All three of us, actually.It was dry for the Birdsedge fete on Saturday, but mostly slightly overcast. So neither Vikki, Helen or myself bothered with sunhats or cream. We arrived just before 11 am to find the stall set up ready for us, and the paddling pools already inflated and with water in. We arranged the prizes for our double stall - Hook-a-duck and Ring A Frog - inflated some of the balloons that are always popular as prizes and made ourselves comfortable for the 12 opening. Helen bought herself a roll and some cake from the WI, but didn't manage to eat it until about half two. We were rather busy.

Our stall was in a new position, near the field entrance, and opposite the barbeque stall, so we have mouth-watering smells drifting our way all day. It was more sheltered than our previous site but we couldn't see any of the displays from our stall. With three of us on, we could take it in turns for a wander around. Vikki stocked up with homemade jams and preserves to take to relatives in America when she visits soon. I restricted myself to a pretty biscuit tin (50p, I think it was) and a new plant for the garden; a sedum.

We were tired when the fete closed at 5, but we'd taken £163 at 50p a go, so we were pleased with our contribution to the total. We retreated to a nearby pub for tea and finally realized just how much sun we'd had, even though it had mostly been overcast. We all had rather pink faces, especially Helen and myself. Fortunately both of us were wearing long-sleeved tops so our arms were OK. I was actually slightly sunburnt, as my nose and cheeks were a little sore the next day. I dabbed on witch hazel three or four times during the day and that helped a lot. Not looking too bad on Monday, and not sore.

In the evening was the concert. This has been a perishing cold event in previous years, so I got armed with a cushion for the seat and jumper and rug in the rucksack. This year though, it was pleasantly warm, even when the heavens opened around 10. The top act, Tanglefoot, played a longer set than on previous visits, as this is their last tour in the UK, and their last gig in the north.They were as wonderfully exhilarating and funny as before.

Then home to be greeted by accusing cats, who wanted to know where I'd been all day and demanded food and attention.

Sheffield City Council has (again) refused Tesco's application to build a convenience store on the empty plot on the corner of Springvale Road and Commonside. They don't like the idea of lorries, even smaller ones, trying to deliver to that site, which is at an awkward junction, and also say that the lack of parking on site will lead to inceased on-street parking, which will be a hazard.
  Tesco claimed there would be sufficient on-street parking, an assumption that seemed to be based on drawing circles on a nice flat map, and really didn't take into account the narrow roads, hills, one-way roads and the multiplicity of junctions in the area, They also claimed there was convenient public transport in the form of the 123 bus that runs once an hour. They seem to have entirely overlooked the 94 and 95 which run every 10 minutes,

I don't mind Tesco in and of themselves. I use Tesco shops regularly, and hopefully will be going to one tonight (depends on Gary and his car). I just don't think that this area needs yet another convenience shop, especially one sited there. Hopefully, having been turned down twice, Tesco will give up the idea.

No, not the cats.

There were roofers here at the end of last week and Saturday. The bay window needed a new roof and has been swathed in bright blue plastic for the last few weeks. Well, the roofers came to replace it and I noticed they were leaving random lengths of wood scattered about the front garden, squashing some of my plants. Now granted, it's a tiny patch of garden, but they could have been more careful. I asked them not to scatter stuff around, and just got the reply that it was a small garden and not much room to put stuff.

When I looked on Sunday, when the job was finished, I was most annoyed at the mess they left behind. I wondered if they might be coming back to clear up after themselves on Monday, but nothing has been touched so far. They don't seem to have taken away any of the rubbish they generated in putting a new roof on the bay window. So I've just emailed the agency.

Hello,

I was wondering when the roofers were going to come back and clean up the mess they have left in the front garden. They have left a sheet of plywood, assorted used timbers and other rubbish piled against the bay window, and two buckets and a paint container full of rubbish besides. All the roofing felt they removed is piled in scraps on the garden and old nails are scattered about. There's a pile of about nine bricks by the front wall near the honeysuckle.There are also tufts and strands of something that looks like either glass fibre or asbestos fibre scattered about the garden.
 
In the course of their work they crushed some of the plants I've grown, including a couple of hostas and the solitary foxglove, and knocked down and broke a small garden ornament of mine that was among the plants.

All in all, the front garden is a complete mess and not a safe area to let my cats out. I do hope it will be cleared up very soon.

Yours sincerely

Gillian Taylor


Note, I have no idea where the bricks came from !

Information on Norwegian Forests describes them as friendly, people-orientated cats. Now, people, especially breeders, who want to promote the breed may be biased, but I'm begninning to think that they're not exaggerating.

