she saw us in the backyard pool: “Aaa! You’re in a giant bowl of WATER! I need to save you, and there’s a WINDOW in the way! Come back!”

My Siamese boy starts shrieking as soon as I walk out the front door. And I’ve barely parked the car before the shrieking starts to greet me home. Even if I’m just in the yard he shrieks.

On a different subject, is that Baba n the sleeping bag on the far left in the last panel?

Today is:

Frankenstein Day! —Also Mary Shelley’s birthday, and the birthday of Gothic Horror and Science Fiction. Oh the humanity! (Eeww, people! — I prefer cats.)

International Whale Shark Day —The world’s largest fish, and fortunately a plankton eater. Also one of the most beautiful sea creatures ever.

National Holistic Pet Day —Holistic: adj. characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole. Sounds like a cat to me.

Toasted Marshmallow Day Apropos to today’s sticky theme. Marshmallow root is believed to have been used as early as 2,000 BCE in ancient Egypt. In these artificial times, marshmallows contain only gelatin, sugar, water, and air. I prefer mine well done …

Slinky Day —There are two possible ways to interpret this: The toy from the ‘50s, or the adjective derived from it. graceful and sinuous in movement, line, or figure, ergo, cat, or cat like. Which is odd, because every cat I’ve ever known who encountered a Slinky was terrified of it. So now I’ll slink away to breakfast, having failed to find much humor in the day. May there be something slinky in your near future …

Who is the kitty with them???

When I was 12 or 13, my brothers and I spent half of one summer, all of the fall and part of the winter camping in a tent in the backyard. Unfortunately, it was due to necessity, not for fun. We had gone on a two week vacation in early June and when we returned, we found out that the power had gone out at some point. The temps had been over 100F every day we were gone, and the giant, oversize freezer was a total loss. In the freezer had been most of a side of beef and several gallons of grape juice that my mom was going to use to make jelly. It had turned into rancid meat, maggots, and vinegar, and had leaked out of the freezer and warped the floor in my older brother’s room. The smell was so strong that I’m surprised that the neighbors hadn’t called the police. It took months to get rid of the smell and for years afterwards I would still catch a whiff of it and gag.

I did learn how to live outside in (mostly) comfort though. Cooking was done on the grill and an extension cord provided power for lights and a fan. We couldn’t have TV, but we did have books, after we aired them out. I learned to hold my breath for almost 2 minutes when I would have to run inside to use the bathroom. I don’t know how many cans of air freshener we went through, but I’m sure the people at Glade were happy.

Yes, looking back on it now, we shudder and never, ever want to have to smell that ever again.

Mmm, I love me some s’mores.

Speaking of bears, I noticed Momma and baby bear visited again last night. Left footprints on the blacktop driveway again.

This makes me miss my yodeler Miscreant. RIP buddy. Momma misses you everyday.

Protease inhibitors used to treat Feline Infectious Peritonitis may be useful for treating Covid-19.

Side effects include a desire to shred toilet paper and stash hair elastics under the couch.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/drug-used-to-treat-coronavirus-in-cats-may-be-effective-for-humans-too-study-1.5084584

OMC…… Elbiff your advice is very……… well………. how do I put this………. fear based. As Bea would say “Classic Elvis.”

Absolutely LOVE the little kitty sleeping bags for Beatrix and is that Babba Mouse?

I hope Tommy doesn’t get sticky s’mores on his lovely fur.

Elvis may be right about the tent, and maybe the sleeping bags thought can’t tell with them. The tent, hoever, does look way too close to the fire. Closer in panel two than in panel three. But still should be several more feet of space between the two.

And I love Tommy and Baba Mouse’s sleeping bags. Used to see those little demo tents, sleeping bags, and hammocks and think they looked perfect for a cat. These look like Tommy and Baba Mouse got those demo sleeping bags.

We actually called them lightning bugs rather than fireflies when I was a kid.

“Lightning bees! Lightning bees! Everywhere!” – Elvis 2020

As of this day 2020 I was 12.

As of this day I turned 12!

ha, ha!