At some point, I am certain, I am going to get used to rising early, riding, nipping into work for a full (and then some some days) day, coming home, tending to the Spooky House and my Bengal Horde.

I will not only be used to it, I will no doubt add in an evening workout, a bit of novel writing, clean out those darn cupboards, and send off some purely social e-mails, written WITH a brain.

My body will not be too tired to move. My brain will function.

Some day. But not tonight.

I shall stay awake for another episode of Dead Like Me, which I am watching with houseguest Woodsman Hans (especially since I just talked him into getting me Ice-Scream) and then to bed, to sleep, perchance to dream....

WHICH is a bit of a problem these days, all this dreaming. What is UP with this Simon Cowell thing. Twice in one week is a bit much. And odd. So far he's done my makeup and made me pancakes.

Tonight? Well, here's hoping he does my laundry..

Love and Dead, Like Me,

Lorraine

A mighty fine day all around, I would have to say. Still waiting for my Boss to get home, so it is turning out to be a might too long, but soon, I would say, it should be done.



The Birdchick came out today, and we went to check the hives. This is important just now, as the Bees are in full on "Let's Make Us Some HONEY" mode, and if they fill up all their boxes, they will begin to think they could use a bigger home, and instead of waiting patiently for new boxes, they will take off and find a new place to live.

I am happy to say, no one has swarmed, and they are filling up the supers nicely.

This means, if you haven't been following along, that they have made enough big boxes to last the winter (tho they do not KNOW this, we fool them) and we can add little boxes on top for stealing later on.



Cabal has a great time out with the bees. Mostly. Sadly, today, he got stung, which never hurts for very long, but it is upsetting when he does, as you can't DO much for him, and he very much wants you too.



After we got done with the Bees, The Birdchick went off to do some birding, and I went off for a ride.

The best thing driving out was that our Chantrelle called me from the Wanderlust Fest (At least that is the name I seem to remember) having read my wistful posts this morning about wanting to see AFP's show live. She did the next best thing and called me during Billie Jean, so I could listen at least to a song. Needless to say, it rocked! Thank you Chantrelle and Amanda!

Very exciting at the stable today as I got to ride not only my Anamontana (Most sadly named horse ever, I say) but Lady May, below, on the left. Now she is a pure Arab, and one amazing, electric, life force of a ride! Loved every minute of it.

It made me very happy, as I felt really confident on her, like I knew what I was doing, and could ride her and deal with her, and not just sit up there trying to stay on, or remember every little thing I had to do, that was coming on it's own, leaving me free to deal with the horse. I'm not afraid anymore.

I won't ride a new horse until Trainer Mel says the ok. I know this is a sport where you have to know what you are doing, and listen to the people that really DO know what they are doing. Or you are going to break something important. You may anyway, but still, I have a point.

But I sure did love riding Lady May. Now, how to talk her into that trip again?????

After the ride, and the birding I met the Birdchick at what MIGHT have been the place that served the worst food on the planet. It was much like the movie I saw last night, in that it was so very bad, it was funny.

Think I got my $6 worth each time.



Boss is Home! And the Mads!

Love and Sundays,
Lorraine

The Doggie Sleepover has been going very well indeed. Cabel gets really happy when his best friend Freckles comes over. No one went to the ER this year, and Freckles hasn't tried to bury anything in the Leather Sofa. (Mainly because he has been denied access to that room) His friends will be back from the Blueberry Festival soon. Very Soon.



An Assistant tip here: How you pack something to ship it is VERY important. This arrived today and you don't want to know how the books inside ended up.

Ok, I do know these next shots would have made a far cooler video, and we will get it on vid when our Miss Kitty comes back from the Jonas Tour (MAN! I miss her!)and I know you will shake your little Fiendish heads and say to yourselves "That girl has GOT to get a life", but these shots made me happy, so I am posting them.

I have this little Pom on elastic string that I have gotten really good at shooting to the top of the window, due to the almost constant practice I have been getting learning this Amazing Trick.

Venus of course, then hops on up and brings it back to me. Most considerate of her.

If you would also like to learn these kinds of Amazing Tricks, consider becoming a Bengal Foster Home. It's easy, they are generally lovely kitties, who find homes quickly, you just need a room for them, and it will do your heart good. (the Hard Cases are sent only to willing homes of crazy people, like me) Save a Bengal today!