Every time I move around the flat, I have a little, furry shadow. If I leave a room while she's sleeping, a few minutes later there will be indignant squawks and cries from Iella, demanding to know where I am. I call to her and moments later she bounds into view. Diesel generally likes to be in the same room as me, and has spent much of today sleeping in the middle of the games room floor. Iella though, is either under the footwell of the desk, or curled around the base of my office chair. I have to check where she is every time I want to move the chair, even a couple of inches, just in case I might be about to run her over.

None of my previous cats have shown much interest in mirrors. Iella has seen her reflection in the glass front of the TV cabinet and gone round the back to look for the other kitten. Bless.

I introduced her to the washing machine this evening. Neither Skiffle nor Diesel have ever taken much intest in it except as a route to the sink and windowsill. The first time Iella saw it, she stood on her back legs and peered at the porthole on the front. When I started a wash this evening she was initially alarmed by the sound, but I easily coaxed her back to watch. She was fascinated by the gently tumbling clothes and happily sat watching for a few minutes until I went back upstairs. Then, of course, she followed me :)

Relations have been improving through the evening with Diesel becoming more tolerant. I need to make an icon for iella, and I took some photos this evening.
( Kitten pics )
Icon making can wait though.

Iella came home on Sunday; she travelled from Leicester to Sheffield in her cat box without making a sound. She lay quietly, looking about with interest, and nearly nodded off once or twice. I just hope she continues to be so peaceful when travelling. It makes a nice change from the usual howls you get from cats. Skiffle had perfected a particularly dismal wail.

Iella came straight out of her box, stretched, and began to explore. She also started to purr, and has only stopped occasionally since, generally when eating or sleeping. I've got her bowls and a litter tray set up in the living room, so she can be shut up there to keep the introduction to Diesel gradual, and to keep her out of the way if I'm doing something like cooking and can't readily keep an eye on her. Skogkatts are known for being people cats and Iella certainly is.  She follows me around, and hasn't yet grasped the concept of not getting underfoot. And when I shut her alone in the living room, she shouts in protest, making a surprising amount of noise for a little catlet. As well as purring like an engine (petrol though, not diesel), she also chirrups. She's a talkative little girl and loves to be fussed and played with.

Diesel was decidedly put out and is inclined to be a little huffy with me on and off. Her attitude has mostly been hisses from a distance with occasion rumbled threats if Iella gets to close. She's been up to Iella and sniffed her a couple of times, still ready to hiss, growl or slap but willing to get close, so long as it's on her own terms. There's also periods when she's willing to ignore Iella, even when she's quite close. At the moment, Iella is sleeping stretched out under the footwell of the computer desk while Diesel is curled up sleeping on the floor, about 5 feet away. Iella has learnt not to go bouncing up to Diesel, which is good cat manners, but her feelings are never squashed for very long. She'll give Diesel a wide berth to get past her, then go and play. All in all I reckon it's not going too badly.

*giggle* I was just looking at Iella under the desk, She was lying on her side with her head raised, but her eyes were closing. Sleep suddenly won and her head dropped sideways onto the carpet. There's the occasional drowsy chirrup from under the desk - and gentle snores from Diesel's direction. No doubt Iella's charging up her batteries for zooming about, shouting and playing later on.

There's only the rest of today, tomorrow and Saturday, then it will be Kitten Day !
 Firoza sent me some new pics of Iella, taken earlier this week.
( Kitten pics )
She's lovely, rich colour and it does look like her eyes are going to match. Since some of the male kittens have gone to their new homes, Iella has become very bold, and is into everything. She also loves attention. I shall have to do some kitten-proofing in the next couple of days. moving the more fragile ornaments out of reach etc. I'm so looking forward to bringing her home though.

Yesterday was my second trip to Lincoln with Ven - we went on my birthday last year. Ven wanted to visit the city archives to look up information on a the death of someone buried at Sheffield's General Cemetery, where she's a volunteer. the plan was to visit the archives first, which are a few minutes walk from the railway station, then take a bus up the hill to the cathedtral and wander down again, looking at the sights and the shop.

( There and back again )

Yes, we're coming up to the Birdsedge Villiage Festival again. The year the main fete day is Saturday 11th July.

Birdsedge is a little village up in lovely country not far from Penistone. Sat afternoon there's a traditional village fete which is a lovely day out for a family. There's games, like the Hook A Duck and Ring A Frog, that I'll be helping out on. There's a children's fancy dress parade and a jester to entertain them, plus events like a local brass band, re-enactors and dance displays, which this year includes Goth Morris.

