Roanoke Virginia

COME FLY WITH ME FOR SAMMY

Wow, we are so excited to be hosting our very best pal, Sammy (onespoiledcat), in our city. We are off to show him the Mill Mountain Star. It is the largest neon star in the world. As Sammy is in his hot air balloon, we must visit during the day time, so it won’t be lit up. But if you ask us, it is pretty darn impressive anyway.

 

Come Fly With Me

 

We thought we might need a special permit to put up our welcome sign, but when the mayor heard who was coming, he said we didn’t need one. You see, Sammy, the King of Baconia, is known throughout the world, even in our little city.

We featured our famous star on the blog once before when our honorary brofur Bailey‘s friend’s, Sharkie and Blue, traveled all the way from Rome (via Florida) to visit us for Christmas in 2014. To read more about the star, click here.

Sammy will also get a great view of the entire Roanoke Valley from the Star. A photo of the valley taken by Dad Tom actually stumped everyone on Sammy’s Tuesday Teaser just a few weeks back.

We know Sammy has many places to visit today and won’t be able to spend time visiting with us, but Cat Scout Master Baker Mauricio wanted to make certain his best pal had a little treat to sustain him on his journey. Mau baked some special maple cookies with chocolate frosting and topped with bacon, of course!

FriendlyFillInsToday is also week 30 of the Friendly Fill-Ins hosted by Ellen (15 And Meowing) and Annie (McGuffy’s Reader). We are hoping they will forgive us, but today we have selected to complete only #4, as we want our post to totally focus on Sammy.

4. One of the best gifts we ever received was the friendship of Sammy and his mom, Pam. We cheated a wee bit and changed the “I” to “we.”

Come Fly With Me for Sammy was planned by Madi and Easy (before he went to the bridge), and it is being held today to honor Easy as well as to celebrate Sammy. This is also a blog hop. To join the hop or follow along with Sammy on his adventure, visit Dory’s Backyard and click on the Hoppity Hops tab in the menu bar.

“Hey, Sammy, can you see us waving at you from the base of the Star?”

Blowing kisses and waving at Sammy as he zips by, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Mom Janet and Dad Tom

 

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HE’S BACK AGAIN FOR CATURDAY ART!

We demand an explanation. Why does this big pest get featured on our blog over and over again? He claims it’s his handsome good looks and winning purrsonality that garner him this honor. Pffft!

We are all stunningly gorgeous, and some of us definitely have more pleasant purrsonalities. We know that he is a total suck-up and badgers Mom constantly. We are pretty certain she puts him on the blog just to shut him up. Not as if that ever works. He just continues to natter away hour after hour, day after day, week after week…

Whatever the reason, here he is AGAIN for the Caturday Art Bog Hop in a PicMonkey-created photo.

 

Mauricio is back again for Caturday Art.

 

This was a one-and-done creation, which doesn’t happen around here very often. Mom used the Textures feature to overlay another photo atop Mauricio’s. She then added the matt and frame using Picasa.

Here are the two photos she used.

 

Mauricio is back again for Caturday Art.Coffee stir stick installation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are wondering about the second photo, it is from an art installation at the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia. It was created by North Carolina installation artist, Jonathan Brilliant, by using  coffee stir sticks. Here’s a larger photo of a small portion of the installation, which was built on site.

 

Coffee stir stick installation.

 

The installation was created as part of Brilliant’s ongoing series, “Have Sticks Will Travel” Tour. The piece is entitled, The Stir City Piece (Roanoke’s nickname is The Star City.) was created by weaving together 70,000 stir sticks. The pattern on the walls surrounding the sculpture was created using espresso grounds to provide the aroma of a coffee shop.

Mom decided to combine these two photos as she thought the lines created by the sisal on the cat tree resembled the lines created by the coffee stirrers. What do you think?

This is our submission for the Caturday Art Blog Hop hosted by Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty and her mum, Marie. To view the other submissions and/or enter one of your own, click on their badge.

Sunday Selfies & Our Special Announcement

Cat4-001Tomorrow’s the big day. It’s Mother’s Day, and we all know how special they are. It its Week #91 of our blog hop. But most impawtantly, it is the day of our B – I – G Announcement. Do you think you have guessed what it is?

We know most of you will be busy celebrating with your moms tomorrow, but we sure hope you can take a few moments from your busy day to enter a selfie (maybe even one including your mom).

