Island update (long)

[Marina]

Now that I've recovered from Mir's walkabout and things have settled
around here, and I even have some power left in my laptop, I thought I'd
give an update on what's going on among the cats here on our summer island.

The cats currently here are Miranda and Caliban, my niece's Kasper and
Emil, and my sister's Linus and Ronja. My sister had to go back to town
for a few weeks of work before her holidays start, and I'm looking after
her cats meanwhile.

Miranda is just as standoffish with all the other cats as she always has
been, but she doesn't run away immediately when she sees Kasper or Emil
- she just hunches down and glares at them. They mostly ignore her.

Caliban still has his strange relationship with Emil. They often touch
noses, and they seem to have a competition about which of them gets to
sniff the other's backside. They've each hissed at the other a few
times, but there's no real aggression. Yesterday, Caliban surprised us
all, and not least Emil, by licking Emil's forehead! Emil was so
surprised that he hissed and swatted at Caliban, who just walked away.

The big boys, Kasper and Linus, have had a few border negotiations. They
stand there posturizing at each other on the border of their
territories, and wail at each other. It never comes to blows, so I guess
they have reached an agreement on where the border should be.

Kasper has taken to visiting my shack nearly every morning, just for a
peek inside. I think he knows it upsets Caliban, so he does it to tease
him. Caliban is slowly learning that Kasper's visits never lead to any
confontations, so he is taking it all in his stride now. He even will
sit outside and try to stare down Kasper. He's so cute when he tries to
be the man of the house.

All in all, all's well on the island.

--
Marina

[Jofirey]

"Marina" > wrote in message
...
> Now that I've recovered from Mir's walkabout and things have
> settled around here, and I even have some power left in my laptop,
> I thought I'd give an update on what's going on among the cats
> here on our summer island.
>
> The cats currently here are Miranda and Caliban, my niece's Kasper
> and Emil, and my sister's Linus and Ronja. My sister had to go
> back to town for a few weeks of work before her holidays start,
> and I'm looking after her cats meanwhile.
>
> Miranda is just as standoffish with all the other cats as she
> always has been, but she doesn't run away immediately when she
> sees Kasper or Emil - she just hunches down and glares at them.
> They mostly ignore her.
>
> Caliban still has his strange relationship with Emil. They often
> touch noses, and they seem to have a competition about which of
> them gets to sniff the other's backside. They've each hissed at
> the other a few times, but there's no real aggression. Yesterday,
> Caliban surprised us all, and not least Emil, by licking Emil's
> forehead! Emil was so surprised that he hissed and swatted at
> Caliban, who just walked away.
>
> The big boys, Kasper and Linus, have had a few border
> negotiations. They stand there posturizing at each other on the
> border of their territories, and wail at each other. It never
> comes to blows, so I guess they have reached an agreement on where
> the border should be.
>
> Kasper has taken to visiting my shack nearly every morning, just
> for a peek inside. I think he knows it upsets Caliban, so he does
> it to tease him. Caliban is slowly learning that Kasper's visits
> never lead to any confontations, so he is taking it all in his
> stride now. He even will sit outside and try to stare down Kasper.
> He's so cute when he tries to be the man of the house.
>
> All in all, all's well on the island.
>
Sounds restful and relaxing.

The cats seem to have discovered detente (at least as I understand
it)

Molly and Kayla are that way. Tip toe around each other, but you
can see each would like to make friends. Trouble is, every time one
of them gets brave enough to make an overture, the other one freaks
out and reacts badly.

