Shades Of Happiness

One small cheap scene and my windows

have their shades. All before noon on

August 31, 2009. Hooray!!!!!!!

Soaking Up Rays Once Again

             (click on photo to enlarge)
Clear blue skies all day.
Still waiting for my window shades to be 
hung again. (promised for last Friday).
Have had enough of all the waiting.
Begun setting out belongings unseen 
and unusable since the end of July.
Cat boys helping.....
Shade-hangers had their chance.
Now they will have to work around 
and over.
September coming on Tuesday lifts 
my spirits.

Cat Days Of August

Illustration from QUESTIONS (August Afternoon), by

Lee Bennett Hopkins, Harper Collins

Their favorite window perches removed

for renovations. Strange workmen coming

and going, drilling, nailing and spackling.

Short term confinement to the windowless

bathroom where they are safe but not happy.

The Cat Boys world turned upside down.

And one more week to go. MEOW!!!

=^..^= =^..^=

We Have WINDOWS!!

C.Croll illustration (click to enlarge)

Long hard day for the Cat Boys.

Taxi rides to and fro.

TZ stayed under Mom's sofa all day,

Fred in the coat closet.

No food or water or litter box call.

Then home again to the great relief of

all concerned.

New Window Inspector Fred

(click to enlarge)

Avoiding Cat-astrophe

How sweet. (Until TZ's had enough and

goes for Fred's Aorta)

No windows today, but a little progress.

Replacing the surrounds to the heat/ AC unit

under the windows.

Had to fish the cat boys out from deep cover.

Safely, but not happily, ensconced together in the

bathroom until holes open to the sidewalk

37 floors below are filled once again.

Lunch break. Some treats might help.

Big mistake - big break out.

Second round of catch-the-cat.

If I were more fluent in cat lingo,

I could explain it all to them.

Hurry Up And Wait

Fred E. Cat sitting watch on Lookout Mountain

Thursday, August 13, 2009.

Six postponements.

One week and a day.

Blame faulty equipment.

Don't want anyone to get hurt.

Today, rain in Philadelphia.

Looks like this is going into

next week.

If I start finished art for the

book jacket, they will come

and replace my windows

as I dip my brush into color.

Maiden Voyage

art from Questions by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Trying to fathom how the illustrations

that left my desk in Philadelphia this

morning arrived moments later

safe and sound on the Art Director's

desk in the UK.

Cyber magic.

What's needed next is a way to zap me

over the pond in similar fashion.

Picnic Al Fresco

click on photos to enlarge

Last Saturday a little bird carried this huge

bit of pretzel from the park across the street.

Passersby kept interrupting his enjoyment.

Each time he flew away until all was clear.

Finally returning with a friend.

Perhaps to stand guard.

Mountain Weekend

Cat boys stand guard over mountain

range of moved, stacked and tarped

apartment contents.

Every day a new hill to climb and explore.

The only ones having fun waiting for the

Godot/ Murphy Window replacement folks.

Tuesday? It Must Be Windows

The 4th and latest update-

Windows on Tuesday Aug. 11.

Annoyed? Who's annoyed? :-(

Murphy Calls

Illustration from QUESTIONS, by Lee Bennet Hopkins

Here I sit amongst my belongings piled high

around me. Waiting for the fates to finish

with their latest form of amusement.

Postponing my date with the window

replacement guys.

Yes, that which was originally scheduled for

Wed. Aug 4, then moved to Thurs. Aug 5 has

now gone on to Fri Aug. 6. I'm thinking next

Monday or Tuesday is probably more like it.

The problem, my dear Watson, seems to be

something lacking in the equipment on the

roof that handles and/or supports the sling

apparatus required by the men working on

the outside of the building. While I naturally

want these guys to be safe and secure as they

dangle 37 stories above the pavement, I would

also like this to be over within my lifetime,

preferably before my next birthday in May.

From past experiences, I know the only way

is to convince the Fates, who report directly

to Murphy, patron saint of all things out of

our control, that I don't care a fig about all

the mess and inconvenience. At which time,

they will move on to annoy whomever is next.

PS: Meanwhile, the cat boys are enjoying all

the new places to hide behind and under

tarp covered moved furniture and books.

Long Day's Journey

click on photo to enlarge

Orange nasturtiums reach through the

iron fence.

Nurtured by community gardeners.

Brightening my trudge home after a long

hot Saturday.