Love and Raining Cats and Dogs,
Lorraine

Very busy this week, and not so much feeling chatty. Or witty. Or, dare we say it, even brilliant. Got nothing to write about here folks, nothing to see (no pics, get it?) move along... Most days I could knock off a really fun blog post about anything at all, say, Cabel having a sleepover tonight, but the words are failing me.

And the dogs, for their part, won't DO anything exciting. Like last years sleepover, now THAT was a Party!

Can't recall if I ever posted this before, but I've been reading a lot of Don Marquis lately, and I think I will let his words by my post tonight, as he uses them so perfectly. Some nights this is my favorite poem ever, so here you go...

i was talking to a moth
the other evening
he was trying to break into
an electric light bulb
and fry himself on the wires

why do you fellows
pull this stunt i asked him
because it is the conventional
thing for moths or why
if that had been an uncovered
candle instead of an electric
light bulb you would
now be a small unsightly cinder
have you no sense

plenty of it he answered
but at times we get tired
of using it
we get bored with the routine
and crave beauty
and excitement
fire is beautiful
and we know that if we get
too close it will kill us
but what does that matter
it is better to be happy
for a moment
and be burned up with beauty
than to live a long time
and be bored all the while
so we wad all our life up
into one little roll
and then we shoot the roll
that is what life is for
it is better to be a part of beauty
for one instant and then cease to
exist than to exist forever
and never be a part of beauty
our attitude toward life
is come easy go easy
we are like human beings
used to be before they became
too civilized to enjoy themselves

and before i could argue him
out of his philosophy
he went and immolated himself
on a patent cigar lighter
i do not agree with him
myself i would rather have
half the happiness and twice
the longevity

but at the same time i wish
there was something i wanted
as badly as he wanted to fry himself

archy

Lesson of the Moth, by Don Marquis

Love and Moths,
Lorraine

Sunday here, and it seems to finally stopped being fall! I was kind of confused this passed week, with temps in the low 60's and dropping to upper 40's in the night. I will NOT turn on heat in July. What is UP with this weather? And no cool storms for Weather Girl.

My bed was warmer last night tho. Little Queen Mab slept with me! And she has been delightful, since becoming MY Cat, she comes to the stairs when I call, and follows me everywhere, and lets me pet her.

This isn't surprising, I knew she would make a good pet, but also that Lear needs her, NO separating them. Funny thing is, she bullies him! Shamelessly. Hadn't noticed that before.

King Lear, I ignore. Completely. This makes him VERY curious.

Not all roses tho. The other night Lear ATE a picture of me and my sisters from when we were young, and then they shut themselves in the bathroom. They seemed happy in the morning to be let out.

Now that I have decided that they ARE my cats, and my heart can get involved, I am very committed to taking them as far as I can. Not that I wasn't before, and I am still very certain that IF I can ever bring Lear to trust and accept me, it will be only me, and that there isn't anyone else for him.



Here's my Horsie, Anamontana at the show today. I didn't ride in it, but had a fine time, hanging out and helping where I could. This is Brandon, trainer Mel's son, up on her, for a Western Class. (Cool Son. Gets UNDERWORLD like I do and seems happy to delve in and talk about every little thing as long as we have time for, I don't find that in MANY people. He writes too, and reads like a demon. Smart kid. You'll be hearing from him, I am sure)

(And just in case his sister Jeannie says "HEY! I rode in the show today too and got ribbons even tho I was on a Totally Crazed horse why aren't I there?" that would be because you hate it whenever I take your picture, you SO rocked on that horse!)

(OK, and to the other brother Joe, let's just say he is cool too but I don't know him as well. Love this family tho. I wouldn't be with horses if it wasn't for them, and that means a lot, that they help me so.)

Just now I am watching a Gene Simmons Family Jewels marathon, and let me say, it's just about perfect.

The Bengals tho, are not interested, and have decided to sleep.

Love and Lazy Sundays,
Lorraine

Since I have no cool new pics today for you, I am using some of Nathilie's (Spacedlawyer here, @spacedlawyer on Twitter)that she took while she was here a few weeks ago. A Series I like to call "Our Animal Heads" Lots of bits and pieces today, so....



If you are reading this on Saturday, I have a gig tonight in Stillwater, at Charlie's Pub, which I think is really going to rock. 7:30 to 11:30. There is a crazed Wedding in the Hotel tonight and they all came in last night and we fell in love. Total Irish Music Fans who seem to think we are the best thing ever. Clearly, they have taste. If you are around, come down, because it will be some fun. And I'd love to see you!

