Introducing Ash!

She is a very skittish kitty, afraid of the smallest thing, and has a knack for finding the best hiding spaces (closets, basement, behind/under furniture and who knows where else!) We have finally Ash proofed the house so can't open the closets now (she figured out how to pull the sliders out and squeeze in through the small opening!) If you move extremely slow and are at her level she might let you pet her. When she deems you safe, she will cuddle up, but it takes a long time for that to happen.

She has learned from her sister Hazel that if I'm crocheting she can play with the yarn as I pull it. I don't want them doing that, but if it gets Ash out and feeling comfortable I'll let it go! She has been out and about more since we have put eyehook locks on the closet doors and keep the basement completely shut (her top hiding spot in the rafters in the basement). My cats think they are geniuses for figuring out how to push the sliding doors open.

Since she's so timid it's hard to say who she is best buds with at this time, but generally she can be found in close proximity to her sister Hazel. Her current human best bud is Gene, he's home all the time, generally only hangs out in one place and is a very slow mover. If he watches TV downstairs she will get on the couch and hang with him for a bit.

We are anxious to see her come out of her timid shell and really enjoy the spoiled life in our house with her feline siblings!

Bear's Introduction

We have just a few more introductions (5 more!). Bear is one of the newest, he comes from a litter of 6. His brother Cuddles is the only one that got adopted out. Bear got his name because he is almost identical to Jasper whose nickname is Bear. At a glance they can easily be mistaken as the same cat. The only difference, Jasper is older and bigger. Bear is catching up in size and in no time will be a perfect size match.

Bear is a bit on the shy side - not a fan of quick movements of any kind. I tend to scare him off by always being in a rush and moving to fast/making to much noise. He is used to a quiet house during the day when it's just Gene at home. Apparently - I am a bit noisier than Gene is. Once Bear decides all is well he comes out for his share of attention and love.

He is still in the kitten phase of life so there's plenty of running around all hours of the day and night. He does like to be held on his back and get belly rubs - but naturally this is only after he feels safe with you. His favorite way to show his love to the other cats - walking up to them and slamming his body into them as close to their face as possible. His favorite cat to do this to: Rollie. She tolerates it for a while, but after a few times hisses and raises a paw to him. Not that it stops him from doing it one last time!

My girlfriend Rachael fell in love with Bear and now we joke she's getting ready to take him home. He chose her as his human early on and will take time to hang with her on the couch whenever she visits. She even pets him and gets on his level to give attention! (little does she know, he's a package deal and comes with at least one other cat!)

It's kinda sad, but he came in after Gene started to work from home permanently due to COVID. It's only sad, because Gene has the connection to the kittens that I usually have with the cats from being home all the time. But now, Gene spends more time at home and I spend less time at home.

Till our Tails cross again,

Mel

Collector of...

There are many things people collect - books, cats, antiques, cars, comics - the list goes on and on! While I do have 12 cats (I try not to say I collect them....), I also have enough books to start my own mini library. I'm also reluctant to say I collect books - because I do resell them once I read them. I also have a ton of craft supplies - ranging from yarn, fabric, beads and anything else crafty related - and nope, I don't say I collect craft items - because I use them!

What do I collect you might be wondering. I collect a truly weird thing when you call it collecting, but it is also kind of cool! I collect people - you got that right. People, humans, kids, adults, senior citizens, teenagers, I'm not to picky about the age range. In fact I generally am not picky about where I have met people and become friends with them. Hello work conferences, Appalachian Trail, pet sitting, random stores. If you chat with me, are a truly genuine person chances are you'll soon find yourself invited to friendsgiving.

I am involved in so many things, I meet people from all kinds of places - which is amazing and makes me feel kind of well rounded. This weekend I was lucky to have a good friend visit while she is doing her flip-flop thru hike of the AT. HTC (Heard the Call) aka Liz , she is a wonderful, caring person. Everytime we see each other I learn more about her and also walk away with appreciation for the people I have in my life. Today I realized that not everyone has a close circle they can just let loose with. That makes me sad as it should be something we all have! This particular realization happened as we were having a mid morning dance party of 2 in my kitchen.

Liz was introduced to us by another thru hiker Walmart. (He MIGHT be our favorite hiker.) Because of him we have meet so many other hikers and have stayed in touch with them. I'll have to write a blog post just about the hikers and the trail.

I also met another good friend Sharon - at an unlikely place to connect with someone who has become a close friend. A work class - we were both in property management - specifically low income housing. I live out by Hershey, PA and she lives in Williamstown NJ, but we both ended up at the ARM class in Northeast Philadelphia. A 6 day course over 2 weeks. I may have peer pressured her into going out to lunch (who really wants to stay in a windowless basement room for lunch?!?!) After that, we both ended up reserving rooms at the same

hotel with plans to study for class at the indoor pool. Naturally we both passed and got our ARM Certification. Fast forward - neither of us is working at the same job. We ended up being great friends who would plan girls weekend trips out of town. Something I look forward to doing every year now!

There's also Angel & Rachael - who I bonded with at work. Rachael from the CPA office, Angel from the Low Income Property Management Office. Both girls are a staple in my life for various reasons. Both of them are great sleep over buddies! Rachael and I tend to do the sleepovers on the weekends (where we fall asleep downstairs watching TV - binging shows we each think the other should see.) She is also usually up for whatever random fun thing I want to do. (so looking forward to our Highland Cow Photo Shoot this summer!)

Angel and I do Thursday night sleepovers whenever our schedules allow. Those nights are the best - we can chat and catch up on life, or just chill, not talking. She's always ready for some shopping or running errands just so we can catch up. No matter what is going on we all enjoy those nights and the quality time. Angel and I usually go flower shopping every year - its our little tradition and is a great way to kick off summer! I wouldn't give those nights up for anything!

Here's to more spur of the moment dance parties, slumber parties and binge watching series on a whim! Get out there and enjoy those friends, pick up a new friend from somewhere!

Till our Tails cross again,

Melanie