There's also a craft fair and various charity stalls selling all manner of stuff including home-made jams and second hand books. There's plenty of good food too - a WI tea tent through the day, plus usually stands selling locally produced beefburgers and ice cream. And real ale available too.

It's a really good day out - lots to see and do. I thoroughly recommend it.

It started raining earlier this afternoon. A little while ago it began to rain very heavily, with rumbles of thunder.

Right now it's bucketing down, with added hail for good measure. It's a bit noisy sitting under the skylight.

Definite lightning just now, and another rumble.

Glad I'm indoors

Time to go put on that extra pair of socks.

this evening I made the round trip down to a village just outside Leicester to see another Norwegan Forest kitten. The breeder actually had about a dozen, all close in age, all happily in one kitten room. Several had already been reserved but none of them will be leaving for their new homes for another two-three weeks, when they've had their vaccinations (plus being microchipped, wormed etc). There was a pretty black and white available, but nearly all of my cats have been black, black and white or grey and white, so I wanted a change.

The breeder was friendly and chatty, and we spent ages there. Steve talked cat fancy and breeding, while Helen and I largely occupied ourselves with the kittens. Just one or two kittens to play with is great, but having a herd of them charging after a tuft of feathers on a stick was fab :). I eventually interrupted Steve to say that we ought to be going, and got down to business. I'd chatted to Firoza, the breeder, when arranging the visit, and I thought things would be OK, but I was still relieved when she said she'd be happy for me to have one of her babies. Responsible breeders do like to know their little darlings are going to be looked after properly. Mind you, being accompanied by a registered GCCF judge (Steve) is a good recommendation.

So I'm going to have a little red and white girl. Her pedigree name is Eucharis, but Firoza liked my choice of pet name - Iella - which is already up on the website. And here she is:


We'll be collecting her at the end of the month. Steve and Helen were planning to go to some art/ceramics show near Nottingham anyway that weekend, so we'll go there first, then down to Leicester to pick up Iella and bring her home.

I'm so excited.
Kitty !
Eeeeeeee !

Back to the Cat Shelter again yesterday. I was delighted to discover that both Rosie and Chui had been adopted during the week. Rosie was the 19 year old tabby, friendly and in good health. It's nice to know that someone was willing to take on an older cat like that. Chui was a rather plain tabby and white, mostly white, who'd had the tops of his ears removed after they were sun-damaged. He was a friendly cat, and I guess someone felt sorry for him, which is all to the good. He'll make a nice pet, if not the prettiest one.
  I spent some time fussing Blackie, a former stray. He was neutered late and picked up from life on the streets, as a consequence of which he's built like a bison. He has a broad head and thick neck, from being an adult tom, but his hindquarters are thin from lack of food, and he looks rather unbalanced. He also has some fur problems from a combination of poor diet and stud tail (overactive glands). Once he gets fit again, he could be quite handsome, and he's also nice and friendly.
  Frog and Rainbow have been moved to a small room of their own, as Frog is a bullish kind of teenage male, and was bullying the more timid cats he was sharing a room with. They liked having some company - Frog for playing and Rainbow for laps and cuddles. The black kitten, Lala, seems to have grown noticiably since last week. Her eyes are turning yellow/amber now, and she has a big purr. The shy ferals, Tinka and Ginger, sit in the middle of the floor sometimes now, rather than lurking in the most distant corners, but I still can't get closer than about three feet to Tinka, and that's only by being quiet, slow, and not looking directly at him. Still, they are still slowly improving.

I came home via the Pound Shop (set of poker chips, straw hat, cat brush) and rested before changing my clothes and going out to see some Norwegian Forest kittens. I went with Steve and Helen, who have bred and shown Abyssinians. Steve is now a qualified Aby judge and knows many people in the cat fancy. The kits were nine weeks old, and lovely. There was a brown tabby and white, a tortie, a large red and white boy and a silver tabby/tortie. The kits played with us, but much as I liked them, they all showed signs of an infection. They sneezed more than a healthy kitten should, and the tortie had a runny eye and the red boy had a slightly runny nose. They all looked pretty bright, and were well bred, but you don't know what will happen with an infection. Even if the kitten recovers fully, it could remain a carrier and pass disease to Diesel or other cats. The breeder's set up was a little odd too - seemed rather haphazard, though the kittens were well bred. So I don't think I'll be getting one of those. There's a couple of lovely red and whites available near Leicester though, so need to arrange to visit them. There's worse ways to pass the time

While I was in town today, I got a frame for the photographic print I bought at the art and craft fair in Buxton the other weekend. It's a lovely night time shot of the jazzed up new approach to the railway station It's a lovely picture, 18"x12", and I'll hang it in the hallway, I think. I'm also pleased to see that the the price I paid at the fair is about half the price he charges for that size on the website.