If you are reading this on Sunday, you missed a REALLY great gig.

I've been doing this Stupid Fiddle Player trick using two bows lately, which started the Fiend weekend, and which I thought would end badly when I tried it, but turned out to ROCK. Tonight, I will try THREE Bows! Can you say "Wall of Sound?"



Really fun Bee Blog up by the Birdchick. She talks about our Bee Interview with MPR the other day. It hasn't aired yet, and of course I will be mentioning it when it does, but you can read about the Adventure of it now on The Birdchick Blog, and see cool pics of Beth (AFP's Really Cool Assistant, who was out last week)



It was great to meet Beth last week. We've, as you can imagine, been working a lot together lately. We talked us some Assistanting we did, which is not something we get to do with many people. If you aren't doing the job, you can't know what it is like, and if you are doing it, you KNOW what it is like. (It's a lot of things and I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China) We traded a lot of Secret Assistant Knowledge, back and forth, and I learned a lot. Like "How to set up and share a Google Calendar" If that isn't the coolest idea ever, I don't know what IS.

I was suspicious at first, as the first time I tried it a couple years ago, it did nothing but confuse the HECK out of me, but it seems to have been streamlined somewhat. Thanks Beth!



If you can't COME to the gig tonight, send me lots of messages to read on break, I like it when you are with me! Remember, due to my current tech set up, I can READ comments posted here on the blog, but can't post. I can post on Twitter, tho I can't READ replies I get there.

Love and Animal Heads,
Lorraine

I have been doing a lot of thinking these past couple of weeks. The kind of thinking you need to do sometimes when you have to decide something that is going to effect you for a long time to come. And last night I came, not without regrets, to a decision, and wrote to Janet, head of Great Lakes Bengal Rescue and resigned as a Foster Home.

I don't have the room.

The good news is that The Royals, King Lear the Huge and Little Queen Mab have found a home. A Forever Home.

With me.



The more I read the blog I wrote, looking for a home for them, the more I thought: That is me they are looking for.

I have been looking for myself.

And I think I have found it.

It's a little nuts, I admit, but it feels so very right, I can't deny it. Sometimes listening to that voice within is hard, but if you do, it will become REALLY clear.



The Sanctuary exists for Cats of all kinds Wild, who have NO other options. Lear is not aggressive with me, has no Pee issues, and trusts me somewhat. Sending him to Sanctuary would break that trust and send him to live in a place where he WOULD be safe, but never know love of a person, and if they went, would deny two cats who had NO other options a place.



I can't do it. Break that trust and send him away, making him someone else's problem, simply because I don't want two more Bengals and don't want to be bothered? And exactly HOW do I look myself in the mirror after doing that?

Yes, he is an Early Gen Bengal who may never be ok, may never trust completely, and will be a lot of work. But they do HAVE an option, and it might well be I can do a lot for them. Might well be I am meant to.

I think at some point, everyone has to stand up and be counted, and how you will be counted means everything.

If you have to do something because it's the right thing to do, you need to do it, or be counted among the "I can't be bothered."

That's not me.



I can help in so many ways still. The Twitter I did about the Boy in the Michigan Shelter who was going to be put down, resulted in someone driving 4 hours to save him. He got adopted last weekend.

My "Fiver for Hope Plea" resulted in monies to pay vet bills for a dumped kitty and her kittens, all of whom have homes now. I still have over $400 AFTER paying vet bills, ALL of which will go to saving Kitties who cross my path.

My "Any Amount Any cd's" promotion (which is an offer that is still in effect, by the way) where people send monies to GLBR in exchange for my cd's raised huge $$ for GLBR, at a time when they needed it badly. Send something, drop me a note. I send cd's.

I can't Foster any more Bengals, keeping the Royals, but maybe someone will read this, and decide to become a foster home and help. To make up for them losing me. Most Bengals we get are lovely, have no issues and easily find homes.

Maybe someone will see this and want to help too. And send GLBR something, in celebration of King Lear, and his Friend, Queen Mab, finding a home. A token, a dollar. Five. Doesn't matter what amount, just something to say you care too, and want to be counted.

donate@greatlakesbengalrescue.com

There's a saying"When the Gods close a door, somewhere they open a window." Today, I closed the door between the floors in my house.