Jo

[MLB[_2_]]

Marina wrote:
> Now that I've recovered from Mir's walkabout and things have settled
> around here, and I even have some power left in my laptop, I thought I'd
> give an update on what's going on among the cats here on our summer island.
>
> The cats currently here are Miranda and Caliban, my niece's Kasper and
> Emil, and my sister's Linus and Ronja. My sister had to go back to town
> for a few weeks of work before her holidays start, and I'm looking after
> her cats meanwhile.
>
> Miranda is just as standoffish with all the other cats as she always has
> been, but she doesn't run away immediately when she sees Kasper or Emil
> - she just hunches down and glares at them. They mostly ignore her.
>
> Caliban still has his strange relationship with Emil. They often touch
> noses, and they seem to have a competition about which of them gets to
> sniff the other's backside. They've each hissed at the other a few
> times, but there's no real aggression. Yesterday, Caliban surprised us
> all, and not least Emil, by licking Emil's forehead! Emil was so
> surprised that he hissed and swatted at Caliban, who just walked away.
>
> The big boys, Kasper and Linus, have had a few border negotiations. They
> stand there posturizing at each other on the border of their
> territories, and wail at each other. It never comes to blows, so I guess
> they have reached an agreement on where the border should be.
>
> Kasper has taken to visiting my shack nearly every morning, just for a
> peek inside. I think he knows it upsets Caliban, so he does it to tease
> him. Caliban is slowly learning that Kasper's visits never lead to any
> confontations, so he is taking it all in his stride now. He even will
> sit outside and try to stare down Kasper. He's so cute when he tries to
> be the man of the house.
>
> All in all, all's well on the island.
>


You refer to your "shack". What is it like and what "facilities" do you
have on the summer island? How is the weather there generally? Would
love to hear about it. MLB

[Kreisleriana[_2_]]

"Marina" > wrote in message
...
> Now that I've recovered from Mir's walkabout and things have settled
> around here, and I even have some power left in my laptop, I thought I'd
> give an update on what's going on among the cats here on our summer
> island.
>
> The cats currently here are Miranda and Caliban, my niece's Kasper and
> Emil, and my sister's Linus and Ronja. My sister had to go back to town
> for a few weeks of work before her holidays start, and I'm looking after
> her cats meanwhile.
>
> Miranda is just as standoffish with all the other cats as she always has
> been, but she doesn't run away immediately when she sees Kasper or Emil -
> she just hunches down and glares at them. They mostly ignore her.
>
> Caliban still has his strange relationship with Emil. They often touch
> noses, and they seem to have a competition about which of them gets to
> sniff the other's backside. They've each hissed at the other a few times,
> but there's no real aggression. Yesterday, Caliban surprised us all, and
> not least Emil, by licking Emil's forehead! Emil was so surprised that he
> hissed and swatted at Caliban, who just walked away.
>
> The big boys, Kasper and Linus, have had a few border negotiations. They
> stand there posturizing at each other on the border of their territories,
> and wail at each other. It never comes to blows, so I guess they have
> reached an agreement on where the border should be.
>
> Kasper has taken to visiting my shack nearly every morning, just for a
> peek inside. I think he knows it upsets Caliban, so he does it to tease
> him. Caliban is slowly learning that Kasper's visits never lead to any
> confontations, so he is taking it all in his stride now. He even will sit
> outside and try to stare down Kasper. He's so cute when he tries to be the
> man of the house.
>
> All in all, all's well on the island.
>
> --
> Marina

Glad all sounds peaceful, and no more uppity wiener dogs.


--
Theresa and Dante

Stinky Forever: http://pets.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh

[Marina]

MLB skrev:
>
> You refer to your "shack". What is it like and what "facilities" do you
> have on the summer island? How is the weather there generally? Would
> love to hear about it. MLB

The shack I sleep in is an addition to the old tool shed. My uncle built
it for my cousins to sleep in back when my grandfather was still alive.
Now uncle has moved into granddad's cabin, where all his family can fit
in, so the shack is vacant. I've pretty much taken it over. It's very
elementary, with just thin plank walls and a roof that makes a terrible
racket whenever it rains. It's more like a barrack. I do have a solar
panel on the roof, so I can have a reading lamp by my bed, and I can
charge my laptop, mobile phone, etc.

