Smoky Summer Skies 2017 – © Colehauscats.com
(Photo taken in late afternoon. Actual sky and sun color. Small black dot to right of sun is flying bird.)
Today, we *think* fall weather might be considering coming along but gone are the days when September meant cooler temperatures and the return of our fall/winter rainy season. Last weekend was the first in a long, long while that we hadn’t had record-setting temperatures and smoke-filled skies from the gorge wildfires some fifty miles to our east. Earlier in that week, we had actual ash falling from the skies for two days. Mom sure did have fun cleaning up after all that!
*grumble grumble*
Z comes a-visitin’ © Colehauscats.com
Z’s personal drinking fountain – © Colehauscats.com
We didn’t shut off our fountain over the ash-fall days but did refresh the water every afternoon. Somecat sure enjoyed that and the raccoons remembered where the fresh water was and made it part of their early evening/nightly rounds.
Raccoon babies taking a break from the heat – © Colehauscats.com
Raccoon baby cooling off – © Colehauscats.com
Raccoon baby washing up – © Colehauscats.com
Crepe Myrtle almost done flowering – © Colehauscats.com
Our crepe myrtle is almost done flowering already, only a month early. We used to count on this as being our fall flowering bush, but this year, as also happened last year, it went into bloom a full month earlier than ever.
Squirrels are stocking up on nut fat – © Colehauscats.com
Our hot weather hasn’t stopped the squirrels from stocking up on their nut consumption. Maybe they know something we don’t? Looks like it’s just about time for us to swap out their old feeder for a new one (we keep a new one in stock and switch it out every other year). Between the squirrels and raccoons, that feeder gets a serious workout!
2017 was a good year for Roma tomatoes – © Colehauscats.com
Our tomatoes loved our summer heat as did the last of the strawberries. Mom’s considering giving up on strawberries for next year. “They take a LOT of water,” she says, because she grows them in sunny hanging baskets and keeps the plants around for only three years.
***WARNING! WARNING! BIRD ALERT***
A Pigeon? At Colehaus? – © Colehauscats.com
Imagine our surprise when this not-so-little pooping machine fluttered into our backyard one day. We don’t live anywhere near where pigeon might hang out so, we’re thinking this guy must have stopped by for a drink of cool water before heading elsewhere. Like Chicago or New York or maybe even Rome!
Since Teese went to the No-Kill shelter for adoption and then, was adopted just this week (SQUEEEEE!) there haven’t been too many visiting kitties this month. We think the weather has just been too hot and smoky and we’d like to think people are being smart by keeping them indoors (no, really, we know people can be smart… if they want to be).
So, we’ll leave you in the soft, delicate paws of Miss Newton, who goes in for yet another blood pressure check this weekend (her fifth, or maybe her sixth?), and who is undoubtedly saying to Mom in this photo, “What? Again?? This needs to stop, lady!”
Miss Newton, September 2017 – © Colehauscats.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A Colehaus Cats Flashback:
2016 – No post
2015 – Ruby Tuesday
2014 – Multicat Monday
2013 – No post
2012 – No post
Your water visitors are adorable. And Miss N, I can TOTALLY relate to too many Stabby Place visits! – Toby
Such a lovely photo of Miss Newton, even with the added attitude! Here’s hoping those wildfires are doused soon, and yes, even humans can remember to keep their pets inside…once in awhile at least. Interesting pigeon interaction; the fires and the storms probably have more than one bird changing course!
I’m so glad I scrolled down a little farther to see that Teese was adopted!!! YAY!!! I’m so jealous of your raccoon visitors. I know most people hate them and consider them nuisances – I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees their beauty. For a couple years in a row, in May, we had a pigeon hanging out on our storage shed – cooing for HOURS every day. I was sure it was a male … until it brought back a friend that was definitely more colorful. We didn’t see them this year though. I actually kind of missed them.
Miss Newton, you look very pretty. We’re so sad to hear about the wildfires and we hope they are under control soon.
What a beautiful outdoor drinking fountain you provide for those darling coons!
I love your water feature! Do you get froggies visiting it, too? We used to get coons that would sit on the fence & eat seeds from the bird feeder, but Mom stopped filling the feeders. We get squirrelygigs all the time, ’cause Mom has a tray of peanuts on the patio for them. I stalked them through the window? It has been smokey a lot here, too. Mew Mew!
We get a couple of froggies every fall and we have one big frog, Joe, who might be eating all the little frogs. We used to have froggies all over the place but our area’s drought seems to have put an end to that. Stalking squirrels through the window is one of our pastimes. Fun!
that sun is gorgeous! Of course, the kitties are too and I LOVE the squirrel!
I just love seeing all of your visitors! Your fountain is stunning, and it’s no wonder it draws in all of those visitors. Purrs to all of you!
You take such good care of the local critters!
That first photo is kinda scary but very pretty and artsy!!
I hope the fires are being contained.
OMCs lots of critters in your garden
Hugs madi yoru bfff
You sure do have some cool critters in your neck of the woods!
The water feature is beautiful and I can see why all the animals love it.
The descriptions of ash, smoke, and fires sound awful. The fountain and wildlife pictures are wonderful. I’m surprised the critters leave you any tomatoes or strawberries!
Nice visiting you.
xxoo
Maggie
OMC! We love seeing the raccoons at the fountain. 🙂 We had some cooler weather…but summer is going to make a reappearance this weekend…going out with a bang!
Those raccoon babies are too cute! Thank you for taking such good care of everyone.
Oh Miss NEWTON! You are mom’s heartthrob of the DAY! You are gorgeous!!
Mom was all excited about your photos. She loves your water feature. She also wanted to let you know that way out here we are getting gray skies and red moons and suns. We have an air quality alert out so she’s not letting us spend time outside. Poor Miss Newton. We hope she is OK. Tell her that our mom had to go in for a bp check today and she is doing great.
Stereo purrs……….Hemingway and Steinbeck
I love this photo of Miss Newton. I hope the blood pressure check goes well.
You have lovely wild visitors. We hope you get a good result at the vet, Miss Newton, you look beautiful. Purrs
Wow ! We’d never seen raccoon babies before – they looked so cute and we hope they will stay with you for a long time.
That’s a nice journey around your home. I like it.
Your fountain is a blessing for the animal around. They need water.
I never saw raccoon. There is none here. The south of France is their favorite place.
I will love having a fountain like yours. My cats too !
You are lucky because your tomatoes love summer. Here, the summer was so hot that it is a disaster.
We stopped growing strawberries last year ….
Have a nice week end
Douce soirée
Natacha
Miss Newton does look a bit perturbed. Wow, you have the best water feature. We know our skunks, raccoons and groundhogs would love that. Mom has asked for one several times but Dad says, “no.” When Mom lived in Santa Barbara during college, she remembers the sun and sky looking like that all the time from in the summer from fires. We hope all those near you end soon. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo and Cooper Murphy