And opened the door to the room where the Royals have been living.

Because this is their home.

Love and I have two new Bengals,
Lorraine

I've downloaded these in a somewhat random order, all the pics of the Bee Adventure with The Birdchick, and Bill. We will see what we have going on here...



Ah. The bees have been building some Funky Comb, meaning on top of their frames. We scrape this off, and put it in front of the hive. I don't know WHY it goes there, but it makes for a lovely picture. Bees were everywhere.



Here is the Birdchick and Bill looking like Mad Scientists. Bill may BE a Mad Scientist, besides being the genius behind the movie THACO, hard to tell. But in this case they are building, on the Marble Table Hans made, some Ross Rounds.

Ross Rounds are what we call the frames that Bees build honey in we intend to steal and leave in the comb, as opposed to extracting it for pure honey. The Marble Table was something Hans dreamed up after he found a huge piece of marble behind the shed. Of Course.



When we want the bees to Move, we Smoke them. This, theoretically, makes them think a fire is coming, and they go into the hive. Personally, if I were a BEE, and had WINGS, it would make me think "I AM SO OUT OF HERE" but that's not what happens.

Here we are trying to get them to do IN so we do not squash them as we put the top back on. Mostly worked.



This one is meant to be me being mystical, thru the smoke, conjuring up serious Bee Magic, in an attempt to make some art, and bring the Zen that is beekeeping into a photo, for all to feel. Or something. I think.



We added out first Honey Super! That means the bees have enough of their own honey to live, and we can put little boxes on and have them fill it and steal it for our own personal enjoyment. The bees don't really MIND. They make honey. They're Bees. They will keep doing it as long as they have room to grow.

If they run out of room, they Swarm, which means Queenie takes off with half the hive, and looks for a new home. We hate this. Unless they call us to come for a Swarm. Then we will get excited. Yes, we are on Swarm Patrol. (Real thing, people, kid you not)



And finally, if there IS a chipmunk in there, Cabel will find it. I think Mr Chipmonk has as much fun with this game as Cabel does. He never catches them, so it seems as safe enough amusement...

Love and Bees,
lorraine

I was talking with Christopher Moore today, and he referred to himself as a "Famous Unknown Author". Well, says I, hardly. You are brilliant, talented, hardworking, witty and I am certain read by millions. How could you not be? Your books are wonderful! I love them, read them many times, you are so very in MY top 10, how could you not be at the top of the list of discriminating readers everywhere?

So my question: Do you know and love Christopher Moore's Books? Have you not heard of him? (If not, remedy that, and quickly. Seriously, you have a Feast waiting for you)

If you have read him, I know you like them, I know your tastes that well. I am no good at writing on why I liked a book, or what makes a book a good one. I only know I like this guy. He makes me laugh, and his books are so well thought out, plotted, his turns of phrase sparkling drops in a thunderstorm, his words put together like the sweet way Hagen Daaz does their Coconut/Pineapple ice cream, his sentences flowing in a steady stream that might well go anywhere, he's like some sort of Demonic Genius.

Ok, see? That may have come out out wrong.

Well, he reminds me of Eddi Izzards Comedy.

By that I mean, you know how well Mr Izzard does that thing where he has so many threads going on, like a juggler throwing balls into the air, more and more, until you have forgotten when there were only a couple and at the end, he brings them all back in, with a finish that is more that a Big Finish, the sort that leaves you in awe, cheering his stream of thought, which has the intelligence of Einstein, and the Madness of a poet? Never dropping a one and dancing all the time?

Ok. Better. That's what I think of Mr Moore's writing.

(We will have to see what Mr Moore, who is no doubt reading this and shaking his head, thinks of my rants on his work. Maybe he doesn't WANT my help singing his fame and praises to the world.)

What Christopher Moore books do you like best? I started with Practical Demonkeeping, his first, and moved on from there, and actually just started You Suck What is it exactly that makes them so good? At what point are you there with him, and not just visiting the book, but have taken up residence? Which did you like best?

If you haven't read him, I know the things these Fiends are going to say, will talk you into it. If I haven't managed to.

I am currently in charge of yet another teen gathering, (yes, it is getting to be a habit) and so have some time to chill here before heading home. I'd thought to take pictures of the New BenchCouch and talk on that. (made for me by my Neighbor especially for the Scream Porch out of Cedar, a wonder of brilliance and craft) but it looks like I will be home to late for that Blog, and so, since I have been thinking of Mr Moore's books all day..

