Day 63 - Largo di Torre Argentina

Look closely, can you see it? I didn't at first. As we were on our way back to our B&B in Rome we came across these ancient ruins, which isn't unusual in the city, but as I was taking them in I noticed a tiny spot of fur at its center. The crazy cat lady that I am I immediately identified my favorite animal and smiled at its nonchalance as it was laying there in the middle of a historic place without a thought of its past. It was then that Mr went "hey there's another one!" And lo and behold, there it was, walking along an old wall, and another one, no three others sunbathing on a slab of stone...

It turned out we had unknowingly arrived at the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary - the place in Rome where stray cats are taken to live in a safe environment. They are all fed and looked after by volunteers until they, hopefully, find new owners. The population is held in check as the cats are spayed and neutered, and the cats are also provided healthcare (if they need it). There is even a space for the elderly or handicapped to be safe and live their lives in peace. There are approximately 150 cats living in the shelter at any given time and about 125 cats find new homes every year.

It warmed my heart to find this place, and of course we made a small donation to the cause. It's nice to know that there is a place for our four-legged friends even in the busy streets of Rome.

/MrsHjort

Fun in the Sun

Spring has arrived, no scratch that, summer has arrived, skipping spring almost entirely this year. Here's a picture of someone who very much enjoys the sun and the feel of fresh new grass under her little kitty feet. The cats are always so happy when they get to go outside for the first time of the season. If you've ever seen cows released into the fields, you know what I'm talking about. They may not be as jumpy and intensive, but they're positively giddy and go around smelling everything like it's the first time again.

I'll see you out in the sun :)

/MrsHjort

Day 6 - Portrait of a Playful Man

Many of you will recognize this person, and the kitty too I think. This is Mr and Freya :)

I shot this for a contest about three years ago but I ended up going with a different picture since this one didn't quite strike my fancy at the time. The shadow on the right bugged me and the lens I used made a shadow in the lower right corner. This was before my external flash... Now that I've added a vignette to the shot those thing do not bother me as much anymore though...

I'm glad this finally got to see the light of day. It's one of those rare pictures where Mr doesn't look uncomfortable. Maybe because he is holding Freya haha, she on the other hand, looks a bit like she'd rather stand on her own four paws. They make a cute pair nevertheless :D

/MrsHjort

17:57 - Right where I Left You

There just had to be a shot of Freya in the bunch. She's too much a part of the daily routine to skip. She's right beside my pillow as I wake up in the morning, she follows me around the house wherever I go, and she's always sitting in the window when I get home from work to welcome me home. Talk about loyalty.

Aren't pets wonderful?

/MrsHjort

Day 27 - Danger

This is our little huntress from day 6, wide awake this time, and in the process of clearing our house from mice. Here she is with her pray, seconds before devouring it and thus sending it to mouse heaven ;). With her sharp claws and pointed teeth she's the most dangerous thing here! You'd better watch out, or you'll be next!

Or not, haha! Freya's the most lovable cat there is. I know, everybody says that about their pets, but in this case it's true. I have yet to meet someone who she hasn't charmed. She's one of those cat's who'll walk right up to anyone and rub her face against them all lovingly and purring.

Yes, yes, I know, I am the crazy cat lady, but guess what! I don't care, and I love it :)

So, let's end this rambling of mine with a nod to Renato; here's today's sound ;)

Steam Powered Giraffe - "I Love it"

/MrsHjort

Day 24 - Entrance

This is our front door. We've got one of those old fashioned door knockers that you seldom see anymore... or well, at least it's that way here in Sweden.

Strangely, there are people who don't know what to do when they climb the stair up to our door. They stand there confused, scratching their heads, looking for the doorbell button. Sometimes they end up knocking with their fists. Isn't that odd? Maybe they think the knocker is just for show, maybe they're afraid it will make too much noise, or maybe they're so "modern" they don't know what it's for in the first place. Who knows... Either way, the knock is a dead give away of people I don't know, usually they're salesmen, and in that case I like to pretend I didn't hear them. Handy isn't it ;)

/MrsHjort

Day 17 - Hand

Today, Mr and Morris are my models. I knew I wanted a hand holding something for today's word, and in order to crate a bit of symmetry to my poster I decided on cat hand, aka. paw ;). Neither of my models had much patience with me though - Mr sighed at my camera lens, which is kind of sluggish on automatic focus. "Just shoot already" he said whining as I tried to explain the process of shooting (it's not as simple as he thinks). Morris on the other hand wanted to bolt off to play. You see, all our cat's always freak out and run around like mad when we get home from work. Cranky Mr + crazy cat = good luck Mrs!

