Internet Cat Video Fest 2017!

Here's my poor cat Hana binge watching cat videos. She had to watch them at home, since furry friends weren't invited to the Internet Cat Video Festival. 

I thought this would be the purr-fect post to continue Halloween month on my blog. After all, many of the cat lovers at the festival were dressed in full feline costume - or at the very least, they wore little furry cat ears. The festival isn't just for cat lovers, some people just want to do something weird. 

This is the photo I sent in this year. Can you believe they didn't post it on the big screen? Akua couldn't be any cuter. He can't resist any kind of container, bin, basket, box or bag. This year, instead of posting cat photos for a pre-video presentation, they uploaded real time instagram photos from fans. So instead of viewing cute cats, stadium dwellers were forced to look at ugly selfies from cat owners. God, I hate instagram. 

He's got a claw. (I mean point) 

I caught this guy yawning like a sleepy kitten. I call certain vocal cat yawns "Yows." 

Half yawn /half meow. 

Here's tiger-pajamas guy after a pronto pup break. Oops, I shouldn't utter the word "pup" here.  

Tiger guy number two.  

Black cat girl front and center. I know cats can stand a lot of heat, but that cat head looks hot and stuffy - not to mention heavy. 

Now it's super packed out there! Bring on the cat videos. 

Drones capturing all the cat-hem. 

O.K., they did post a few pre-game cat photos. But not Akua.

This cat is super photogenic. Still, my Akua should have been a cat-tender for the big screen. 

Unfortunately, the videos were over all too soon. The evening ended with fireworks loud enough to scare the dickens out of any alley cats nearby. 

Creepy.

Here's Hana watching "It" I guess she isn't as scared of creepy clowns as her Mom. This photo couldn't be more purr-fect for Halloween. 

Beware of clowns.

>^..^<

Happy Global Cat Day! 

The Awesome Links:

Wild Bird Wednesday

Wednesdays around the World!

Tanama Tales

Our World Tuesday

Budget Travel on Thursday

Sky Watch Friday!

image-in-ing

Wood

Heaven's Gate

I added Heaven's Gate to Sharon's Studio this spring. I like to mix it up and add something new seasonally.  And kitties roaming around outdoors seemed like the purrfect choice. I painted Heaven's Gate when my cat Baby died. She was no longer on the outside looking in.  Or on the inside looking out. But hopefully she is somewhere. I can't imagine Heaven being very fun with out our beloved pets.

Wood is the theme this week over at www.illustrationfriday.com  

Smartie Paws

Dessertus Interruptus

This old illustration is based on a true story. But it's not just one story, it's the whole kitty and kaboodle. The whole 9 yards, or 9 lives to be more specific.

My cat Hana has been torturing me with her feline grit and determination for 7 plus years. She's smart. Basically, you don't want a cat to be this smart. It's like living with a naughty monkey that is determined to get the better of you. In reality, if Hana had a sibling monkey, the monkey would probably prevail. It really makes me laugh just thinking about another creature actually getting the better of her. If only. I can just see the tail pulling. And Hana's utter confusion at not being top cat anymore. 

I learned early on, that letting Hana sit on you lap during dessert or any other eating ritual, was a lesson in futility.  It only took the first swipe of an errant paw and the food hitting the fan to realize that. I started holding my plate to the far left, or far right. Not, in the paw target zone, right over her head. But that being said, the carnage still happens... occasionally. She is after all, determined to always be on or around me at dessert time. Always!

 Sometimes, she's a good kitty. These days, she is usually content with sitting on my lap and licking the plate after I'm done.  But there are other times. Cat-astrophe kind of times.

It just smells too darn good.

Maybe, she has lulled me into complaisance for months.

Then, the kibble hits the fan.

The other day, I had defrosted an upside down peach cake for dessert. Hana was sitting beside me, over my shoulder, on the back of the sofa cushion. I started eating. Then a paw came out. Whack. She didn't knock the cake off my plate, but this was war! Now days, one whack and she spends the rest of dessert time locked in the bathroom. So, I set my plate down beside me, grabbed Hana and into the bathroom she went. But (my bad) when I set the plate down in haste, it tipped over and fell peach upside down side on the floor below. AAARRRGGGHHH!

Delicious homemade peach upside down cake doesn't grow on trees you know. 

Illustration Friday

Up North

If you're visiting Duluth and are looking for an easy trail that's just as pretty as its brethrens up north, then the Chester Creek trail is for you. Plus, it starts across the street from Burrito Union. You can't beat that. 

Alice would like the mushrooms here. 

Even cats like it.

This sparrow is thinking, "If only I was eating rice at Chipotle. Those were happy days. Woe is me."

Hawk Ridge was counting migrating birds and doing a release party of Hawks and Kestrels. At least those were the birds on the menu that day. 

"You talk'in to me?"

"Caw. That's the spot. Caw. Now I eat your fingers."

Duluth's Rose Garden in Leif Erikson Park.

And of course stacked rocks. I heart Duluth.

Do you want to take a bizarre nocturnal pilgrimage with me? Then head over to www.thechorusofthecrows.blogspot.com

Saturday's Critters

Bird d'Pot

Wild Bird Wednesday

My World Wednesday

Image-in-ing

Dogs and Cats

What could be better choices for the www.illustrationfriday.com theme animal than dogs and cats. Everyone's favorite animals. Unless you are a python fan. Just for fun, I selected the goofiest versions I could find. Big Eyed Dog is still an all time favorite of mine.