We will speak on those instead.

Love and Great Writers,
Lorraine

Taking a few minutes while the shoot is going on in the next room to post some pics from last night's Jonas Brothers Event....



The first thing you need to know was that it was a really, really fun concert. I loved it and had a great time. They're really good and put on a truly impressive show. And they're great guys, really nice, who take the time for their fans. And, I think, truly understand how much they mean to their fans.

They have the most elaborate rigs I have ever seen, (Show takes 42 trucks and 170 people, I think I recall Kitty saying)it's done as theater in the round, with a main revolving stage, and two satellite stages connected by walkways. And RAIN comes down on one of them, during one song, and spells out words. (Ok, sure, I use one of those with Paul and Lorraine)

GREAT backup band too. Two violins, full horn, keys, bass, I think. Joined by Jordin Sparks, who can SING. (And looked like a REAL women with curves, NOT fat, just normal, which a very cool thing for all those young girls too get to see.)



Here's my Posse hanging on Kitty's Tour Bus, with our Kitty there in the background. She arranged for everything from the tickets, to the Sound Check Party Wristband, and Meet and Greet Wristbands, my Pass, some signed Tour Books for the girls, and sent us home with more Back Stage Food than you can believe.

She also put me to work, which I minded not at all. Too cool seeing the workings and logistics of a huge stage show, like this one. I may be a tour manager in my next life. (hey, if I can herd cats, I can run a tour.)

The Girls had, and I quote: "The best day of our lives ever!" and I have to tell you being group hugged by four teenagers who have just seen their idols, is NOT an over rated experience.



Here they are waiting to meet the Boys, with Back Stage Water. WAY cooler than just water water. Sadly, the girls couldn't come back, except for the Meet, as policy says No Teens. Which, is understandably, probably a very good idea. Security would be far more difficult.

They were slightly indignant that I had got to see a Jonas Bro (no idea which one) playing ball, and had said hello. (told them it didn't count as I hadn't KNOWN he was a Jonas Bro) and had provided cranberry juice for another.

(Them: WHAT DID HE SAY??? Me: Uh, "Do you have any cranberry juice back here?" AND THEN WHAT???, uh, Thankyou?)

I wished so they could have been there too, and tried to soak it in for them. I can't describe how fun it was getting to see everything from four pairs of young eyes, who were being in this place for the first time, if you see what I mean. They had so much fun, and I loved every minute of it.



Here's some dancing on the Blue Screen, (run by the posse's new best friend Owen) and apparently, we will be getting some vid of this, which ought to be fun.

They got a bit cheated in the food department, the way things worked out, tho of course we smuggled them some strawberries, chocolate and brownies, but they were starving on the way home.

But fortunately, we had PLENTY of Back Stage Food to nosh on. Bagels, cream cheese and little steaks, courtesy of the Jonas Brothers.

Perfect.

(Thanks, Maddy. You rock my world!!!!!!!! xxxYour Quiche)

Love and Teen Concerts,
Lorraine

Ah home...Rather long-ish day, filled with many Assistant Things. One of the nicest was meeting Laurel K. Hamilton's assistant on the phone, and finding, as Anne of Green Gables would say a "Kindred Spirit". I like that women, she's another me, and we had a fine talk about, well, Assistant Things.

I also spent a lot of e-mail time with APF's Assistant who is coming to visit me for some Assistant Boot Camp. She's another Me too, but hasn't been doing it as long. I am going to impart to her the Secret Assistant Knowledge. It Is Time. Her life will never be the same, but she will be stronger for it. Yes. She will join us.

(One piece of Secret Knowledge I will impart to you is that Assistants really DO run the world. Remember that.)

Mostly calm night here in the Spooky House. Came home to Screaming Bengals who told me in no un-certain terms that they had been left alone all day with only horrible dry food, and coming home at nine and making them wait for dinner was NOT OK.

I stepped outside to talk to some passerby's BEFORE feeding them, and you might have thought the world was ending. The passerby's certainly did.

Venus was so pissed about this she escaped out the door, and ran up the street half a block, found a neighbor cat and chased her all over, until she realized she was out of her territory, and then RAN back to the house screaming all the way that this was all MY fault.

We drew quite a crowd. I was thinking of getting my violin and calling it a gig. My nightly homecoming is becoming a Neighborhood Event.