We don't have electricity or running water. Each cottage has a solar
panel or two on the roof. We bring all our drinking water from the
mainland. We gather rain water in big barrels standing at all the
corners of the houses and use that for washing. If it's a dry summer, we
have to use sea water, but salt water is too 'hard' for washing.

Mum's cabin is more furnished than my shack. There's a gas stove and a
gas fridge with a small freezer compartment. We don't have a WC, but an
outhouse. All in all, it's pretty primitive, but in return, we are very
close to nature here. We had a deer visiting the other day, quite near
Mum's cabin, and just this morning, two swans with their two babies were
swimming around in the bay below Mum's cabin. I watched them through the
window as I was eating my breakfast.

We have had a lovely sauce made from chanterelles that my sister picked
in the forest, as well as lots of bilberries, some wild strawberries and
even some cloudberries. Later there will be wild raspberries,
cranberries and lingonberries, as well as more mushrooms.

The weather is very varied. Yesterday, it was pouring down all day, but
today the sun is shining. It's been a fairly windy summer so far, and
the wind is fairly stiff today, too.

Hope this answers your questions. Please ask if you want to know more.

--
Marina

[Takayuki]

Marina > wrote:
>Caliban still has his strange relationship with Emil. They often touch
>noses, and they seem to have a competition about which of them gets to
>sniff the other's backside. They've each hissed at the other a few
>times, but there's no real aggression. Yesterday, Caliban surprised us
>all, and not least Emil, by licking Emil's forehead! Emil was so
>surprised that he hissed and swatted at Caliban, who just walked away.

I think that if they had more time together every year at the island,
Emil would become a regular playmate with Miranda and Caliban. I can
picture them going around in circles sniffing each other's butts. :)

[Takayuki]

Marina > wrote:
>We don't have electricity or running water. Each cottage has a solar
>panel or two on the roof. We bring all our drinking water from the
>mainland. We gather rain water in big barrels standing at all the
>corners of the houses and use that for washing. If it's a dry summer, we
>have to use sea water, but salt water is too 'hard' for washing.
>
>Mum's cabin is more furnished than my shack. There's a gas stove and a
>gas fridge with a small freezer compartment. We don't have a WC, but an
>outhouse. All in all, it's pretty primitive, but in return, we are very
>close to nature here. We had a deer visiting the other day, quite near
>Mum's cabin, and just this morning, two swans with their two babies were
>swimming around in the bay below Mum's cabin. I watched them through the
>window as I was eating my breakfast.

I don't suppose that some years, you've considered taking your summer
vacation somewhere with better facilities for tourists? I probably
wouldn't either, especially when the cats can play and meet and the
hoomin families can reunite.

[Marina]

Takayuki skrev:
>
> I don't suppose that some years, you've considered taking your summer
> vacation somewhere with better facilities for tourists? I probably
> wouldn't either, especially when the cats can play and meet and the
> hoomin families can reunite.

Oh, no, I never even consider going anywhere else. What would I do with
the cats? And I'm not the least interested in any tourist resorts.

--
Marina

[[email protected]]

Marina wrote:

> MLB skrev:
>>
>> You refer to your "shack". What is it like and what "facilities" do you
>> have on the summer island? How is the weather there generally? Would
>> love to hear about it. MLB

> The shack I sleep in is an addition to the old tool shed. My uncle built
> it for my cousins to sleep in back when my grandfather was still alive.
> Now uncle has moved into granddad's cabin, where all his family can fit
> in, so the shack is vacant. I've pretty much taken it over. It's very
> elementary, with just thin plank walls and a roof that makes a terrible
> racket whenever it rains. It's more like a barrack. I do have a solar
> panel on the roof, so I can have a reading lamp by my bed, and I can
> charge my laptop, mobile phone, etc.

