Now that I am fairly sure it is really spring in our part of the world, I've moved some of the Cat Trees out to the Scream Porches. This makes for a New Chair in the Corner where the Cat Tree was. You can see it in the picture above. It is important to establish whose chair it IS, and Venus knows she looks good here.


Mim has been going a bit bonkers. More so than usual. She really wants to be outside, which is not safe where I live. She gets leash walks, and I am getting a new Cat Wheel for her to run on. (I'm going to fix the old one, and see if the Royals or Magic would like to run) I brought her a "new" cat tree from Magics room, thinking it might give her more fun. It worked.


Magic, as you know, has his own room and Screamed Porch. (Obviously, Underworld is his favorite movie. I think he has five posters now.) I put up a Scream Door on the door to his room a couple months ago, in hopes of starting to get him, Venus and Mim a bit used to each other, and give him more to see. Seems to be working.


I've been closing off the basement and letting him out from time to time for some Family Time. Today was the best yet. Venus and Mim don't attack him, but they do bully him, and chase him back. Today they were pretty tolerant.



Magic, as a lot of you know, was a Rescue, from Great Lakes Bengal Rescue. I was his last shot. Death, or cage. Those were his options when a shelter in Madison called us. I know I say this a lot, and actually I wish I could get it on the Breaking News somewhere, but Early Generation Bengals are NOT pets. Later Generation F4 or higher, yup, great pets, kind of extreme kitties, but kitties.

Magic is an F1. Half Leopard. If you have an Early Gen Bengal and want to debate with me and tell me how wonderful your Kitty is, well adjusted, fun, playful, GREAT. Congratulations. You obviously know what you are doing.

The problem is, especially for those of us in Bengal Rescue, is that most people Do Not.


Whom ever first had Magic thought they were getting a Leopard who would love them. I'm sure he did as a kitten. They hedged their bets tho and had him de-clawed on ALL FOUR paws. I am sure when he hit teenage Leopard he started to change. Probably peed everywhere. Most likely didn't feel real safe. (Having no claws and all) So they gave him to a friend. And another. And then I am really pretty sure he no longer felt safe.

He ended up at a shelter who were really pretty sure they couldn't adopt him anywhere.

This happens a lot.


Early Gen Bengals are far more timid than the later ones, and need to be socialized from a very early age, a good breeder will bottle feed them, to help this. They also will BOND, generally with one person. Or another cat of a person isn't available. They are very vocal, they make an astonishing range of noises. They can growl like, well, a Leopard when it is feeding time. They can get aggressive. If they are bored. In a bad mood. Scared.

They need a lot of time and patience, and very often, that is simply NOT ENOUGH.

They can react quite seriously when frightened. In the wild, a Leopard that doesn't, is dead.



These are truths about Early Generation Bengals. I am all for the later generation, F4 and higher. Foster one. Read on them. There is a truth to the saying "Once you go Bengal, you never go back." They make wonderful pets. (In the right home, know what you are getting)

I love all my Bengals, but I wish the people who had Magic, and Lear, my F2, had known what they were doing when they decided to bring a Kitty that is too much a wild animal into their lives.

Because it is their life too.

Love and Magic,
Lorraine

I went Wildflower Hunting with The Birdchick yesterday, with a Side of Mushroom Hunting. We don't hurt them, more of a shoot and release. Had a great time, didn't know there were so many WILD Flowers out there. I wish to steal some and take them back to my Spooky House. They appear to have no problem growing anywhere, which is what I am needing.

(That and Green Grass which is what I am needing here if anyone has ideas.)

Some mushrooms can be eaten. Some not. It is REALLY important to know which ones can, or cannot. Puffball, Morel, Hen of the Woods and Sulfur Shelf can be eaten, and might be tasty, if you like that sort of thing. It is also impossible to mistake them for the Evil ones that will kill you in seconds.

No one ever said the woods were a friendly place.

These ones are NOT on the approved kindly gentle mushroom list. They were however, beautiful. Beautiful. And deadly maybe. When you find these sorts, take a nice picture and WALK ON...



The Bee News for the day is we are not getting our Russian Bees after all. We were meant to have them last year, and kept getting put off but were told FOR SURE we would have them this year. Then the excuses started again, they claimed the spring there had been very COLD, and they were behind but soon. (This only after me sending them about 8 emails)Same as last summer.

Quick trip to Wunderground.com showed us their spring had so far been well above normal, and a little Googling brought home the fact we were far from the first people who had problems with this company.

Rats. (A stern letter later brought the response that we are getting a check back within a couple of days.)

Now as anyone who works with Bees learns, quickly, you need to order Packages (Bee term for Box-o-bees with Queen) in the fall. End of April is far too late to try and find anyone who has packages left.

I called or emailed every Russian Beekeeper that I could find on the internet. I got helpful "well, try these people" and "Are you kidding, little late aren't you" "Well, those Russians go fast" Actually, I spent about 3 hours talking to a lot of really cool Beekeepers who would have helped if they could have. Most didn't have ANY Bees left.

One did. Making their last delivery next week. Not Russians, we'll have to wait to try them, but Italian (Apis mellifera ligustica) and Carniolan (Apis mellifera carnica Pollmann) bees. It seemed a shame to have the new hives, and be ready to start up some new bees, only to be thwarted again.