After dinner Mim had a game of I Am Under The Blanket And Will Get You. Need a thicker blanket. Not MUCH blood was lost, but more than is fun.

Judging from the noise on the porch, Magic is thinking of replacing Tommy Lee as lead singer of Motley Crew. That cat can SING. (Both of them, Magic and Tommy Lee)

Yes, all in all, a lovely, calm evening after a long hard day of work.

Lear ate chicken from my hand and was nearly social. Second thoughts? I keep reading my last post and thinking Hey, that's me they are looking for. I don't want five Bengals.

Do I?

Tomorrow, I take for teenagers to the Jonas Brothers. Cool, actually, I can't wait. And I get to see Kitty. We start, apparently, with the Sound Check Party. Did I mention the bit about seeing Kitty? Really miss our Kitty!

Love, Assistants and a Rather Long Day,
Lorraine

Ok, Gentle Readers....Here's the situation.

As I spoke on in last nights post, The Royals, King Lear the Huge and Little Queen Mab, my fosters need a home. We have heard back from the Sanctuary, and they can take them, tho as always, they have not much room. I liked the letter we received from them, and I have been thru their website, and read everything I could find on the internet, and am satisfied they are a wonderful group, who do great work and the Royals would be well treated. (Go and read on them, amazing people)

But my heart would be happier if they could go to a Home and find their person.

Read on, and if you think you might be this person, or know them, please write to me at fabulouslorraine@gmail.com

1. You are a women. Sorry guys, King Lear can't handle men. You would need to be single and planning on staying that way, or part of a secure long term women-women relationship, perhaps. NO children.



2. You are not a student or someone whose future plans are uncertain. This MUST be a final home for them. You should live within driving distance of the Twin Cities, MN. I can't fly these cats anywhere.

3. You have no other pets. Lear and Mab will need everything you have. And a lot of it. You will need a lot of time with them, and a lot of patience.



4. You need to be aware that Lear is an EG Bengal, an F2. If you did not understand that sentence, these are not the cats for you. Lear, and Mab have serious trust issues. You will be starting over with them. And I can offer you NO guarantee they will turn around for you. I have had no success in getting them used to other women here, tho they have responded to me, and may, when with another women only, respond to her too.

5. Ideally, you will have had some experience with exotic cats, EG Bengals, or Bengals and/or animal rescue and working with damaged kitty minds. While later generation Bengals ARE domestic cats, the early generation are much closer to wild animals, especially when they come from breeders who don't socialize them properly, and have been thru several homes, as these have.



6. You need to understand that Lear and Mab will never be cuddly cats. They are not cute little kitties with spots. They are not Leopards who will love you. If you can win their hearts, they will bond with you. But only you. If you think living with a semi-wild animal is a fun adventure, you DO NOT understand what you are getting. That is the biggest problem we have in Bengal rescue with EG's, people thinking they are getting leopards who are tame, and when they act like wild animals, GOSH DARN, they can't handle it.

7. You will need to convince both myself and Janet, director of Great Lakes Bengal Rescue, that you are the person to try this. We have a lot of Bengals in foster homes who would make wonderful, lovely pets. A later generation Bengal may be the best idea you ever had.



8. Lear has never been aggressive with me. I can pet him while he eats, he does play, he seems permanently worried, and is very protective with Mab. No litter box issues. Eats anything and everything.

9. I don't have the time to keep them on a permanent basis. They need someone to be THEIR person, who is devoted only to them. Magic, my F1 guy who I have been working with longer than the Royals, has more special needs that the Royals do, and he takes what spare time I have. I am succeeding with him, as you know if you read this blog, but he will never be a tame kitty. And indeed, if he had claws, I would not be able to home him, he does swipe at me. Lear and Mab never have, and as an F2 Lear is a gen further off ALC than Magic. Mab is a sweetie, she is timid, but you will most likely win her easily. They MUST stay together.



10. You REALLY REALLY need to understand that I mean every word I have written here tonight. You can't go into this with any illusions. I believe it is POSSIBLE that they can bond and love and trust, but only possible. Don't think I am kidding. You can't have these cats if you are not as I have described. They WILL NOT work with men, kids, other pets, or someone who does not know what they are doing, or what they are getting into.

If you are the person I am looking for, please write to me.