 Skeptical Cat

Skeptical Cat with mustache. Why not?

Happy National Cat Day!

click to enlarge

I'm always late to the party when it comes to National Cat Day. I'll log on to facebook on October 30th and curse the ground I walk on. Damn. I missed National Cat Day! What kind of reluctant cat wrangler am I? That's what I call myself at the end of most of my profiles. I think it's funny. Most people probably just think it's weird. Now I call myself a fiction writer, freelance illustrator, avid photographer, passionate traveler, baker and you guessed it.... a reluctant cat wrangler.

 Well, it's just hard to keep up with all of the modern day observations. And even though I don't agree with this grumpy cat's dog extermination plot, I figure that on National Cat Day, all cats are entitled to their opinion. 

Even a grumpy looking alley cat like this guy. 

Grumpy cat is my bonus post this week!

A Witch in Outer Space

  

This little witch is on a midnight ride for www.illustrationfriday.com  Well, she's been on this adventure for many, many moons. Because it is becoming old hat (get it?) for me to post it on Halloween. Well, that's just the way I roll. Or as the Moon turns...

The poor black cat wasn't able to hold on. Gulp. But luckily he landed on this oddly round asteroid. Or extremely small planet. And is relaxing for all eternity while drinking a tasty pumpkin beverage. That's how I roll too. 

Villain

Guess who's the villain? Well, if you own a cat, you know the answer is always (D).  For all of the above. 

Here's the villain at my house.

Hana. It almost looks like a drunk mug shot. She was caught in the act on a trail cam. But we let her off easy because she was actually doing something cute. Leaving us sock kittens by the front door.

Two shakes of a cat's tail ago I posted this piece for the invisible theme over at www.illustrationfriday.com  Here's what I wrote...

No one's forcing you to look at my Pawshanks Prison piece. But if you do, you'll notice the orange cat is hiding his stash of illegal catnip behind a poster.  Hmmm.  I wonder where I got that idea?  If I wouldn't have painted a toilet in the background, I could imagine that the gravel chunks collected from the wall were hidden in the litter box.  But I did.

  The Shawshank Redemption is one of my all time favorite movies. A classic.   Pawshanks Prison is also a clawsic.  At least in my mind.  The acatamey nominated it for a Morris.  But it lost to a documentary on Li'l Bub and Grumpy Cat.  The catics ripped it to shreds in the press.  But I don't care.  I know it would get 4 paws if the voters knew how to vote!

The Internet Cat Video Fest 2015!

Who would have thought that there was a need for an Internet Cat Video Festival 4 years ago? This year they had it at CHS Field. And I was too busy eating and drinking to take many photos. Plus, with 13,000 other people lounging around, it would be hard to make my way through all the fuzzy ears, painted whiskers and slinky tails. A lot of people were wearing them!

The festival opened with a touching tribute to Cecil the Lion. One of the funniest videos was a spoof on Jurassic park. They replaced the dinos with cats. But Andre the aloof  French cat was a hoot. Along with so many hilarious side winders, foul plays and bent whiskers. 

Before the videos started, they had a montage of cat photos that people apparently sent in. But not me. Sniff. Next year hopefully! My favorite cat civilian names were Hot Pocket and Purrman.

 I remember watching an embarrassing reality show over 10 years ago. The premise basically was: A girl tells her family she's marrying this gross slob and the wedding would be on reality T.V. You know, just a normal day in America. At one point the Mother of the Bride whispers in her husband's ear that among the many failings and disgusting habits of the groom, he wanted to serve, of all things, Hot Pockets at the reception. My husband and I have laughed at Hot Pockets ever since. I've never eaten one though.

Look!  My cat Hana and her tongue were featured on the big screen! Why isn't anyone looking? Well, because I photoshopped her on. I need to make some real cat videos.

I've posted this before. And it's real! Not photoshop.

Since I didn't take many photos of the feline festivities, here's my funny cat entry. This scenario really happened a few weeks ago.

We came back from a long weekend lunch to hear loud, pitiful, roaring howls emanating from behind the closed bathroom door. Oh no. Hana locked herself in again. Surprise, surprise. When we leave on weekends we put something in front of the door to make sure this doesn't happen. But this time, the wind probably slammed the door and trapped poor Hana inside. Well, she left us a stinky bomb in the sink. And she was full of cries and vinegary howls for quite awhile after. It could be from guilt... but more likely resentment at this atrocity. This horribly unfair, unreasonable cat torture.

Hana

Here's what Hana and Akua had to say last year. In case you missed it!

Akua

The life of a pampered house cat.

Did you miss out on all the fun? Well, here's a youtube link to all the featured videos. Just click on the meow.

Meow!

Saturday's Critters

My World Wednesday

The Claw

Calico Jill

Calico Jill doesn't have to sharpen her claws, because she has a killer tail! Or at least a utility tail. It might be handy for hooking fish. She also seems to have a pretty sassy catitude. I guess it's just a calico thing.  Did you know that all calicos are feisty? Well, they are.  Even if they aren't pirates. 

Sharp is the theme for www.illustrationfriday.com