I had a lovely day out on Saturday, even though it did mean leaving the house at 7 in the morning. I travelled up to the north-east with Steve and Helen, and their friend, Simon. The men were going to spend the day at a cat show - Simon judging and Steve stewarding - while Helen and I would look at the cats, then take the car and head off to the coast for the rest of the sunny day :) Helen and I sat in the back, so the men could prove her theory that it's not just women who gossip. Steve grumbled, then he and Simon gossiped non-stop about the cat world from Sheffield to Scotch Corner.

The cat show was at the Nissan Social Club, between Washington and Sunderland. I've admired Norweigan Forest Cats for a while now, and wanted to see some in the fur, so I tagged along to the show. It wasn't a big show, but there were a few NFC cats and kittens, including a vast black and white and a truly huge brown tabby, who was only three and still had some more growing to do. It was fascinating to see breeds and colours I'd only seen in photos and difficult to resist the tempation to rub some cats that pressed themselves against their pens and demanded attention. You shouldn't touch a cat at a show without the owner's permission, as it's easy to transfer infections. All the pens were fixed up the same: standard white blanket, white littertray, white foodbowl and white water dish. Some cats preferred to be under their blankets and some pens had blankets hanging down from the top so the cat could sit behind in privacy if it wanted. Quite a few of the cats ignored their blankets and sat in the littertrays, even a few cats who only just fit. It was lovely looking at them but Helen and I were happy to leave the rather hot room and go out exploring,

We headed up through South Shields and back a little way long the coast to Souter Point Lighthouse, which was the first in the world built to be powered by electric light, and opened in 1871. We pottered around the little gift shop, admiring some jewellery and bought little tubs of locally made ice cream. We took these out to the cliff top and sat on a bench, enjoying the view out to sea, and the colony of seabirds on a large rock just off the coast. We had a little stroll then had lunch in the excellent restaurant. The cake stand was beside the door, and we mulled over the possibilties of grabbing a covered dish and making off witha whole cake each, but decided not to.

We then drove along the coast road until we reached Roker, where Helen knew there was an RNLI shop that had secondhand books.We browsed that first and got a couple of souvenirs, then wandered along the beach, looking for interesting rocks and shells - we both brought a few back. We took the scenic route back to the cat show, oweing to a slight confusion over road signs, but we weren't in a hurry and the countryside was lovely. All the trees are in full leaf, but everything is fresh and green, and hasn't got that parched, faded look that greenery often gets towards the end of summer.

We had another look around at the cat show, picked up the men, and headed home again, well satisfied with our day out.

And Steve and Simon talked about the cat world half the way home, too.

I went back to Manchester again this afternoon for another quiz runthrough with the BBC. I thought it was for the same format as before though it turned out not to be. The start time was later and when I got there, I discovered they were already doing a run through, which was over-running as one of the participants had been delayed bty a late train. There were apologies and I was left in the bar with a selection of newspapers and the option to order whatever I liked from the bar.

The first runthrough had been for the same show we'd tried out a couple of weeks ago. The production team have settled a format now, and it went well according to Andrew, who'd been at the first try out. When we started on the second try out, it was for a different show/format. The first round went on rather too long, so we did an abbreviated version of the last couple of rounds. I like the idea though, especially that the last two players have to collaborate in order to win a cash prize that they share, rather than trying to outguess one another for winner takes all. I don't know for sure, but I suspect the confidentiality agreement I signed last time applies to the new show, so I'm being rather vague about the format.

Might get called back in a week or two to do one or the other again.I hope so.

Down at the Cat Shelter again this afternoon. I bought a dangly cat toy from the pound shop last week, a furry mouse dangling from a short rod, and took it for the cats there. I visited room 2 first, where there is a six month old brother and sister called Frog and Rainbow (sounds like the name of a pub). Rainbow is a beautful dark tortie - a colour I really love. Frog is tabby and white and well named. I'd seen him doing frog hops when playing with him last week, but he did some spectacular leaps after the mouse toy.
   At first, Rainbow seemed to be the one more interested in biting it like prey, while Frog wanted to chase and catch. Young cats are easier to get spinning in a circle, while you trail a toy round and round just in front of their nose, and Frog fell for it with great enthusiasm. And as the floor had no traction, he was turning so fast at one point that his back legs had slid sideways so his hip was almost brushing the ground as he went round. I stopped in their room again at the end of the visit to leave the toy there. Frog got rather possesive of it, grabbing the mouse in his mouth and refusing to let go. I pulled him short distances, just to try his determination, and could probably have towed him across the room if I'd tried.

