February 17, 20251 yr Hunger makes you brave. There's an old saw that goes something like this, "There is no bed like fatigue, no meal like hunger and no wine like thirst." We have bird feeders on our back deck about 12' off the ground and the local squirrels visit, The squirrels LOVE the suet blocks. They used to take off if one of our dachshunds made a charge at the sliding door but without any real risk they'll tease them through the glass. That's the time to open the door and let Ronnie do a little chasing. It only took "let the hounds out" to teach the squirrels to take off if either Deb or I get up let alone approach the door. What really intrigues me is not all the squirrels got to experience the SUPRISE Ronnie is out moment but almost immediately all the squirrel's behavior changed. Do they talk or were they watching from the trees? I don't know what it is but I really like watching birds at the feeders. Squirrels not so much but they're pretty cool too. Frosty The Lucky.
February 17, 20251 yr I like sitting in this room. It's warm and almost outside. It's a good environment for working on new projects.
February 27, 20251 yr I'm not a blacksmith, won't be for a long time. I'm still collecting parts and making time to get going, like that ol blower sitting there, but here is my Woodworking pet, sometime down the road a Blacksmith pet too! She lays around and likes to hang out with ol dad in the garage shop. Been looking at y'alls furred family members, gotta love them all. Thanks for sharing.
February 27, 20251 yr John, the first time you make something that is recognizable, e.g. your first S hook, you are a blacksmith. Then, you can spend the rest of your life becoming a better blacksmith. And once you sell something, even a $1 S hook, you are a professional blacksmith. BTW, you've got to be a little more careful when you have a furry snoopervisor. They don't know that everything in a blacksmith shop is hot, heavy, or sharp and often several of those characteristics. You've got to keep an eye on them and know where they are at all times so that they don't get hurt. I once had a cat who jumped up on the bench when I had a propane torch going and set the tip of her tail on fire. She never felt it because I swatted it out right away but my young son at the time and I then referred to her as Charizard (a Pokemon with a burning tail). "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." G
February 27, 20251 yr 10 hours ago, George N. M. said: John, the first time you make something that is recognizable, e.g. your first S hook, you are a blacksmith. Well thanks for that encouragement George, appreciate it greatly. And more importantly thanks for the advice on taking care of Lady while she's in the shop when things are hot, some of that I haven't thought of yet. So again, thanks. Now, I know at the time when that happened to your kitty cat it probably wasn't too funny, but I had to giggle, hope you don't mind.
February 27, 20251 yr No, not at all. It was kind of funny. She wasn't hurt and the resemblance to my son, Tommy's, Pokemon character was apt. Dogs probably make better shop critters because cats are more curious and want to investigate everything where dogs are more there for the social interaction and just want to hang out with the hooman and will be happy just to lie down in the corner and watch.
February 27, 20251 yr She's a beauty John, what's her name? I've been calling them "shop" dogs, cats, etc. Neither of our dachshunds have any interest in the shop after a quick sniffin. The last dog who actually wanted to hand in the shop while I worked just HAD to see what I was looking at, doing, etc. and had a bad habit of standing up with his paws on the stand and peering over the edge of the anvil while I was hammering. I had to ban him from the shop if anything was running. The cats want to hunt but are too cautious to get anywhere close when I'm working, they usually just left till I stopped making all the noise. When Deb and I got married she brought her two house cats north with her, Pukah Purza and House Mouse. Pukah was a Ragdoll and didn't want to be on the same piece of furniture with a person if he could help it. Mouse on the other hand was very much a people cat and would pick her daily favorite to allow to pet, scritch, etc. her. Deb and I were sitting on the love seat and Deb had a few scented candles burning. Mouse walked across our laps flicking us in the face with her tail to demonstrate we were loving on the wrong person. Well. . . When she swapped ends on Deb's lap she flicked her tail through the candle flame and it went up like dry lint. I reached across and slid my hand up her tail putting it out fast enough it wasn't bare cat, just really short. Deb's eyes opening wide and her mouth was still opening to say, shout, scream, or whatever and Mouse got what she wanted. Attention. Unfortunately the trailer got a puff of cat fur smoke aroma that lasted till it blended into the 30 YRO mobile home aroma. I can still see Deb's face lit by the light of burning cat tail. We changed how we burned scented candles, Deb insisted the trailer needed SOMETHING. The Christmas before a good friend was having a dinner party and his cat, Alice jumped into my lap and turned around to give me a proper tail flick and present her butt for sniffing. So her tail passed through the (scented of course ) Christmas candle flame and I snuffed it with a fast pass of my hand. Alice was happy, jumped down and sauntered off to have a wash, Gary and the others there had that wide eyed shocked expression which was quickly followed by the, "It's burning hair" expression. I don't know what it was but I extinguished I don't know how many cat tails for a year or two and haven't again for a couple decades. Maybe I'm so quick with the tail swipe because of the incident in the mid 70s when a long hair house cat lit it's tail on a candle and the woman closest picked it up and ran screaming. Both got burned but not seriously. It was still terrifying and I sometimes wonder what would've happened if the cat got loose and hid under a bed or in a closet and lit the place on fire. Sorry for the stinky side track, it's a related memory thing. I do have a suggestion for pets in the shop. Give them a bed where they can see what's going on without being in the line of fire, tripping, fumes, etc. Dogs especially will learn the rule fast if the alternative is being excluded. Cats usually require exile to a kennel before they'll accept a mere human rule. Frosty The Lucky.