> We don't have electricity or running water. Each cottage has a solar
> panel or two on the roof. We bring all our drinking water from the
> mainland. We gather rain water in big barrels standing at all the
> corners of the houses and use that for washing. If it's a dry summer, we
> have to use sea water, but salt water is too 'hard' for washing.

> Mum's cabin is more furnished than my shack. There's a gas stove and a
> gas fridge with a small freezer compartment. We don't have a WC, but an
> outhouse. All in all, it's pretty primitive, but in return, we are very
> close to nature here. We had a deer visiting the other day, quite near
> Mum's cabin, and just this morning, two swans with their two babies were
> swimming around in the bay below Mum's cabin. I watched them through the
> window as I was eating my breakfast.

> We have had a lovely sauce made from chanterelles that my sister picked
> in the forest, as well as lots of bilberries, some wild strawberries and
> even some cloudberries. Later there will be wild raspberries,
> cranberries and lingonberries, as well as more mushrooms.

> The weather is very varied. Yesterday, it was pouring down all day, but
> today the sun is shining. It's been a fairly windy summer so far, and
> the wind is fairly stiff today, too.

> Hope this answers your questions. Please ask if you want to know more.

It sounds heavenly!


--
Joyce ^..^

To email me, remove the XXX from my user name.

[MLB[_2_]]

Marina wrote:
> MLB skrev:
>>
>> You refer to your "shack". What is it like and what "facilities" do
>> you have on the summer island? How is the weather there generally?
>> Would love to hear about it. MLB
>
> The shack I sleep in is an addition to the old tool shed. My uncle built
> it for my cousins to sleep in back when my grandfather was still alive.
> Now uncle has moved into granddad's cabin, where all his family can fit
> in, so the shack is vacant. I've pretty much taken it over. It's very
> elementary, with just thin plank walls and a roof that makes a terrible
> racket whenever it rains. It's more like a barrack. I do have a solar
> panel on the roof, so I can have a reading lamp by my bed, and I can
> charge my laptop, mobile phone, etc.
>
> We don't have electricity or running water. Each cottage has a solar
> panel or two on the roof. We bring all our drinking water from the
> mainland. We gather rain water in big barrels standing at all the
> corners of the houses and use that for washing. If it's a dry summer, we
> have to use sea water, but salt water is too 'hard' for washing.
>
> Mum's cabin is more furnished than my shack. There's a gas stove and a
> gas fridge with a small freezer compartment. We don't have a WC, but an
> outhouse. All in all, it's pretty primitive, but in return, we are very
> close to nature here. We had a deer visiting the other day, quite near
> Mum's cabin, and just this morning, two swans with their two babies were
> swimming around in the bay below Mum's cabin. I watched them through the
> window as I was eating my breakfast.
>
> We have had a lovely sauce made from chanterelles that my sister picked
> in the forest, as well as lots of bilberries, some wild strawberries and
> even some cloudberries. Later there will be wild raspberries,
> cranberries and lingonberries, as well as more mushrooms.
>
> The weather is very varied. Yesterday, it was pouring down all day, but
> today the sun is shining. It's been a fairly windy summer so far, and
> the wind is fairly stiff today, too.
>
> Hope this answers your questions. Please ask if you want to know more.
>

Thanks for the story . Reminds me of when I took my son (then aged 8)
for a 5 day visit at a "ranch" in Idaho. There was a house that had
cold water only. A wood stove for cooking. Being a city girl, I found
going 5 days without a bath very distasteful. Oh, yes, an outhouse! I
tried to cook a pheasant (I"m not much of a cook). That was one tough
old bird. I had never cooked on anything but electric and never
anything "wild". As for scenery m
that was the bleakest ever -- actually just dry fields. My first and
last visit there. I suppose you mush have beautiful scenery there.
Best wishes. MLB

[Granby]

