Michelle and Mannie (GA)
Member Since 2009
Good Morning LL!! 
(Ahhhhhh.... elixir! Thanks Elsa), and Happy Catmint Caturday!
LL! It's is I, Elsa, KBP, president and CEO of Coffee Cat! Life is GOOD! GUESS WHAT! Paw Prints Pizza is open and ready for business! They are running a Caturday Catnip special today, in honor of Catmint Caturday - lots of nip in those pies! They have even used their signature nip cheese.
Best order early! The new pizza ovens are great, and so far... they been good pies! Lola and Bug say that they makes excellent nip crust. They love having them in Mannie's tree house too! They sure host alot of pizza parties up there.... Kitties are always coming and going, mega cool! so. well. anyways. Coffee time! For today, I proudly offer Elsa's special 10 hour energy coffee, and Double shot Breve's, with beans from high in the Brazilian Mountains.... and for my mocha fans: a VENTI Quad Blueberry infused white mocha/mocha blend with white chocolate chips melted within, swirled with a raspberry puree, topped with a strawberry infused whip garnished with caramelized berry sprinkles and white chocolate curls and a caramel drizzle.......SWEET! OH! No worries, a dollop of 4 berry and vanilla and caramel swirl ice cream, on top of a dollop of fudge, topped with caramel and chocolate drizzle.... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....... mega good!
I hope everyone had a great day yesterday, and a great week. It still continues to be odd not to be doing a daily condo, and I find I still get up in the morning and think I need to put one together. I've still been reading subject lines, trying to keep up with LL. ;-) It has been a great week here, though Friday I was out sick.... so no boys that day! I had some stomach thing, and I really think it was something I ate, but I really have no clue what that could have been. oh well, it was more or less over with in a day, so.... Still was a BUMMER to miss out on all that pool time and the Friday night burger feast! I so missed that burger feast! ;-) Wednesday's Swimming was as good as it always is. The energizer fishie was in his element, and continues to have a great time in the pool. That swim test continues to be elusive.... one of these days we will get that done! :roll: I've been teaching him what I can. He continues to swim two, sometimes more, widths of the pool on his own again yesterday. We are starting to get some "big arms" swim in, which is kinda cool. He's been trying to swim on his back too. LOL: might make a swimmer after all.
His favorite thing to do continues to be retrieving objects, usually rings, from the bottom of the pool, and still takes a bucket down with him, to collect them before coming back to the surface. That is cool! He still loves the pool. It was a bummer not to be able to take him Friday night: He loves Friday nights, talks about it all week: Terrace and swimming, followed by burgers and fries. LOL. oh well, we will be back at that next week.
Nicholas and William are well, and continue to be such fun to care for. William is really mobile now, but not yet walking (phew!), and getting into just about everything. Nicholas is so patient with him, well most of the time, that I think they will continue to be good friends.
Wednesday, after pool time, Nicholas and I decided we needed to walk the pool trail and see if the berries were ready yet. So we packed up William and off we went in search of berries: salmonberries to start. Nicholas was so excited when he found six, promptly gobbled them up, and proclaimed they were all sweet and juicy and delicious. That was alot of fun. We also looked for the beginnings of the other berries that are found on that trail, and saw that the huckleberries, thimbleberries, raspberries and blackberries are beginning to make fruit. There ought to be primo berry picking and eating there in the next few months.
The weather the week before last wet, sloppy and raining.... not this week! The sunny warm 75/80 degree days were back.... So, on Thursday we all decided that a river trip was in order, local urban one. it is a place we used to go to alot, and haven't been there since Fall. The Sammamish River out of Redmond, was fun. I finally have a stroller for William, so getting around and walking a long distance was easier. Funny: Nicholas LOVES to push his brother in that stroller. The trail is a very long one, but we just did the first two and then some miles to the first river access point, and back again. It was just so great to see Nicholas walk all those miles without a complaint. He just did them We fed ducks, threw rocks and did our best to keep William out of the river. :lol: :lol: He had the best time - just like his big bro: another water rat.
With the weather being so great I promised Nicholas that we could go to Juanita Beach Park after our stay at the Sammamish River. It is his favorite beach park, it is becoming William's too! The day was so warm and sunny that both boys were down to their swim attire, and off to play in the water. HOORAY for excellent sun screen. It has been so nice to see Nicholas going groups of kids already at play, even better when they accept him, and let him pay too. Often some of these kids are much older than he is, yet they still connect with him. He had so much fun playing in the water, wading out up to his chest, swimming back. I loved that part. William was in the water too, and had such fun just splashing and getting wet. Nicholas would break for his play with the kids at times to come and play with his brother, often dumping buckets of water on William. :lol: :lol: William thought it was great. I lost count on the number of times I had to pull William back from waters edge. He so wanted to be in it, just like big bro. No fear for that one! We left there covered in sand, wetter than wet, with endless smiles on our faces. I so love days like these. We even managed to squeeze in a short picninc snack session, on the blankets, on the grass, under the trees, at the park before we headed out to connect up with their dad so they could go home. Another stellar day with the boys. I have no doubt this will be one of our summer hangout places, when the weatehr permits, that and the mountain rivers.