February 28, 20251 yr 22 hours ago, George N. M. said: Dogs probably make better shop critters because cats are more curious and want to investigate everything where dogs are more there for the social interaction and just want to hang out with the hooman and will be happy just to lie down in the corner and watch. Dog and cat family here George, I know what you mean, although the only time one of our cats makes it out to the garage is when she slips between my legs while opening the door from our home to the garage, she whizzes on by, it's gotten to the point that I just let her stay out there, I'll close the door, shut off the lights and let her explore and have fun, in a half hour she's scratching and meowing to be let back in. She's an indoor cat, as is our other cat as well. They get out to the backyard supervised, we have some pretty big Owls and Hawks around here that I believe may be able to do some damage to unattended cats, perhaps I'm wrong but we don't want to take that chance. By they way, are cats owned or do they own us! 21 hours ago, Frosty said: Sorry for the stinky side track, it's a related memory thing. I do have a suggestion for pets in the shop. Give them a bed where they can see what's going on without being in the line of fire, tripping, fumes, etc. Dogs especially will learn the rule fast if the alternative is being excluded. Cats usually require exile to a kennel before they'll accept a mere human rule. It was a wonderful side track Frosty! Kind of had me in stiches here for a bit I like your suggestion about the bed, bout the only time we throw a bed down for "Lady" (her name by the way) is when she's exiled from the house for being too spastic and chasing our cats all over her kingdom. While I'm woodworking she's free to roam as much as she wants, not really a whole bunch of anything to get hurt with in the wood shop, since most of my work is done by hand tool, planes, saws, shaves chisels etc. But with the upcoming blacksmith operations, setting a designated bed down full time in the area is a good idea and conditioning for her. Thanks for that.
February 28, 20251 yr Reliving fun moments lets me enjoy them again too, it's a win win. Many years ago, we lived on Leach St. next door to Mr. Leach who still thought he owned rights to everything. Anyway, our cats were largely outside cats and nobody even considered neutering mere cats so of course we had probably 19 or more (regulars) cats hanging around. Everybody had wild clouders. (Ferals? What's THAT something to eat? ) One evening I was sitting on the back porch "working" on an old Vespa scooter I'd gotten in a trade. And suddenly I was packed literally solidly with feral cats leaning on me and trying to squeeze behind me. They were literally pushing me off the step. Sitting on the short walkway between the tennis court and brick paved patio, less than 25' away was a Great White Owl. No kidding, I was sitting two step heights above the patio and I was looking up at it's eyes. When I looked up it looked directly down at me, then went back to surveying the smorcatsbord as if I didn't matter. It's eyes had to be 4' off the ground and the 3' path was nearly taken up. How long did I sit there surrounded by terrified, crying cats? About as long as it took me to pick up something visibly large and shake my head at it. It made direct eye contact again and I pointed the mallet between it's eyes and gave it a toothy grin, still shaking my head slowly. We held gazes for maybe a full second and it spread it's wings and in one silent as the grave stroke it shot straight up and was gone. Later I measured the distance from the objects it wing's obscured, a giant succulent on one side and a modest tangerine tree on the other, at more than 6'. It's absolute silence really stuck with me all these years, it had to be 62-63, we were still pretty new on the street. Dad, practical at times guy he was told me I should've tossed it a cat, maybe the rest would leave for good. Yeah, like I was going to grab a terrified cat! I don't hold THAT much blood. I've had a couple close encounters with owls and every one has been memorable and educational. Frosty The Lucky.