Fortunately, I was lucky! I got this shot quick, and I'm happy to say it turned out just the way I wanted too :)

I hope you like it.

/MrsHjort

Day 14 - Legs

Today's picture is of Morris, wearing white gloves and a black coat. He's a very stylish gentleman who always wears black and white - it's a very elegant and timeless type of fashion.

Needless to say, after yesterday our cats have gotten even more hugs and kisses than usual. And, today's word meant I just had to shoot kitty legs :).

So here's Morris - not rolling around on the chilies this time, but sitting in our window, keeping robbers and highwaymen away. He's really good at that! I've never seen either! He must scare them away with his stern glare ;)

/MrsHjort

Day 13 - Coat

Today's picture was really simple, both in shooting and editing. I simply hung Mr's coat on a hanger, used a garment roller to remove the cat hair and draped his scarf by the left breast pocket. Post-ed was real simple too - just some routine sharpening, contrast adjustments, color enhancements and I'm done.

Today has also been filled with ups and downs. The ups have been at work - things are going very well and I really like it in general. I just could not ask for a better boss or colleagues! The downs have been really heartbreaking though - my mother-in-law's cat had to be put to sleep today (from old age). So, needless to say, there has been a lot of laughter and smiles today, but tears and sadness too. My thoughts are with you today, Aila, if you're reading this. I send you all my love and hope you find the strength to move forward. Know that you're always welcome at our place!

/MrsHjort

Day 9 - Vegetable

I thought of paprika from the very start, when this word first showed up in the random word generator. So, after work I went by the store to pick up the prettiest ones I could find. I ended up buying one of each color (except green) and laid them out on my kitchen counter as soon as I got home. The only thing was, it didn't really look that interesting... Sure they were nice looking, but something was missing! That was when one of my cats gave me an idea.

You see, our cat Morris has quite peculiar taste when it comes to food - he loves chilies! When ever we're coking, he lies down on a plate where we usually keep them and just rolls, and rolls around on them like he thinks they're catnip! Gosh, he's such a weirdo! Anyway, adding the chilies was just what my shot needed. That little extra spice to turn things up a notch

Thank you Morris, you may be weird, but you're
the good kind of weird :)

/MrsHjort

Day 6 - Pet

It's been a long day today! Don't get me wrong though, it's been a good one. I got lots of stuff done at the office, went to after-work with my colleagues, and had a couple of glasses of nice wine. Not too shabby! As I went home, I only had one thing left to do - take a photo of a pet.

Easier said than done! None of my cats were cooperative today! I chased them around for nearly an hour and never managed anything better than a few snapshots. I even edited some of them, desperate to make them into something better, but no matter what I did the results were subpar. After a lot of frustration my kitty got just as tired as I was, and then I finally managed to get a decent shot of her, as she drifted off to sleep. Good night dear readers, sleep tight, I know I will ;)

/MrsHjort

Lil' Ms Sunshine

This is Rosie, I thought it only fair that she also got a blog entry, since Freya got one recently, and it's not hard to ramble about cats when you're a crazy cat lady (try and stop me!), so, here goes.

Rosie is the queen of our house. She expects to be treated like royalty, and she'll tell you if there's something she wants - like when she wants some fine dining. None of our cat quite have the power of persuasion she has, I simply cannot resist her when she runs, round and round in small circles around my legs, purring and miaoing in her special way.

You see, she has a very unusual way of "speaking" - it's more like a nasal "meeee meeee meeee" and let me tell you, it's adorable! If you ever try to imitate it, she'll respond very strongly to you - whenever Mr or I do it, she comes running, all happy and purring.
She's very special that way.