Sounds like the way I was raised, our house a little better but not much.
What I wouldn't give just to go to a place like that for awhile. Just to be
isolated from all the stuff that goes on surounds us. Not forever, just
awhile.
"MLB" > wrote in message
...
> Marina wrote:
>> MLB skrev:
>>>
>>> You refer to your "shack". What is it like and what "facilities" do you
>>> have on the summer island? How is the weather there generally? Would
>>> love to hear about it. MLB
>>
>> The shack I sleep in is an addition to the old tool shed. My uncle built
>> it for my cousins to sleep in back when my grandfather was still alive.
>> Now uncle has moved into granddad's cabin, where all his family can fit
>> in, so the shack is vacant. I've pretty much taken it over. It's very
>> elementary, with just thin plank walls and a roof that makes a terrible
>> racket whenever it rains. It's more like a barrack. I do have a solar
>> panel on the roof, so I can have a reading lamp by my bed, and I can
>> charge my laptop, mobile phone, etc.
>>
>> We don't have electricity or running water. Each cottage has a solar
>> panel or two on the roof. We bring all our drinking water from the
>> mainland. We gather rain water in big barrels standing at all the corners
>> of the houses and use that for washing. If it's a dry summer, we have to
>> use sea water, but salt water is too 'hard' for washing.
>>
>> Mum's cabin is more furnished than my shack. There's a gas stove and a
>> gas fridge with a small freezer compartment. We don't have a WC, but an
>> outhouse. All in all, it's pretty primitive, but in return, we are very
>> close to nature here. We had a deer visiting the other day, quite near
>> Mum's cabin, and just this morning, two swans with their two babies were
>> swimming around in the bay below Mum's cabin. I watched them through the
>> window as I was eating my breakfast.
>>
>> We have had a lovely sauce made from chanterelles that my sister picked
>> in the forest, as well as lots of bilberries, some wild strawberries and
>> even some cloudberries. Later there will be wild raspberries, cranberries
>> and lingonberries, as well as more mushrooms.
>>
>> The weather is very varied. Yesterday, it was pouring down all day, but
>> today the sun is shining. It's been a fairly windy summer so far, and the
>> wind is fairly stiff today, too.
>>
>> Hope this answers your questions. Please ask if you want to know more.
>>
>
> Thanks for the story . Reminds me of when I took my son (then aged 8) for
> a 5 day visit at a "ranch" in Idaho. There was a house that had cold
> water only. A wood stove for cooking. Being a city girl, I found going 5
> days without a bath very distasteful. Oh, yes, an outhouse! I tried to
> cook a pheasant (I"m not much of a cook). That was one tough old bird. I
> had never cooked on anything but electric and never anything "wild". As
> for scenery m that was the bleakest
> ever -- actually just dry fields. My first and last visit there. I
> suppose you mush have beautiful scenery there. Best wishes. MLB

[Granby]

Now, that's an earworm that will stay with us all day!!!
"Takayuki" > wrote in message
...
> Marina > wrote:
>>Caliban still has his strange relationship with Emil. They often touch
>>noses, and they seem to have a competition about which of them gets to
>>sniff the other's backside. They've each hissed at the other a few
>>times, but there's no real aggression. Yesterday, Caliban surprised us
>>all, and not least Emil, by licking Emil's forehead! Emil was so
>>surprised that he hissed and swatted at Caliban, who just walked away.
>
> I think that if they had more time together every year at the island,
> Emil would become a regular playmate with Miranda and Caliban. I can
> picture them going around in circles sniffing each other's butts. :)

[Jofirey]

"Granby" > wrote in message
...
> Sounds like the way I was raised, our house a little better but
> not much. What I wouldn't give just to go to a place like that for
> awhile. Just to be isolated from all the stuff that goes on
> surounds us. Not forever, just awhile.

More than once I've heard family members say they wish we had kept
the little old shack in the hills where my mother was raised.

Two rooms and an outhouse. (As well as a front porch and God's great
outdoors.) But sitting at that kitchen table was the warmest safest
place I ever remember being in my life.

Jo