I took the toy into Room 1 and was pleased to see Tinka and Ginger sitting out on the floor with the other cats. They are young cats, born to a feral mother, and very shy. When I first visited, a few weeks ago, both stayed hidden distant corners and fled if you came within a few feet of them. Now they will sit out in the open and watch you, looking curious and wary, rather than terrified. I threw the mouse close to Tinka a couple of times (not directly at him, which would scare him) and he dabbed at it a little. Progress !

I visited the infirmary downstairs, where cats are confined to large cages to lessen the chance of infecting others. There's usually one out in the small room, given a chance to run a little and not go stir crazy. This week it was a young black kitten, Lala. She looked a little bewildered at first, so I picked her up and cuddled her for a bit, then got her to play with a loose string from the scratching post. Once she was doing that, I coaxed her into playing with the mouse toy and she was soon zooming up and down after it. The caged cats were most interested. When I dangled the mouse in front of their cages, they all reached through to try and grab it. It was rather like a scene from a prison movie, with paws instead of hands reaching through the bars.

So a satisfying visit and I certainly got my money's worth out of the cat toy.

I had a lovely day out on Sunday. Helen called on Fri and asked if I wanted to go with her, Steve and her Mum to Buxton, where there was an art/craft fair and book fair in the Pavilion It was a fab sunny day, and really nice to drive out throughthe Peaks. The countryside was littered with signs advertizing all kinds of events: plant sales, well dressing, craft fairs, garden furtniture sales... We resisted tempation though, and made for our original desitnation.

I've only been through Buxton, and never stopped before, so it was nice to see something of it. The pavilion is lovely, though unfortunately we didn't get to see much of the gardens. We started with the craft/art fair, where Helen and I admired the jewelry. Helen bought some, including a lovely necklace in blue goldstone, which is a favourite of hers. I resisted some lovely silk and paper earrings, and bought a large print of a superb photo of the new approach to Sheffield's railway station, taken at night. I need to get a frame for it, then it will go on the landing. There were also painters and a woman who did lovely embroidery pictures that we all admired.

We had lunch in the pavilion - a cheese, bacon and mushroom omlette for me, which was good. After our rest and food, we went to tackle the book fair. I saw a few things I'd have like but as I'd blown the day's budget on the picture and lunch, I was restrained. I got a pony book that I already have a copy of, but this one had a dustjacket, though sadly not a particularly nice one. Many pony books are illustrated by some very talented artists, and although this has lovely internal illus, the cover is not as good. It was only £2 though.   I was most amused by the quote in another old book "yuppies may come and porches may go, but the filofax is here forever !" - guess which decade that was published in :)

After that, we queued for good icecream - rum and raisin, mmmm - and ate them as we strolled back to the car, laden with our goodies. All in all, a lovely day

 

I just learned this from a post on the Redemption Yahoo group. Paul Darrow will be joining the cast of the soap opera, Emmerdale, for a few shows at least, this summer short news article here He makes his entrance riding a motortrike !

To everyone who has posted messages of sympathy regarding Skiffle.

Mornings are certainly quieter, as she used to follow me into the bathroom first thing, and pointedly rub her face against things to remind me of her presence, and therefore that she wanted to be fed. I haven't had a cat rolling on the floor to demand my attention either, as Diesel doesn't do that. Diesel has looked rather puzzled at feeding time, clearly wondering where Skiffle is, and expecting her to appear and demand her place nearer the corner, which is Diesel's now. She's been a little more clingy than usual, though she's outside right now. I think she's missing having someone to curl up with. I'll be happy if she doesn't climb onto my shoulders again, like she did last night. I'm fairly sure there's some claw marks on the back of my neck.

Oh well, I love her anyway.

Skiffle went to the vet today to have a couple of rotten teeth removed, and the lump on the side of her face checked. The vet phoned a little while ago to confirm the suspicion that the lump was a tumour in her jaw. He said that she might live another two months or so, with palliative care. However, she's been having bladder and bowel problems very recently. So I made the decision to let them put her to sleep while she was already at the vets and under anaesthetic.
  I would have liked to say goodbye to her properly, but there was no point in bringing her home with a high risk that she'd spend her last weeks in pain and discomfort. So my moody, loyal, affectionate boss cat is gone now, aged 13.

The flat will definitely be emptier without her.