Fun activity for cold days

in article , Greg & Sandy Della-Croce at
wrote on 2/5/04 12:21 AM:

Greetings!
If you have to be outside, watching kids, furkids, or whatever, and it is
Really cold outside - well below freezing and the wind is calm or very
light...Try blowing bubbles! They freeze!! Lots of fun to watch as they
drift slowly and come to rest on the snow.

Sandy


I remember J.E.M. once posted a beautiful post on freezing bubbles and cats.
I miss her lively wit and insights.

Karen

Greg & Sandy Della-Croce wrote:

Greetings!
If you have to be outside, watching kids, furkids, or whatever, and it is
Really cold outside - well below freezing and the wind is calm or very
light...Try blowing bubbles! They freeze!! Lots of fun to watch as they
drift slowly and come to rest on the snow.

Doesn't the bubble-pipe freeze to your lips? (Or do you simply use one
of those wand affairs, that give you no control over the size of the
bubble?)

"Karen Chuplis" wrote in message
...
in article , Greg & Sandy Della-Croce at
wrote on 2/5/04 12:21 AM:

Greetings!
If you have to be outside, watching kids, furkids, or whatever, and it
is
Really cold outside - well below freezing and the wind is calm or very
light...Try blowing bubbles! They freeze!! Lots of fun to watch as
they
drift slowly and come to rest on the snow.

Sandy


I remember J.E.M. once posted a beautiful post on freezing bubbles and
cats.
I miss her lively wit and insights.

Me too, Karen. JEM had a wonderful way of expressing herself, I would have
loved to have met her in Real Life before she visited Rainbow Bridge. I look
forward to meeting her face to face at the end of my life, it will be one of
those special treats. (Half of me thinks she probably retired to Rainbow
Bridge and is waiting there for the rest of us to turn up)

Yowie

Y

"Yowie" wrote in message
...
I remember J.E.M. once posted a beautiful post on freezing bubbles and
cats.
I miss her lively wit and insights.

Me too, Karen. JEM had a wonderful way of expressing herself, I would have
loved to have met her in Real Life before she visited Rainbow Bridge. I
look
forward to meeting her face to face at the end of my life, it will be one
of
those special treats. (Half of me thinks she probably retired to Rainbow
Bridge and is waiting there for the rest of us to turn up)

Yowie

I do miss JEM too. I do remember the "Frozen Bubbles" one she wrote - found
it, posting it for everyone to enjoy.
Lena

Hei Yu's Most Favoritest Bestest Toys were Frozen Bubbles.
Do you all know what those are? You pick a clear, calm, *frigid*
day in winter, preferrably at dawn or in the shade (direct sun
interferes). Then you take your bubble solution outside, and blow
bubbles.
If you pick exactly the right day (it has to be *Frigid*, not just
Cold, and as windless as possible) and do it exactly right (blow the
bubbles in an upward direction, so they stay in the air as long as
possible) the bubbles will freeze before they hit the ground, because it
only takes a few seconds to flash-freeze their thin skins on a properly
cold day.
If you work it right, you'll end up with all the bushes and grass
adorned with Beauty.
If you're *very* careful, and wear gloves, you can even handle and
juggle them. Knitted or fur gloves work best; the bubbles will "perch"
on the filiments, and not burst. Warm skin, though, will pop them almost
immediately.

Anyway, every winter, I made Frozen Bubbles at least a few times.
Hei Yu would stalk them, and she was *so* much fun to watch; I'm not
sure whether she forgot The Rules between times, or it was all Part Of
The Game, but...