Rosie is also a bit of a scaredy cat. She's afraid of a multitude of strange things, ranging from Mr's black coat to anything that makes rustling sounds. When we first moved to our house, she moved into one room at a time, gradually getting used to the new smells and sounds.

Her favorite toys are hair bands, and they are especially interesting when they can be found on her mistress' head. It has come to the point when I cannot have them anyplace where she's able to reach them, because, with her nose, which will put the even best bloodhound to shame, she'll go sniff sniff sniff, and find them faster than I can say mischief.

I love my little queen, long may she reign, and may her days be filled with treats and scrunchies!

/MrsHjort

My Furry Best Friend

This is Freya, the apple of my eye and rascal of my home. She has been my loyal companion, ever since I held her tight against my chest as we traveled home with her for the very first time.

She was very small back then, only a few months old, and the car ride home from Halmstad was very very scary to her. I'd like to see the person who can keep a terrified crying kitten inside a cage for a 2 hour drive without caving. She was in there for only a few minutes before I could not resist her anymore - I put her inside my jacket instead. That made her stop, and instead she purred all the way home, sweetheart that she is. It has been pure love ever since.

Freya has always had a special bond to me, our other two cats sort of have a thing for Mr, but Freya is all mine. She sleeps right next to my pillow every night, and sometimes, when she thinks I sleep too long, she gently pokes me with her paw, as if saying "Hey! I'm here, I want to snuggle!"

Sometimes Freya loves to fetch me a toy mouse. There's nothing cuter than when she pitter-patters proudly and miaows loudly to announce her entrance, she then drops the mouse at my feet and sits proudly, stretching her neck, as I praise her hunting skills. She does not want me to throw it for her, believe me I've tried! Nope, she want's to impress me, and show me why there are never any real mice in our house ;). How could there be, when a great huntress like her is around?

I love all Freya's little peculiarities, cats really have unique personalities and she has certainly managed to steal my heart.

/MrsHjort

Merry Christmas!

Because I've since long stopped sending Christmas cards, this will be my holiday greeting this year. Nothing says Christmas like Freya in front of a Christmas tree :), and yes, it's still standing, even if she's tried to climb it a bit. After all, she's not a kitten any longer, so I'm crossing my fingers for this year. But something tells me she's not gonna break her Christmas tradition haha.


Merry Christmas dear friends!

/MrsHjort

Mr and Morris

To continue the cat theme I've been running when Mr is away, I'll show you this picture today. A while back there was a "pet and owner" contest on W1K, and I made Mr pose on the floor with our most tractable cat Morris. Those two have always been very tight and Morris sleeps with Mr every night, to Mr's delight, and annoyance.

You see, Morris is a very kind cat - you could do almost anything to him and he'd just purr and look patiently at you - turn him upside down? No problem! Carry him around all day? Fine! Put him inside your sweater? Yup, no problem! But while Morris is very patient and placable, he's also very clingy, and when he lays down in your lap he suddenly becomes very cumbersome, and at least twice as heavy. So, when Morris comes to sleep with Mr at night, he does not lay down and curl up like into small ball beside Mr. No, no, he lays down on top of Mr and "ferments", like a large piece of heavy dough - which has actually inspired some of Morris' nick names, like "the lump of dough" or just "Lumpy".

Anyway, Morris also misses Mr, and he has been trying his doughy techniques on me lately, in lack of the real deal. But, sorry Lumpy, no such luck! Like me, you'll just have to wait until Mr gets home. You'll have to settle with the other side of the bed for now.

Good night :)

/MrsHjort

Crazy Cat Lady

When the cat's away... no let's start over, when Mr is away... Mrs goes crazy! I's so hard to pass the time here at home... alone... I'm just too used to having Mr around to talk to. You'll never guess what I've done today. If you do, then you're probably a crazy cat lady too.

Well, let me put it this way, since Mr is away this week, I'm left alone with the cats, and today, I've been training Freya, the kittie in the picture, to shake hands. See! I told you you'd never guess!

