In case you missed it, I posted an entry about Coltrane yesterday.
Thank you all for your kind words, here and on Facebook and Twitter. Even though Coltrane hadn’t been spending much time inside with us since the weather turned warm (he was briefly banned from the house after we realized he was spraying all over the place every time we let him in, but he looked so sad at not being allowed inside, that we relented because we are suckers. The boy had a bladder the size of Texas.), his absence is definitely felt. He was always so very happy to see us in the afternoon, when it was time to feed the pigs, and he’d follow us around and talk to us until we picked him up or at least petted him.
This is my favorite picture of him, from last September, though I didn’t post it yesterday because I was afraid he looked a little, um, not completely alive in it. (He was, though, he was just delirious with joy. He LOVED being held.)
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About those baby robins in the nest in the front yard. I told Fred what Doodle Bean said – that baby birds get all the water they need from the worms and bugs their parents feed them – so he stopped giving them water. However, it took a couple of days before he accepted that they were probably getting enough worms and bugs from their parents to keep them alive, so he fed them some more worms.
This time, I followed him with the camera.
It was hard to make a video, because the nest is higher than I am, so I wasn’t quite sure if I was getting anything with the camera. I swear, I always thought that mama birds would eat the worms/ bugs and then vomit them back up into their babies’ mouths (or something gross like that) and I even told Fred that if he truly loved those birds he’d do the same (hee), but these babies sucked down the worms like they’d been doing it all their lives.
(I did make Fred stop feeding them. They seem perfectly healthy and active, and it’s better to let their REAL parents take care of them.)
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“OH MY STARS! Doesn’t ANYONE ever vacuum this room? Look at this mess!”
“::sigh:: And the MIRRORS!” Look, I clean them all the time! If these kittens would just stop sticking their noses on them!
Clove takes notes on this “cleaning” business in case there are any tips she can pass on to me.
Maggie wonders how she ended up in this room again, this time with three babies instead of six. Why, it’s like a vacation!
I love Cilantro’s crazy little face.
Maggie continues to clean whilst waiting to be let out.
Hmm. I wonder if I could train her to sit up like this for a snack?
Cilantro and the teaser.
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Ciara in the sun. She knows she’s a pretty girl.
Fergus Simon’s serious little face always cracks me up.
Newt’s keeping an eye on the kittens from the Newt Cave. The kittens aren’t sure whether it’s safe to approach or not.
Finnegan wonders if perhaps it might be time for the snuggle?
Sleepy Declan.
Ciara really likes the cedar scratching post.
Macushla gets a little time to himself.
The McMaos are still nursing – TRYING to nurse, I should say – and Maggie puts up with it for a bit, then decides they’ve had enough. Yesterday, Maggie was following me around in hopes that I might be overwhelmed with the desire to give her food, and she was in turn being followed around by Finnegan and Fergus Simon, and every time she stopped, they tried to nurse with her standing there. It was too funny.
One day last week she let them nurse briefly, and I happened to have the camera at hand. So I made a video, of course! (Please note: all that stuff was on the floor because Maggie knocked it down and I hadn’t had a chance to pick it up.)
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Tommy in the back yard. I love it when they lay like this!
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Previously
2010: No entry.
2009: No entry.
2008: Warning: May cause cavities due to the sheer utter adorable cuteness.
2007: One of these things is not like the others,.
2006: No entry.
2005: Edgar would just like to sleep, please.
Tommy looks fabulous! Also, the pic of Coltrane…he looks incredible content in that picture….a face of bliss.
I hear a lot of cleaning excuses here….LOL. Don’t worry, when I take a pic or a video, I think, “Ack…what the???? I just cleaned that!!!!”. The camera is so unforgiving…it’s like that extra 5 lbs it puts on people….every grain of kitty litter looks like boulders!
Bless little Coltrane…
xxxx
Umm..
Robyn….
IS THAT A GUN in the picture of Newt in his Newt cave???
Do you really discourage outsiders to the farm that strongly?? 🙂
It looks like a pistol with a realy long barrel, but then again, I’m from Englandshire, and I don’t think I’ve even held a real gun in my life!
Hmmm…if a pistol it has about five silencers on it. That’s to make it super quiet.
Maybe its one of those “grab a can off the top shelf” things.
By the way, I noticed the traffic noise in the video of the baby robins. Is that “the” road? Sounds like there is quite a lot of traffic. Poor sweet baby.
My sympathies on the loss of Coltrane. He seemed like a very sweet kitty, he will be missed. So sad.
So sorry about Coltrane, they always leave such a hole in our lives when they leave us in any way, whether ‘expected’ or sudden. Hoping that extra squeezes, hugs, pets of the others bring extra comfort and healing.
Sure wouldn’t know what to do if I couldn’t read L&H first thing each day! Thanks soooo much!
Is there no end to your fostering prowess? That mama robin sure knew what she was doing when she set up her nest at your house 🙂
Oh man, there are so many great pictures in today’s post. I LOVE the one of Ciara – she is so pretty! And Tommy – love the post – frog butt is what I call it. 🙂
“Maggie continues to clean while waiting to be let out” – well, of course! Multitasking – she’s a mother!
So sorry about Coltrane….even though he was a “part-time” kitty, it still hurts to lose them. I’m just glad that he found you guys when he did so we know he had some very happy moments at Crooked Acres. So sweet of you to find one of his favorite places to bury him…RIP Coltrane!! (and yes I’m tearing up as I’m writing this as I too have had to bury my share of “part-time” kitties 🙁
Iam so sorry about Coltrane. He brought such a smile to my face. I loved his name. It was perfect for such a free spirit. He was such a handsome boy too. Right now he is catching up the Anderson kitties at the Rainbow Brige on all his exciting adventures at Crooked Acres.
Love that photo of Tom getting his frog legs on. I don’t think I’ve ever seen our cats do that (though I’ve seen all the dogs I know do it…).
What a love bug Coltrane was. I love it when my Buddy lets us (usually my husband — he’s the favorite) hold him like that.
I think if you look at Fred, he’d fall over. He’s such a sweet push over!
I’d be ok with the eye dropper but worms? Stronger man than I.
What a sweet smile on Coltrane’s face. Pure bliss.
Yep, Coltrane sure looks happy! Blessed be, little man.
and Tommy’s coolin’ his “goolies”, yes? or where his goolies would be if he had them….ah, forget it!
Go and give those Spice girls and McMao’s a million hugs and kisses. Why? ah, why not?!
It is so sad about Coltrane. He sure does look happy in Fred’s arms, though. Should remind you of all the good times you gave that little guy.
All the kittens and hatchlings are growing so fast! It’s funny to watch Maggie squirm and move and jump and run to get away from the McMao’s ‘starving’ maws!
And just so you know, all birds don’t regurgitate to feed their young all the time. Most will do it early in their chicks lives to give them gut bacteria, but will then feed them whole food. Seagulls, Terns and other seabirds who have to transport fish for long distances do the regurgitation thing. It helps guard against other birds stealing their catch. Crows regurgitate too for similar reasons.
Some other species such as pigeons will produce ‘crop milk’ to feed their young (and it’s not milk at all, but semi-digested food). But most songbirds such as Robins catch live prey for their chicks. Even seed-eaters will feed their young insects, worms and such because they are more full of protein than seeds.
So there you go. It’s probably best to let the parent Robins feed their chicks. Although I commend the fostering spirit. Maybe it’s time to take in another crazy girl kitty for Fred!! 😉