Love, Lear and Mab,
Lorraine

I've got a decision to make, and a bit of a dilemma. Been talking to Janet from Bengal Rescue tonight (Our Bengalgirl)but might as well talk to you too, since I am home. Maybe someone has an idea.

It's King Lear, one of my Fosters that we call The Royals.

You may remember they came to me in October, having been adopted from a breeder, Lear and his friend , Little Queen Mab, by someone in Chicago, then when she couldn't keep them, they came to rescue, then to another home, where it became quickly clear it wasn't working out.

King Lear is an Early Generation Bengal, F2. He wasn't given proper care when young by the breeder, in terms of socializing, and the EG Bengals often can't go from home to home well, especially when they end up with people who don't know what they are getting, except that it is a "Wild Cat".

Later generation Bengals are wonderful cats, and they make lovely pets, if you have the time for them, and understand them. I can't stress enough that the early generation Bengals REALLY need special care. They need it from the moment of birth, and good breeders know this, they handle them right, and place them in homes with people who have the experience to handle them.

They bond with the person, most often THE one person hard. Trust comes hard to them. The later generation ones do too, but can, tho they are scared, make the transfer to a new home, with the right people. We have very few instances where it doesn't work.

I think Lear has never had reason to trust anyone.



Queen Mab is very sweet, and tho timid, could easily make a wonderful pet. I had hoped, working with Lear, that he could too. I am starting to face the fact that he will not. I can't re-home this guy. Whoever we place him with, and it would have to be someone very like me, would have to start over again, and he would be one more person down on the trust scale.

I've been trying to introduce, slowly, other women to him. We know he doesn't like men at ALL. He will have none of it, even with women, tho I have done everything possible to make this a good thing for him.

He trusts me. It worries him, but he trusts. I have never had a reason to be afraid of him. I pet him, and play with him. He takes care of Mab. He will not come out if there is another person in the house, let alone his room.

Nathilie took this from a fair distance, with no flash, and this after spending some days coming into the room, putting out the food, talking softly.

Not exactly a poster child for "Adopt me Please"



He's too wild. And don't get me started on what I think of the people who breed these guys then dump them. I could never adopt him with someone who didn't understand the score, and I could never guarantee their safety, not if he goes this aggressive. He is huge, and could seriously hurt someone if he felt threatened enough.

In talking with Janet, we have come to the point of some hard choices with him. We can adopt, save, and send onto wonderful homes most Bengals. But not Lear, who like Magic, is out of options.

He can go to a sanctuary. Or perhaps a good breeder will give him a home, he'd be in a kennel, but he would live, as the third choice is he will need to be put down.

The biggest problem is that I told him I would make it ok, and that he would be safe with me.

And he believed me.

I am really open to ideas here, tho I am pretty sure I know what I need to do.

I hope it can never be said of me I broke a trust.

And I hope it never will.

Love and Lear,
Lorraine

Home for a few minutes as someone is coming to look at the kittens! Fingers crossed, they may have a home!

Also, in a further update, I do not have poison ivy on my BUTT, but rather, when Boss looked AT THE BACK OF THE TOP OF MY THIGH, he said he thought they were Spider Bites. This does not comfort me. I mean, how did I MISS that???? You'd think one would notice.

I have a gig tonight, so no new post will be happening, but Nathilie sent me this, she got it from our lurking friend Martha from Estonia, and it made me laugh so hard, I thought it might do for a post.

What's the Only thing funnier than the Nigerian Businessman/Royal Family....

Sent: Friday, 3 July, 2009 15:45:11
Subject: Please help!

I am Fluffy ... A Kitten's Guide to Nigerian Tuna Spam
Fluffy
Lagos Cat Pound,
Nigeria

Dear Good Christian Friend,

I am Fluffy, the favourite kitten of the late president of Nigeria. As you know my late master was very very rich man and he left me all his tuna. But, as kitten, I not allowed to have fridge of my own.

My good friend, there are many many fishes and without more fridges tuna go bad. I eat as many as I can but I small kitten and much sick. So I write you, my very good friend, as your name well known in Nigeria as godly person with many fridges.

If you help store my tuna I give you 20% (TWENTY AMERICAN PER CENTS) of each fish - including heads.

Please be writing back soon. Weather hot and there are many bad cats looking with the eyes at my fishes.

Your good friend,

Fluffy

*** nicked this from my LJ friend Chris Dolley's journal.


Love and Haste,
Lorraine