March 1, 20251 yr Great story Jerry! I recall many years ago that Dad came in and told Mom & I that we should come with him to see something. We followed him back across the road to the woods and Dad told us to wait here while he walked forward a bit and then pointed up in a tree. Probably 10-15ft up was a great horned owl who was watching the two-leggeds as we ogled it. After a while the owl decided the interlopers were an interruption so, seemingly in disgust, kicked the carcass of the mouse it had been dining on down toward Dad. Startled us all & then it flew off in the total silence as you describe. Remarkable creatures. --Larry
March 2, 20251 yr On 2/28/2025 at 9:27 AM, John Morris said: By they way, are cats owned or do they own us! Dogs have owners, cats have staff.
March 2, 20251 yr Beat me to that truth George. How about, "A man should own a dog so they know what a god feels like and a cat to remind him he isn't. Will Rogers, I think. Frosty The Lucky.
March 3, 20251 yr On 3/1/2025 at 5:37 PM, George N. M. said: Dogs have owners, cats have staff. HA! That does sound about right. I got one that loves sitting on my lap while watching TV, I feel I can't move, or I'll bother her, in reality I can just get up and she'll roll right off of my lap, it's all I gotta do, just get up. But her mesmerizing glare at me tells me to sit down and shut up. LOL On 3/1/2025 at 10:38 PM, Frosty said: How about, "A man should own a dog so they know what a god feels like and a cat to remind him he isn't. Will Rogers, I think. Good one Frosty, about sums it up too. On 3/1/2025 at 5:04 AM, LarryFahnoe said: Remarkable creatures. One of my favorite creatures of all time Larry. Must admit though, they look pretty funny without feathers LOL!
May 26, 20251 yr This one, alas, is no longer with us. Benjamin the Pitbull, 2013-2025 Canis bonus erat.
May 26, 20251 yr On 3/1/2025 at 7:37 PM, George N. M. said: Dogs have owners, cats have staff. If you were drowning in the pool, your dog would run around in a panic, barking and howling, and some breeds like Labs would jump in and try to rescue you. Your cat, however, would sit there licking its fur, ignoring you as you sank below the surface, the last bubbles of breath leaving your lips as you settled onto the bottom. As your lifeless body gently bobbed around in the currents of your return outlets, your cat would get up, do a long, lazy stretch, and slink off, never giving you another thought. How we grown men cry when we lose a beloved dog. My condolences, John.
May 26, 20251 yr It's the hardest thing about sharing your life with a pet. Letting them go when it's time. I don't know of anything I can say to make things better so I'll be sad with you for a while. Okay? Frosty The Lucky.
May 26, 20251 yr 4 hours ago, MeltedSocks said: your cat would get up, do a long, lazy stretch, and slink off, never giving you another thought. Depends on the cat. My late wife and I had a cat who if he percieved a possible threat would get between us and the possible danger. If my wife was sick in bed he woud sit on the bed and look at her in a worried way and occasionally reach out and pat her face. Maybe it was enlightened self interest on his part. If we got killed by a danger or if my wife died of an illness there would be no one to operate the can opener and he'd starve. That said, what you described is the manifestation of canine pack behavior and the more solitary loyalties and self interest of felines. A dog sees you as a member of his or her pack and is hard wired to protect other pack members. A cat, being evolved for a more solitary existance, does not have the same instinct to act on behalf of the group. It would be interesting to study group loyalty in a pack of wolves versus a pride of lions. Of course, lions are kind of an exception amongst felines in that they act as a member of a group rather than a solitary life style and hunting behavior.
May 27, 20251 yr 14 hours ago, George N. M. said: Depends on the cat. I'm still suffering from PFSD--post feline stress disorder. My daughter moved back home for a while and brought her two cats. One was a good cat. The other was completely psychotic. She raised it from a kitten, but it would attack her viciously, and I mean four puncture marks from bites on her arm and legs. It used to stalk our sweet little chihuahuas. One time I picked one up just in the nick of time and sat down with it in my lap. That didn't stop psycho-cat. It leapt through the air over my lazy-boy, batted the dog with claws extended several times as it reached the apex, and wiped out a tall glass of ice water on the end table on the way down. It was like something out of The Matrix. Happened in slow motion. She finally agreed that it had to be put down. There was no fixing that cat.
June 1, 20251 yr These brothers are inseparable. They come out to check on me periodically to make sure I'm okay.
June 2, 20251 yr Those faces kinda look like "Hey! Quit playin' with all that metal stuff...play with US!!" --Larry
June 2, 20251 yr Larry, they get hours of lap time each day. When I'm working on the computer, I have to place the laptop right on their bodies. They won't budge. They don't care.
June 10, 2025Jun 10 JHCC, my best freind in the world went across that bridge in Dec. 2018 and i still miss him every single day. Sorry for the loss. The wife brought this little thing in from the barn this past weekend. She named her Jasmine.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.