Too Close DAMN IT

Hi all

Sorry that its been a while since my last post, daddy has been sick, and I need his help when typing.

I havent used many pictures so far on my blog. Theres two reasons for this. Fistly we only have dial-up at the farm! (shock-horror!) and dad's camera is a bit crappy. Heres a few examples:

See, its all white flash from my coat

Woah, that was so close it blew my ears back!

RHAAAA- Im a TIGER!!

Ok, so that last pic was my fault. Dad was trying to get a nice photo of me on the chair, but I had one of my 'Dr Jekyl' turns. I get confused, sometimes I think I'm a jungle-cat. It must be the farm air...

Roadmap to Europe??

What this?? A road map to peace, or is daddy going to Europe??

I didnt want him to take over MY blog with all his bike stuff and blabbering about plans of tours through the Spain, France, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy, so I insisted he gets his own!

There not much on there yet, but stay tuned.


brrrrr....

Deer me!

I just gotta tell this to everyone! Its busting out of me! I just gotta tell it to anyone who will listen!!

Daddy was on a long walk today- right around the boundary of the whole farm. He is putting together an evaluation of all the fences, and getting prices on new materials to replace\repair it all.
It is quire common to see feral rabbits, kangaroos, the odd possum or fox. Wombats are everywhere and are actually quite a problem here.
But, when waltzing thru the bushy area right on the back paddock, he bumped into a deer!! Incredible!! Its unheard of in this part of Victoria. He said that at first he thought it was a cow, because it was very big and brown, and the neighbours cattle often come thru the fences. Then it saw daddy, and ran away very fast.

This is the bit I really like, daddy is soooo brave and macho. (ahem) He got his, um, 'camera', in order to, 'take a photo', of it. It was of course a long way off by now, into the forest. But daddy is a seasoned bush-man and a good tracker. He found its trail, and started to track her. (its a 'her', it had only snubs for horns) He said it was quite hard, because the tracks are similar to other animals that roam the same grounds. But deer tread their left and right hoof's very close together. He tracked it for 2 hours, but had to leave her to be, it was getting dark and he knew I was getting hungry back home...

brrrrr...

Slightly new look

Hi all. Just a quicky to say 'check out my editted banner!'

so there you go...

If anyone has an idea for a profile pic for me, or likes a pic I've already posted, or better yet has pics of me and\or daddy, let me know

Thanks

Under the bridge

At about midday today the inevitable happened.

Above is a picture of where he is buried, right next to where Rex the staffy X was buried nearly 3 years ago. Daddy thought it was appropriate because Tommy and Rex were best friends. They grew up together, shared many adventures and whenever Tommy needed help, Rex would protect him. If it was cold they would snuggle up to keep each other warm.
I know all this first hand because for my first 6 months on the farm Rex was still alive. I remember seeing Daddy giving him 2 needles every night to help with his liver cancer (to much grog in my opinion) and saw him die in Daddys arms. Much like Tommy today. Aunty Gianna was there too, she came all the way from the city.
And like Tommy, Rex had deteriorated to a pretty thin state over the last few months. In a way I hope I go in the same way. I don't want to disappear one day from everyone because I was hit by a car, or killed by a snake or eagle! I hope I get a dignified death like Tommy and Rex.

There's not much of a garden anymore because of the drought over the last few years. Nonna hopes to be able to make it all pretty again with roses and maybe even a fountain around the grave.

Rip Tommy- born 23rd October 1994, died 05th June 2007
and Rex too- born 10th July 1994, died 22nd July 2004

Axel. Brrrr....

Tommy update

Well he is still with us. Only just though. He still hasn't eaten anything, its been a week now. At best he has a few licks of milk.

He has been in good spirits though. He is enjoying the fireplace a lot, staying inside every night (he was never house trained, preferring to go jungle style like his ancestors did) And, as the pics below show, enjoying some sunlight through the big glass doors!! Its been sunny here over the last few days. Nice, because its been raining lots lately- I don't like it but the farm peoples love it.

As we speak he is outside on the grass. Daddy will bring him now, its startng to get cold.

by for now

Brrrrr.....

