Spring is here at last – © Colehauscats.com
After another long winter in which we almost set another rain record, Spring has found us at last! And we almost slid right into summer (like we did last year) when we broke two high temperature records for the end of April. Thankfully, only one blooming Rhododendron succumbed to the 87 (f), 30.5 (c) degree heat. Sadly, it was Quint’s favorite, making this two years in a row he hasn’t been able to enjoy his favorite soft pink flowers.
Spring Flowers – © Colehauscats.com
Lots of other flowers are popping out all over, mainly those that get more shade from the house and trees.
Spring Tulips – © Colehauscats.com
And the mole hasn’t gotten to all the tulips just yet. We’ve just about had it with playing nice-nice to that mole.
Tomatoes for 2018 – © Colehauscats.com
Four kinds of tomatoes are planted up for this year; two kinds of Roma variety (our favorite) and two kinds of cherry tomatoes, one red, one orange. We’re also trying to grow a basil this year, after decades of just not being able to keep them alive. No photos of that because, well, it’s been in a pot for a week and tomorrow, it might be dead. We don’t want to get too attached.
Rose (Ears), 2018 – © Colehauscats.com
It looks like Ears may well be our returning raccoon mama for 2018. We originally called her Ears because one of her ears looks like someone took a bite or two out of it. But you can’t have a mama raccoon called Ears, we thought. After going through our handy mama raccoon name list, in which most all are flower-related (five-time great grandma Happy being the exception), we’ve decided on Rose, or technically, Rose Ears . . . because there’s such as thing as Rose Hips, so why not Rose Ears? That’s the story we’re sticking with, anyway.
Neighbor cat W? Nope. – © Colehauscats.com
Oh look! It’s neighbor cat W up on the fence, watching Mom rake bark mulch. Hi, W!
This is neighbor cat W – © Colehauscats.com
Wait a minute. THIS is W.
Not W – © Colehauscats.com
This ISN’T W. You have a rounder face. So, who are you?
Is W – © Colehauscats.com
Grumpy W sure doesn’t seem to want you horning in on his neighborhood orange boy-ness. He has that title all wrapped up for himself. Hmmm, this is going to be confusing!
Definitely not W, but who? – © Colehauscats.com
We’re calling this orange boy Not W, for the time being. He showed up two weeks ago, just about the time a couple of families moved into houses that sold over the winter. Not W wears a similar collar but one without tags, unlike W who has tags hanging from his. He looks healthy. He’s also just as friendly as W is.
Funny true story: We thought we saw W and thought he had lost his ID tags that hang from his collar. It happens occasionally. So we told W’s humans and within the hour, they found W and brought him into their house. It was just turning dusk, anyway, and they didn’t want him out without his tags.
Except, the cat they brought indoors for the night wasn’t W. It was Not W, who looks remarkably similar, and in fact, wears a collar almost identical to the one W wears.
The neighbors, thinking it was W inside, fed Not W and even let him sleep on their bed overnight, and in the morning, after breakfast, let him back outside.
And guess who was waiting for breakfast outside? Their real cat W! We all had a great laugh over that, and we thanked our neighbors for giving Not W a really nice welcome to the neighborhood.
Friendly not W – © Colehauscats.com
Not W really is a nice boy (though he doesn’t seem to like any other cat – more on this later), and we’re thankful he knows his way around our backyard without seeming like he was dumped here. We don’t see him too often and we’re 99 percent sure he has a real home nearby.
Three kinds of Trilliums – © Colehauscats.com
Back out in the garden, the trilliums are blooming. We have three kinds: White that turns pink, a red flowering one, and an odd splotchy, green, lumpy one that blooms longer than the other two. We like all trilliums.
Squirrel of Approval – © Colehauscats.com
Lastly, this fat squirrel, who’s been raiding the nuts from the squirrel box all winter long, seems just as happy that our cold spring rains are coming to an end and that Mom has, once again, whipped our his backyard into shape. We’ve got his Squirrel Stamp of Approval!
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A Colehaus Cats flashback:
2017 – No post
2016 – No post
2015 – No post
2014 – Miss Newton in Charge
2013 – Ruby Tuesday
2012 – Peeking from the Fluff
Is that first pic of YOUR garden?? Wow, it’s amazing. Looks like something from Better Homes and Gardens. And that cat story is very funny. We love how Not W just took it all in stride, and checked into his hotel for the night.
Those are some gorgeous flowers. And a lovely yard.
So not W and W are maybe twins of some sort. Glad Not W got a good meal. He must belong to someone around there. Have a great day.
Wow that is sure a beautiful garden and we enjoyed hearing about your two orange boys!
the kitties look great and the flowers are gorgeous! I have to start cleaning up our balcony from winter and this year I MUST get some flowers!
OMCs your garden looks lovely…
Hugs madi your bfff
We have the same raccoon mama for years now and she is getting ready to have another batch.
guyz…..yur garadin iz bee yone AWESUM !!!!!!!!!!!! quint….dood….we can see why ya all wayz bee sew inspired ~~~~~~~ total lee kelw 🙂
N wavez two ewe W & W….we R glad ya both R well fed, looked afturr N haz homez { pawz crossed }
round heer once…even tho boomer dinna have another boomer; that we new of…him getted miss taken onze for hiz brotherz that we thinked him had..but boomer terned out ta BE boomer ~~~~
confuzed…..thatz oh kay…we wuz two ~~~ 🙂 ♥♥
That story of Not W is too funny.
MOL, I can tell things are going to get even more confusing around your neighborhood with W and Not W!
Spring is looking mighty good in your neck of the woods and so is W and the raccoon too!
Wow! Spring really has sprung for you! That story about W and Not W is hilarious! We can’t imagine what your neighbors must have thought.
Purrty flowers and lots of visitors too.
What pretty flowers!
The story of W and Not W cracks me up…sleeping with them…lol!
You have such a lovely garden! Your photos are always so gorgeous.
The story about Not W is hilarious, but I doubt that W thought so. Your garden is beautiful.
“Not W” … works for us. Poor W though … can you imagine?! Another cat steals your dinner and your people?!?! My brother cat-sit for his boss years ago, and one of the cats, Francis, was a Houdini for escape. He was washing dishes and looked out the window over the sink to see Francis running off down the street. Thus began an hour-long chase that only ended with my sister-in-law texting him wondering what’s going on because Francis was sleeping in her lap. Hey. It happens 😉
Your flowers are looking lovely. We have our tulips in wire cages. But dont blame Mr Mole. It it VOLES that eat bulbs and plant roots. Although they DO use mole tunnels ta run around in safely. You can tell you have voles because they make holes in the mole tunnels to get to the surface.
That was funny about so-similar ginger cats W and Not W…