A while back, a friend of mine told me about this device called a clicker. It's a small thing you hold in your hand that you can "click", which helps you train your pets. Ever heard of Pavlov's dog? It works just like that! The first few times your click the device every time your per eats their favorite food - that way they will associate the sound with reward. Later, you click the clicker when training your pet, but only when they do something to your satisfaction on command - that way they will learn to do what ever you desire on cue. It really works!

The training session today was me saying "pretty paw!" and holding out my hand to Freya. A few days ago, I had to tap her paw gently, sort of forcing her to hold it out, then click and give her a reward (you should always reward when clicking, or the click will loose its "power"), but she caught on pretty fast and after a few training sessions spread out over a few day's she's got it! Mr has really doubted the validity of clicker training, I've taught her to sit down before (since she used to jump at me when ever I took out the treats) and he dismissed it as her "maturing". Bah, humbug! Clicker training really works and he'll drop his jaw when he comes home, moahahahahaaaaaa! No no, I'm really not that crazy, just a tiny bit...

/MrsHjort

All by Myself

Next week is going to be really slow. Mr just left for Stockholm this morning and won't come back until next Saturday. I just hate it when he's away, but luckily I won't be entirely alone. I still have my furry friends to keep me company, so I guess I'll be the crazy cat lady for a week haha. They may not me much for conversation, but at least they are good listeners, and they love snuggling.

Mr and I will soon celebrate our ten year anniversary. Not that we've been married that long yet, but it's been ten years since we fist became a couple, nine since we got engaged - Mr proposed to me on our first anniversary. Funny how fast time flies, ten years feels like a lot, and yet, at the same time, it's like I've known him forever. I cannot remember how life was like without him. I guess I'll "find out" this week...

/MrsHjort

Summer Dreams

If I could choose to be reincarnated as an animal, I would choose cat any time. What a joy to be the pet of a nice family, to not have a care in the world and live the life of the ultimate hedonist, being cared for and showered with love... Just like my Freya. Here she is, napping in our back yard, enjoying the smells of summer and the twittering of the birds. Not a bad existence, wouldn't you say?

What animal would you be?

/MrsHjort

Day 25 - Autumn Cat

Miiow, mieow! On my way to work today I heard meowing. As a cat owner one responds to the sound instinctively, like a mother to a child's cries. It's funny but it's true. It turned out that this little kitty cat (she's not mine) had been left out alone all night, and was eager for some attention, poor thing. She brushed up against me and looked disappointed when I could not take her with me and rescue her from the rain. I hope she got home alright.

One might wonder what's "autumny" about a cat in the rain, so, well, let me explain to you. So called "summer cats" are a bit of a problem here in Sweden. There are heartless (or ignorant) people who buy a kitten during the spring. The little kittie is cute and fun to play with for a while, but, when the Autumn comes, they grow bored with the almost full grown cat and abandon it where ever. They think that, since cats are natural hunters, the cat will be able to survive on its own, but they are sadly mistaken. Most summer cats don't survive the winter.

On a more positive note though, there are wonderful people too. I have a friend who once found a kitten in a waste bin (!), she still has her - Nova (the cat) now has the fortune to have a loving permanent home. I really admire people like that! They give me hope :)

/MrsHjort

Day 14 - Hunter or Hunted

I found this little rascal in our garden today. Spiders are not my favorite animals, like most women I think they're kind of creepy, especially those big ones with long legs, uuurgh! Fortunately I almost never see them inside our house - since our cats like to catch them and enrich their usual diet of cat food. Our furry friends are very handy that way, they catch anything creepy that comes inside our home.

What creeps me out the most though is not spiders, nor any creepy crawly thing. I have this thing for jelly fish. I don't know why - I've never had a bad run in with them or anything like that, but I simply cannot swim in the ocean without getting totally paranoid and uncomfortable. So much so, that I could probably count the times I've be into the ocean on my fingers. This summer I've discovered something cool though.

Mr talked me into snorkeling when we were in Thailand, and after asking about 5 different locals about jelly fish I finally caved and tried it out. Anyway, I discovered that as long as I was able to see all around me, through the snorkel's glass, I felt safe, and it was a wonderful experience. I guess it all boils down to control - as long as I know the spiders are outside, and the jellies aren't close, I'm fine.

What creeps you out?

/MrsHjort