The True Tails of Baker and Taylor Giveaway

Yesterday Mom reviewed this heartwarming book about two Scottish Fold library cats from Nevada. It is a book that you won’t want to miss reading. For our friends residing in the U.S., we have one book to give away. Leave a comment here prior to 5 p.m. E.T. on Thursday, May 12, for the opportunity to win. Winner will be selected using Random.org.

Another Sad Goodbye

It is with heavy hearts and tears in our eyes that we say goodbye to another friend: Whitley Westie from Texas. Whitley was a beautiful and sweet woofie. She was always dressed to purrfection in adorable dresses made especially for her by her momma. If you have not had an opportunity to leave your condolences for Whitley’s family, purrlease do so here. Thank you, friends.

 Remembering Whitley Westie

 

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

 

 

BLOG THE CHANGE FOR ANIMALS WITH BARN CAT BUDDIES

 

BLOGTHECHANGE

 

As part of Blog the Change, we are excited to share the following information with you from Barn Cat Buddies (Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo’s alma mater).

Thanks to a generous grant from the McCausland Foundation, Barn Cat Buddies announces The FREE Feline FIX! The goal is to spay/neuter/rabies vaccinate approximately 600 felines this winter totally FREE to cat/kitten owners AND caretakers of managed colonies. The mission is to hugely impact the number of litters that would be surrendered to local pounds and shelters this spring and summer.

Making this an incredible offering for cat owners/caretakers is the lack of restrictions to taking advantage of this opportunity.

1. No income requirement.
2. No zip code requirement
3. No limit to the number of cats per household and
4. Open to community (feral) cats as long as a caretaker is feeding and monitoring the cat or colony.

PLEASE NOTE: This grant ONLY covers the cost of a spay or neuter, rabies vaccine and ear tip for cats in traps. The surgeries will be performed at Angels of Assisi (our Santa Kitty Toy Hop recipients). If the Assisi medical staff determines a feline needs additional medical treatment, that is the responsibility of the pet owner. To apply simply call the Barn Cat Buddies hotline at 504-344-8707 ext. 3* do not leave your message on Assisi’s line please.

Please spread the word through social media!

 

 

SHARKIE & BLUE VISIT THE STAR

Have we piqued your curiosity?

Are you wondering if Sharkie and Blue flew off to Bethlehem?

Maybe they took a ride on a spaceship?

Nope, they visited our famous Mill Mountain Star yesterday. It is the World’s largest man-made star, and it is right here in the Star City…Roanoke, Virginia. You can read about it below.

 

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We visited during the day, so the star was not lit, but if you Google, Mill Mountain Star photos, you can see oodles of photos of it lit up.

 

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Not only did they get to see the star, but also a panoramic view of the Roanoke Valley. The photo doesn’t include the entire valley. You can see our downtown in the distance on the left side of the photo. We live about one mile from downtown to the left and beyond the scope of the cropped image.

We’d like to give them one additional adventure before they return home, but that would involve snow, and we don’t have any in the forecast for the near future We might have to save that for a future visit. We know our brofur, Bailey Boat Cat, is missing his furiends.

But stay tuned, you never know what they might get up to prior to winging their way back to Nocturne.

Se y’all tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

SHARKIE AND BLUE’S MOST EXCELLENT CYCLING ADVENTURE

Our honorary brofur, Bailey Boat Cat, has two good buddies, plushies Sharkie and Blue. While Bailey was at Cat Camp, Sharkie and Blue visited the U.S. with Mom Lou and Dad James. When Bailey’s folks returned home to Nocturne in Rome, Sharkie and Blue flew here for the holidays. To see our first post about them, click here.

Friday and Saturday we had some unseasonably nice weather with the temperature just below 60 degrees. On Friday the humans decided to ride the tandem. This gave Mom the idea that it would be fun to take Sharkie and Blue on an adventure. So on Saturday our two humans hit the Greenway with the plushies!

 

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While out for their ride, Mom and Dad stopped for lunch at a favorite restaurant. They even ate outside as the weather was so nice. Sharkie and Blue find the noms quite to their liking.

 

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It was a short ride, just over 21 miles, but Mom says Sharkie and Blue seemed to have fun seeing some of our city from their open-air transport.