I managed to get a few hikes in on Monday, and a local DT Seattle one on Tuesday. YaHOO! Back to Eastern Washington. I so love it there! I ended up in Vantage, near the Columbia River. Hiked the back county section on the Ginkgo Petrified Forest. It was an OK hike, but I don't think I will repeat it. I enjoyed the time, but there was just not enough variety - the trail was the same for all of the 6 miles I did, and old jeep road. Lots of loose rocks to deal with. Flowers were ok, but most have already loomed out. The one plus was views of the Columbia all the way up, one of the reasons I chose the back-country portion of the "forest", Very nice views of the river. Saw one lizard, no snakes. and endless grasshopper type things, not too sure what they were. One the way home I stopped in at Wild Horse Monument, to see those horse sculptures up there, mainly becasue I have never been there. They are really kinda cool. Went to the lookout for the Columbia too. That was nice. LOVED (not) the trail up to the horse: very steep. I made it up with minimal slipping, coming down was an "oh oh". :shock: :lol: , made it though. so all in all, a good day, ever so glad I went.The drive over the pass was great - alot of weather on this side of eh hills. it made for an interesting and very pretty drive.
Tuesday morning I met my son Anthony for breakfast, usual place, usual time It continues to be one of my fav things to do. We still connect up every other week. It is such a nice way to catch up on what is going on in each of our lives. The afternoon I met a friend for lunch, and decided after that to walk the Freeway Park, and Union Square in Seattle. Lots of pretty blooms, the park is a nice one, such a welcome addition to DT Seattle. It was such a nice day in the city, and the noon hour, so many people out in these two park areas, jut enjoying their lunch break, and an afternoon in the city. I thought I'd just spend some time at freeway park before going home. not quite a hike or a trip to the beach, but it was nice.
Normalcy in MusketeerVille! What to say about the kitties.... They have been good kitties, and even Lola! Well sorta on Lola... Lola will always be Lola. Crazy fun Lola. I watched the usual Friday night run and romp. even though I was not out late with Nicholas. it's like they know it's FR night and they need to perform. :lol: That is so fun to watch, and so what goes down here on FR nights. Elsa just watches, trying to decide if she wants to run too. She runs once, maybe twice, chasing Bug down the hall. Not too bad for my senior gal. :lol: :lol: This is about the only time I can ever get her to run like that. It is nice to see once in a while. There has been nothing amiss when I get home at days end, just kitties waiting at the top of the stairs. Just as it always is. LOVE THAT! Lola was rolling on the stairs, Bug was pacing, and Elsa was just sitting with that stare: where have you been? So so normal! I get a few meows, some leg rubs, they get scritches in return, and then off they go. The runs were endless last night. Lola has been fairly good, no plant issues, no torn papers, boxes remain intact. Today is shopping day so she will get a new paper bag. :lol: :lol: No doubt that will make her day. She continues to try SO HARD to get outside during our warmer days, she runs from window to window hoping maybe those screen have disappeared. :lol: :lol: There have been no successes this week. YAY! She continues too to pound on all glass and plastic surfaces. What a hoot. Still walking the railing and the frig door. Crazy fun Lola! Bug continues to warm up to company more and more as the days go by, even both boys!! AWESOME! Sure is nice to see that. He is now, along with Elsa, my sleeping buddy at night. He sleeps on my feet, Elsa shares my pillow. Elsa is still dong well, darn active for an almost 18 year old. She sleeps alot, but what the heck: part of being a cat. She' continues to be a very good lap cat of late, not normal for her, but it has been nice. :lol: With the warm weather she has been out in the yard alot. Lola is SO JEALOUS!!, and lets me know it whenever she sees Big Sis out in the yard. :roll: Kitties are good, and All are sound asleep as I write this.... always sound asleep on a Caturday morning. Stay good kitties! Normalcy in MusketeerVille!
Have a great day everyone! I am off to get those chores done, do my laundry, fill the kitty pantry, and try and relax some. The rains are returning today, later in the afternoon/evening, so once again I hope to get out on a through the woods to the shore walk. YAHOO! The walks there have been great. I an chauffeur my my DS Matt and his DGF Sydney for an airport run this morning, and am out the door as soon as I post this. They are off to Redding and/or Sacramento to watch and support her dad who is racing in an open canoe race, 100 miles on the Sacramento River. I wish him luck, and a great race. Have a great holiday weekend everyone!