Tommy- on his 9th life

Hello all. This wont be happy post I'm sorry. Below is pic of Tommy, the other farm cat her on farm. The 1st pic was taken last week. He is, literally, only a fraction of the man-cat that he used to be. He is over 13 years old now, daddy says he doesn't have much longer to go. He has lost alot of weight over the last couple of months, and hasn't eaten at all this week. At best he manages a bit of milk. He stays indoors all day and night.

As you can see, he's all skin and bones.

This pic was taken only about an hour ago, with Nonna.

He was never an affectionate cat. Since I've known him (when i moved here 3 1\2 years ago) I've only seen him get a quick cuddle from Nonno and Gianna- daddy's sister. But over the last couple weeks he has never been without physical contact. He has turned from a very shy and reclusive cat, to 'demanding' to be be on all the farm people's laps. Even aunty Kate, Pablo's house person, couldn't get more then a running glimpse of him on her visit here.

I would be jealous, but I must give credit where its due. Us cats are very smart, we know when death is approaching. Tommy has know for a while now, and has made an effort to make peace with everyone. With the farm people, and me. We never got along very well. Except when we teamed up to 'acquire' a snack from the kitchen- I would do the climbing, he would keep guard and meow out load if someone was coming. We would bash each other up all the time, usually over petty things though.

I have never experienced another cats dying last days. Please keep Tommy, mine, and daddy in your thoughts.

Axel. Brrrr....

Another Wedding! YAY

Well on the subject of weddings, daddy was a guest at Sturt White's marriage to Alisha yesterday!!

Alot of the tassie crew will know Stu from the earlier days before he went to college in Sydney. Stu moved to Melbourne for work nearly 2 years ago now after finishing his studies, and actually lived with daddy for his 1st year in Melbourne.

There were other tassie people there too- Ian Harvey, Jono Haynes and Rob Slarks (who is actually living here too now), amongst others. The boys enjoyed a relatively quite time together the night before. Something called a 'bucks nite"?? It was no big party, just dinner out and a few drinks, though apparently some waxing strips got involved later on...

It was a beautiful wedding on a beautiful day, and daddy wishes them all the best. Here's a few pics:

Da boys...

Farewell Stu and Elisha

7 Things about me!

Well I've been pressured so much, and yes I did say I would do this, so here goes:

note: pics will be added in a few days when daddy can get to a computer with broadband...

7 things about me:
~ I was born in Hobart,
~ I have a big adopted family,
~ I live on a cool little farm that I rule over,
~ I weigh just over 5kg. I know coz daddy weighed me last night. I thinks he's putting me on a diet now...
~ I eat once a day, but often snack on the chicken's food,
~ I am now over 5 people years old- I was born in January 2002, and
~ I roleplay alot. ie: I pretend that I'm a jungle-cat and stalk the farm-people!

7 things I like:
~ sunshine on my belly,
~ 'Cloe', she's a cutie-cat, with purrfect blue eyes,
~ the chickens, we get along pretty good,
~ the overgrown scrub along the creek,
~ 'supervising' the work on the farm,
~ rubs on my tummy, and
~ scratches on the back of my ears!

7 things I dont like:
~ most other cats,
~ including Tommy, he's the other farm-cat here. More on him another time,
~ dogs. Period.
~ dog food,
~ the goats, especially Billy. I will expand on this another time,
~ getting up early in winter, and
~ gettng locked out at night.

7 things I love:
~ rubs on the back of my hind legs,
~ peoples feet! I cant get enough of em! They're good for smelling, for playing and attacking, and for using as a stationary neck-rubbing post,
~ winter- it means more cuddle time daddy and other farm-peoples,
~ summer- it means more farm patrolling time,
~ the 3 geese, they protect me from snakes.
~ cuddles, and
~ everyperson!

7 things I hate:
~ the roaming eagles- I'm lower on the food tree,
~ winter- its so cold and wet outside,
~ summer- it means less cuddles from daddy,
~ magpies, coz they swoop me from behind in the spring,
~ snakes, a constant danger for me,
~ daddy's sister- coz shes got a look-a-like cat of me! Only I can truly be me! And
~ tail-pullers, enuf said...

My eyes

Someone mentioned to daddy that they've never seem my eyes from the pics on here so far?! Well here's a quickie to appease you all, my admiring faithful:

More to follow soon.

Brrrr...