First I'd see this little face peeking around the corner of the
house. Then she'd saunter over to the biggest bubble, and snif at it.
Pop! It *vanished*!
Now no Self-Respecting Cat can let her prey get away from her, so
she'd look around for it.
Aha! --*there* is is! (The next-biggest one, but she seemed
convinced it was the same one.)
Don't look directly at it, it mustn't know it's being stalked...
Saunter past it, still ignoring it, and -- Swat!!
Hey!! -- it escaped *again*!
Sit down and consider...
Okay, new Plan Of Attack. Locate bubble again. Stroll past again,
ignoring so it won't know, and -- Pounce!!
There, *now* I've got it -- it's *under* me, couldn't *possibly*
have escaped. Stand up veeery slowly, ready for the Escape Attempt, and
look under self.
Look *further* under self. And still further. Stretch legs and arch
back high high high, and check *all the way* under self, until you
almost turn a somersault.
No bubble on the ground. No bubble on the belly-fur. No bubble
*anywhere*. It escaped *again*! This cannot be tolerated -- sit and make
another plan.
Hm. There are *lots* of these things around -- I don't *have* to
have the very *biggest* one -- maybe the babies will be easier to catch,
since they haven't grown up yet. Maybe they don't yet know The Secret Of
Escaping The Mighty Huntress...
Sit and wash a hind leg, so they'll think I've Lost Interest...
Ignore... Ignore... and Go Crazy! Bat at every bubble I can reach! Left!
Right! Twist! Back! Turn and bat some more!! I'll get one yet!!

By this time, I (Hei Yu's person) am in hysterics, sitting on the
porch with tears running down my face.
But somewhere along the line, during this manic phase, she always
(re?)learned that if she hit the bubbles back-handed (-pawed?), and
slowly, they wouldn't burst from her claws or just the heat of her pads.
She'd go into a *slow-motion* game of *tag*, carefully hitting bubbles
with the back of her paw.
This phase was beautiful, like watching a recording played at slow
motion, or a particularly graceful and controlled ballet. I'd watch,
mesmerized, freezing but not caring, until all the bubbles had been
popped by her attentions or by the warming sun.
Then she'd trot over to me, and tell me ("Mrrp? Mrrp! Niaow!") it
was time to go inside, warm up, and eat breakfast. Special breakfast for
a Special Day -- we'd share pancakes, with suasage or bacon, and talk
about her Hunting Prowess. (*She'd* brag, and *I* was expected to offer
Fulsome Praise -- both of us with our mouths full. g)

I've always regretted that this happened brfore video cameras; I
truly wish I could have made at least one recording of it. But I can see
it again, all I have to do is close my eyes...

Those were Hei Yu's Most Favoritest Bestest Toys.

JEM

in article , lewe at
wrote on 2/9/04 2:47 AM:

"Yowie" wrote in message
...
I remember J.E.M. once posted a beautiful post on freezing bubbles and
cats.
I miss her lively wit and insights.

Me too, Karen. JEM had a wonderful way of expressing herself, I would have
loved to have met her in Real Life before she visited Rainbow Bridge. I
look
forward to meeting her face to face at the end of my life, it will be one
of
those special treats. (Half of me thinks she probably retired to Rainbow
Bridge and is waiting there for the rest of us to turn up)

Yowie

I do miss JEM too. I do remember the "Frozen Bubbles" one she wrote - found
it, posting it for everyone to enjoy.
Lena

Hei Yu's Most Favoritest Bestest Toys were Frozen Bubbles.
Do you all know what those are? You pick a clear, calm, *frigid*
day in winter, preferrably at dawn or in the shade (direct sun
interferes). Then you take your bubble solution outside, and blow
bubbles.
If you pick exactly the right day (it has to be *Frigid*, not just
Cold, and as windless as possible) and do it exactly right (blow the
bubbles in an upward direction, so they stay in the air as long as
possible) the bubbles will freeze before they hit the ground, because it
only takes a few seconds to flash-freeze their thin skins on a properly
cold day.
If you work it right, you'll end up with all the bushes and grass
adorned with Beauty.
If you're *very* careful, and wear gloves, you can even handle and
juggle them. Knitted or fur gloves work best; the bubbles will "perch"
on the filiments, and not burst. Warm skin, though, will pop them almost
immediately.

Anyway, every winter, I made Frozen Bubbles at least a few times.
Hei Yu would stalk them, and she was *so* much fun to watch; I'm not
sure whether she forgot The Rules between times, or it was all Part Of
The Game, but...