KITTIES! Remember: think BLUE, think GREEN cat_pet_icon
(Ahhhhhh.... elixir! Thanks Elsa), and Happy Catmint Caturday!LL! It's is I, Elsa, KBP, president and CEO of Coffee Cat! Life is GOOD! GUESS WHAT! Paw Prints Pizza is open and ready for business! They are running a Caturday Catnip special today, in honor of Catmint Caturday - lots of nip in those pies! They have even used their signature nip cheese.
Best order early! The new pizza ovens are great, and so far... they been good pies! Lola and Bug say that they makes excellent nip crust. They love having them in Mannie's tree house too! They sure host alot of pizza parties up there.... Kitties are always coming and going, mega cool! so. well. anyways. Coffee time! For today, I proudly offer Elsa's special 10 hour energy coffee, and Double shot Breve's, with beans from high in the Brazilian Mountains.... and for my mocha fans: a VENTI Quad Blueberry infused white mocha/mocha blend with white chocolate chips melted within, swirled with a raspberry puree, topped with a strawberry infused whip garnished with caramelized berry sprinkles and white chocolate curls and a caramel drizzle.......SWEET! OH! No worries, a dollop of 4 berry and vanilla and caramel swirl ice cream, on top of a dollop of fudge, topped with caramel and chocolate drizzle.... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....... mega good! I hope everyone had a great day yesterday, and a great week. It still continues to be odd not to be doing a daily condo, and I find I still get up in the morning and think I need to put one together. I've still been reading subject lines, trying to keep up with LL. ;-) It has been a great week here, though Friday I was out sick.... so no boys that day! I had some stomach thing, and I really think it was something I ate, but I really have no clue what that could have been. oh well, it was more or less over with in a day, so.... Still was a BUMMER to miss out on all that pool time and the Friday night burger feast! I so missed that burger feast! ;-) Wednesday's Swimming was as good as it always is. The energizer fishie was in his element, and continues to have a great time in the pool. That swim test continues to be elusive.... one of these days we will get that done! :roll: I've been teaching him what I can. He continues to swim two, sometimes more, widths of the pool on his own again yesterday. We are starting to get some "big arms" swim in, which is kinda cool. He's been trying to swim on his back too. LOL: might make a swimmer after all.
His favorite thing to do continues to be retrieving objects, usually rings, from the bottom of the pool, and still takes a bucket down with him, to collect them before coming back to the surface. That is cool! He still loves the pool. It was a bummer not to be able to take him Friday night: He loves Friday nights, talks about it all week: Terrace and swimming, followed by burgers and fries. LOL. oh well, we will be back at that next week.Nicholas and William are well, and continue to be such fun to care for. William is really mobile now, but not yet walking (phew!), and getting into just about everything. Nicholas is so patient with him, well most of the time, that I think they will continue to be good friends.
Wednesday, after pool time, Nicholas and I decided we needed to walk the pool trail and see if the berries were ready yet. So we packed up William and off we went in search of berries: salmonberries to start. Nicholas was so excited when he found six, promptly gobbled them up, and proclaimed they were all sweet and juicy and delicious. That was alot of fun. We also looked for the beginnings of the other berries that are found on that trail, and saw that the huckleberries, thimbleberries, raspberries and blackberries are beginning to make fruit. There ought to be primo berry picking and eating there in the next few months.
The weather the week before last wet, sloppy and raining.... not this week! The sunny warm 75/80 degree days were back.... So, on Thursday we all decided that a river trip was in order, local urban one. it is a place we used to go to alot, and haven't been there since Fall. The Sammamish River out of Redmond, was fun. I finally have a stroller for William, so getting around and walking a long distance was easier. Funny: Nicholas LOVES to push his brother in that stroller.
The trail is a very long one, but we just did the first two and then some miles to the first river access point, and back again. It was just so great to see Nicholas walk all those miles without a complaint. He just did them We fed ducks, threw rocks and did our best to keep William out of the river. :lol: :lol: He had the best time - just like his big bro: another water rat. With the weather being so great I promised Nicholas that we could go to Juanita Beach Park after our stay at the Sammamish River. It is his favorite beach park, it is becoming William's too! The day was so warm and sunny that both boys were down to their swim attire, and off to play in the water. HOORAY for excellent sun screen.