It has now turned yucky cold and rainy so anymore outings will have to be by car. Mom hopes they can have at least one more prior to their return to Rome and Nocturne.

SANTA KITTY TOY HOP FOR ANGELS OF ASSISI

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Our humans delivered our food and toy donation for the Santa Kitty Toy Hop on Friday. They went to our local (Roanoke, Virginia) no-kill shelter, Angels of Assisi.

 

Santa Kitty Toy Hop

The toys and food for the shelter.

 

Santa Kitty Toy Hop

Two of our QC Inspectors, Lisbeth and Fiona, check everything out before it is packed up.

 

Angels of Assisi offer the following services: Spay/Neuter, Well Pet Clinic, Microchipping, Dentals, Sick Pet Clinic, Feral Cat Clinic, Laboratory Services, Pharmacy and Grooming and these programs: Pets for Life, Hospice, Domestic Violence, Pets for Patroits, Assisted Living Outreach, Biscuit Fund, Harmony Farm and Prescription Discounts.

 

Santa Kitty Toy Hop

This is where Mom and Dad delivered the goodies.

 

This past October, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) announced that Angels of Assisi was the first place winner of the Rachel Ray 100K Challenge, receiving $30,000. During June, July and August, Angels of Assisi adopted out more than 800 animals. That was up more than 400 from the same period last year. The group attributes its success to partnering with the local PetSmart, which resulted in 300 adoptions.

A “Guardian Angel” program also was launched, where the organization covered medical costs that saved 100 animals.

 

Santa Kitty Toy Hop

Our silly Mom (wearing her cat ears and Kliban cat Christmas shirt) with Chelsea Ellis, Foster Coordinator, and Bo Nichols, Cat Caregiver.

 

Currently Angels of Assisi has only about 20 kitties in residence as well as a few dogs. This is way fewer than have been in residence when Mom has visited in the past. Mom and Dad and Chelsea and Bo gave the kitties crinkle balls and other toys to play with during the visit.

 

Santa Kitty Toy Ho

Some of the residents check out the Bird on the Wire scratcher and a crinkle ball but are more interested in what the humans are doing.

 

Santa Kitty Toy Hop

Two more Angels of Assisi kitties.

 

To learn more about Angels of Assisi, you can click on this link to their site: www.angelsofassisi.org, or their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/angelsofassisi.

We want to thank Summer, Binga and Boodie’s mom, Janiss Garza, at Sparkle Cat for the idea and getting the ball rolling for the Santa Kitty Toy Hop. It’s always better to give, and we were happy to have the opportunity to help some local kitties who do not have their very own forever home for the holidays.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

CATURDAY ART: POLAR VORTEX

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Our yard in Roanoke, VA, on February 13, 2014, after a 20-inch snowfall.

Click badge to join blog hop or view other entries. The above photo was edited using the “Polar” filter in Fotor. Background added with PiZap.

Please join us tomorrow for our Queen of Hearts Dance review post and prize winner.

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FLOOD PHOTOS

I know this is a blog about cats and ninety-five percent of the time it actually is. Though this post appears to have no connection whatsoever to felines, it actually does. I will explain at the conclusion of this post.

After days and days of it raining cats, dogs, otters, guinea pigs, squirrels, parrots, emus and flamingos, the Roanoke Valley, VA, flooded for the third time this spring/summer. We are currently running 12 inches over the normal rainfall for the entire year.

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This is the Roanoke River. Tom took this photo three blocks from our house.

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This bridge is in the same area. It crosses over the river about 20 feet above the river bed. It is part of the Roanoke Greenway and on our tandem route.

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Another view of the bridge. Though the water has receded, this bridge is closed due to buckled and broken asphalt leading to it.

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This is one of the low-water bridges we normally cross. The word on the part of the sign that’s underwater is “FLOODING.”

Unfortunately, one person lost their life during this flood. That person was the husband of Sara Stein, the President of our area TNR organization (Barn Cat Buddies) with which I am affiliated. He drowned Thursday while trying to clear a culvert drain in an attempt to keep the rising waters from reaching their home. Craig Ricker leaves not only Sara but also three step-sons, aged 10 to 18.

Please keep Sara, Sam, Jesse and Charlie in your prayers. Anyone wanting to make a donation to help Sara and her family or any of the foster kitties, can do so on the Barn Cat Buddies Facebook page.