First I'd see this little face peeking around the corner of the
house. Then she'd saunter over to the biggest bubble, and snif at it.
Pop! It *vanished*!
Now no Self-Respecting Cat can let her prey get away from her, so
she'd look around for it.
Aha! --*there* is is! (The next-biggest one, but she seemed
convinced it was the same one.)
Don't look directly at it, it mustn't know it's being stalked...
Saunter past it, still ignoring it, and -- Swat!!
Hey!! -- it escaped *again*!
Sit down and consider...
Okay, new Plan Of Attack. Locate bubble again. Stroll past again,
ignoring so it won't know, and -- Pounce!!
There, *now* I've got it -- it's *under* me, couldn't *possibly*
have escaped. Stand up veeery slowly, ready for the Escape Attempt, and
look under self.
Look *further* under self. And still further. Stretch legs and arch
back high high high, and check *all the way* under self, until you
almost turn a somersault.
No bubble on the ground. No bubble on the belly-fur. No bubble
*anywhere*. It escaped *again*! This cannot be tolerated -- sit and make
another plan.
Hm. There are *lots* of these things around -- I don't *have* to
have the very *biggest* one -- maybe the babies will be easier to catch,
since they haven't grown up yet. Maybe they don't yet know The Secret Of
Escaping The Mighty Huntress...
Sit and wash a hind leg, so they'll think I've Lost Interest...
Ignore... Ignore... and Go Crazy! Bat at every bubble I can reach! Left!
Right! Twist! Back! Turn and bat some more!! I'll get one yet!!

By this time, I (Hei Yu's person) am in hysterics, sitting on the
porch with tears running down my face.
But somewhere along the line, during this manic phase, she always
(re?)learned that if she hit the bubbles back-handed (-pawed?), and
slowly, they wouldn't burst from her claws or just the heat of her pads.
She'd go into a *slow-motion* game of *tag*, carefully hitting bubbles
with the back of her paw.
This phase was beautiful, like watching a recording played at slow
motion, or a particularly graceful and controlled ballet. I'd watch,
mesmerized, freezing but not caring, until all the bubbles had been
popped by her attentions or by the warming sun.
Then she'd trot over to me, and tell me ("Mrrp? Mrrp! Niaow!") it
was time to go inside, warm up, and eat breakfast. Special breakfast for
a Special Day -- we'd share pancakes, with suasage or bacon, and talk
about her Hunting Prowess. (*She'd* brag, and *I* was expected to offer
Fulsome Praise -- both of us with our mouths full. g)

I've always regretted that this happened brfore video cameras; I
truly wish I could have made at least one recording of it. But I can see
it again, all I have to do is close my eyes...

Those were Hei Yu's Most Favoritest Bestest Toys.

JEM


THank you Lewe. Just brings tears to my eyes. Such a lovely post.

Karen

"lewe" wrote

I do miss JEM too. I do remember the "Frozen Bubbles" one she wrote -
found
it, posting it for everyone to enjoy.

Thank so much for reposting that, Lena. That is beautiful and hilarious and
bittersweet all at the same time. I miss JEM a lot, too.

--
Marina, Frank and Nikki
Email marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi
Pics at http://uk.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/frankiennikki

"lewe" wrote in message
...
"Yowie" wrote in message
...
I remember J.E.M. once posted a beautiful post on freezing bubbles and
cats.
I miss her lively wit and insights.

Me too, Karen. JEM had a wonderful way of expressing herself, I would
have
loved to have met her in Real Life before she visited Rainbow Bridge. I
look
forward to meeting her face to face at the end of my life, it will be
one
of
those special treats. (Half of me thinks she probably retired to Rainbow
Bridge and is waiting there for the rest of us to turn up)

Yowie

I do miss JEM too. I do remember the "Frozen Bubbles" one she wrote -
found
it, posting it for everyone to enjoy.
Lena

snipped story

I miss JEM too. Thanks for posting the story again, Lena. It was cool to
read, I almost felt like I was there.
--
Britta
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album