It has been so nice to see Nicholas going groups of kids already at play, even better when they accept him, and let him pay too. Often some of these kids are much older than he is, yet they still connect with him. He had so much fun playing in the water, wading out up to his chest, swimming back. I loved that part. William was in the water too, and had such fun just splashing and getting wet. Nicholas would break for his play with the kids at times to come and play with his brother, often dumping buckets of water on William. :lol: :lol: William thought it was great. I lost count on the number of times I had to pull William back from waters edge. He so wanted to be in it, just like big bro. No fear for that one! We left there covered in sand, wetter than wet, with endless smiles on our faces. I so love days like these. We even managed to squeeze in a short picninc snack session, on the blankets, on the grass, under the trees, at the park before we headed out to connect up with their dad so they could go home. Another stellar day with the boys. I have no doubt this will be one of our summer hangout places, when the weatehr permits, that and the mountain rivers. I managed to get a few hikes in on Monday, and a local DT Seattle one on Tuesday. YaHOO! Back to Eastern Washington. I so love it there! I ended up in Vantage, near the Columbia River. Hiked the back county section on the Ginkgo Petrified Forest. It was an OK hike, but I don't think I will repeat it. I enjoyed the time, but there was just not enough variety - the trail was the same for all of the 6 miles I did, and old jeep road. Lots of loose rocks to deal with. Flowers were ok, but most have already loomed out. The one plus was views of the Columbia all the way up, one of the reasons I chose the back-country portion of the "forest", Very nice views of the river. Saw one lizard, no snakes. and endless grasshopper type things, not too sure what they were. One the way home I stopped in at Wild Horse Monument, to see those horse sculptures up there, mainly becasue I have never been there. They are really kinda cool. Went to the lookout for the Columbia too. That was nice. LOVED (not) the trail up to the horse: very steep. I made it up with minimal slipping, coming down was an "oh oh". :shock: :lol: , made it though. so all in all, a good day, ever so glad I went.The drive over the pass was great - alot of weather on this side of eh hills. it made for an interesting and very pretty drive.
Tuesday morning I met my son Anthony for breakfast, usual place, usual time It continues to be one of my fav things to do. We still connect up every other week. It is such a nice way to catch up on what is going on in each of our lives. The afternoon I met a friend for lunch, and decided after that to walk the Freeway Park, and Union Square in Seattle. Lots of pretty blooms, the park is a nice one, such a welcome addition to DT Seattle. It was such a nice day in the city, and the noon hour, so many people out in these two park areas, jut enjoying their lunch break, and an afternoon in the city. I thought I'd just spend some time at freeway park before going home. not quite a hike or a trip to the beach, but it was nice.
Normalcy in MusketeerVille!
What to say about the kitties.... They have been good kitties, and even Lola! Well sorta on Lola... Lola will always be Lola. Crazy fun Lola. I watched the usual Friday night run and romp. even though I was not out late with Nicholas. it's like they know it's FR night and they need to perform. :lol: That is so fun to watch, and so what goes down here on FR nights. Elsa just watches, trying to decide if she wants to run too. She runs once, maybe twice, chasing Bug down the hall. Not too bad for my senior gal. :lol: :lol: This is about the only time I can ever get her to run like that. It is nice to see once in a while. There has been nothing amiss when I get home at days end, just kitties waiting at the top of the stairs. Just as it always is. LOVE THAT! Lola was rolling on the stairs, Bug was pacing, and Elsa was just sitting with that stare: where have you been? So so normal! I get a few meows, some leg rubs, they get scritches in return, and then off they go. The runs were endless last night. Lola has been fairly good, no plant issues, no torn papers, boxes remain intact. Today is shopping day so she will get a new paper bag. :lol: :lol: No doubt that will make her day. She continues to try SO HARD to get outside during our warmer days, she runs from window to window hoping maybe those screen have disappeared. :lol: :lol: There have been no successes this week. YAY! She continues too to pound on all glass and plastic surfaces. What a hoot. Still walking the railing and the frig door. Crazy fun Lola! Bug continues to warm up to company more and more as the days go by, even both boys!! AWESOME! Sure is nice to see that. He is now, along with Elsa, my sleeping buddy at night. He sleeps on my feet, Elsa shares my pillow. Elsa is still dong well, darn active for an almost 18 year old. She sleeps alot, but what the heck: part of being a cat. She' continues to be a very good lap cat of late, not normal for her, but it has been nice. :lol: With the warm weather she has been out in the yard alot. Lola is SO JEALOUS!!, and lets me know it whenever she sees Big Sis out in the yard. :roll: Kitties are good, and All are sound asleep as I write this.... always sound asleep on a Caturday morning. Stay good kitties! Normalcy in MusketeerVille!Have a great day everyone! I am off to get those chores done, do my laundry, fill the kitty pantry, and try and relax some. The rains are returning today, later in the afternoon/evening, so once again I hope to get out on a through the woods to the shore walk. YAHOO! The walks there have been great. I an chauffeur my my DS Matt and his DGF Sydney for an airport run this morning, and am out the door as soon as I post this. They are off to Redding and/or Sacramento to watch and support her dad who is racing in an open canoe race, 100 miles on the Sacramento River. I wish him luck, and a great race. Have a great holiday weekend everyone!
KITTIES! Remember: think BLUE, think GREEN cat_pet_icon
:? :razz: And THX - I do feel better today, and a little bummed on no burger night with Nicholas, but it's OK, there is always next week 