So next Wednesday, we get Boxes-o-bees. Via UPS.

Bet they don't wait till the end of the day to deliver....

Love and Nature,
Lorraine

If I had my camera with me today I could have taken some wonderful photos, but as ever, it tends to be at the house I am not, and despite having nipped into work for dog care this morning, I failed completely to return with it, SO...We make do with two more Photos by Cat Mihos.

And we make do well, I believe.

I let Magic out of his room this afternoon, with the basement closed off. Venus didn't LIKE it, but other than chasing him back into his room when ever he crept out, she didn't do much. He even lay down across the room from us, and Watched us!

I think it is good for Magic, getting out. Venus and Mim bully him horridly, but they don't hurt him. Which is good, he has NO claws, front or back (Not MY doing!) so if they were attacking, I wouldn't be able to let him have Adventures.

For those of you who are new, Magic is an F1 Bengal, a rescue, who was in pretty sad shape when I got him a year and a half ago, very scared, of everything and everyone. He will never be "Normal" (What Bengal IS?) but, slowly, he is moving towards it. He took meat from Cat's hand, in that picture above, which was a first, from anyone other than me. Even coming out when other people are in the house is huge. He has his own room and Screamed Porch.

I would love it if he could live in the whole first floor with Venus and Mim. Hence, the letting him out experiment.

Venus kept coming to me tho, frantically trying to explain I had LEFT HIS DOOR OPEN!! And Magic had got OUT and I should DO SOMETHING about this.

She would then go and chase him back. Which is good. Magic is getting FAT.



My next door Neighbor was mowing her lawn when I came back from the Grocery Store, I stopped and waved. She made Strong Women gestures. I pointed at the Lawn Service Truck across the street, who were doing mine and made Victory Women gestures back.

I would feel more like I should be doing my own lawn too if I didn't know myself better. Quite frankly, I don't see it happening. Even with help, getting my wee landscaped (And I use that word loosely) garden beds in order is going to be all I can manage.

I have no order and sense when it comes to these Gardens. I just sort of Plant things and hope for the best, with no sense of What should go Where. I have the colour thing down. Everything I plant is purple or white. And someone has promised to come next week and take care of the Weed Things, so I will have ROOM for more, uh, purple and white things.

We have a Garden Event every year in my town. The 20 best gardens are selected (PICKED would be the wrong word, wouldn't it?) THREE of these last year were on my block.

I like to think of my place as "Before"

But maybe this year...

Since I don't have to mow.

Love, Loose Leopards and Gardens,
Lorraine

WHOA! That's not mine, I have NO idea where that came from, I would never!!! Besides, even if it was mine, it's a toy, what could possibly go terribly wrong...???

Ah-hem. Here in the Spooky House with Kitty (Person Kitty @neverwear who does in fact RUN Neverwear...)We have some Bengals, a fire, Jammies, a bit of chocolate and some Fritos. My kind of evening.

A tired one too after this past week, but all is well now. Hence the Jammies, fire, chocolate et al. Went birding, or more specifically Woodcocking (which is nowhere near as naughty as it sounds) with The Birdchick tonight too. No Woodcocks came out and did their thing, but much fun was had, and our faith in the Birdchick remains unshaken. Next time we will have, uh, Woodcock. No doubt.



More pictures from Kitty! Above, we have F1 (meaning the little guy is half Asian Leopard Cat) Magic. He isn't sure about most people, myself included, but has come so very far from the poor kitty who hid under his Ottoman, in his cave as it were, for months. Now he will at least talk to us. Yes, talks. All. The. Time. A cat of very many words Magic is. Mostly they seem to concern what he has eaten, and when he might likely to be eating again.



This is Mim. Mim say "I AM MIM AND I HAVE HUGE PAWS AND EYES LIKE JEWELS AND I WILL WATCH YOU!" Or something like that. Might just as easily be "You look tasty" for all I know...



And Freaky Venus. First Bengal. Best Bengal. My love my heart. That one sleeps with the moon and dreams of trees.



This makes me very happy! Lear and Kitty have sort of a THING going. They love each other. Kitty went with me a year and a half ago, to Chicago, to pick up Lear and his friend, Little Queen Mab. I think he remembers she was there, taking him out of the place he hated so badly, where he was sad for some time.

He's not now. Here is is eating from her hand.

And that's worth everything.

Everything.

Love and ALL my Bengals,
Lorraine

Here's the Updated Breaking News on the Getting Boss to the UK Saga...(And a Lovely Picture of Bengal Venus in case you aren't into travel)

We have decided against the Private Jet, as yesterday afternoon, UK airspace cleared. Boss already had a ticket departing today (And I am holding one for tomorrow JUST IN CASE) The problem I saw was that if airspace hadn't cleared, for today and tomorrow, he would have had his flights canceled, and been put on the next available flight to the UK.

Which would have been next week sometime. Flights were sold out until then.

The private jet would have taken off 6 hours after air space cleared.

You have to think this way in Assistanting World. It's like playing a game (Heck, SEVERAL games at once) of 3D Chess. You have to look ahead and see every possibility. See where every "What if?" could possibly go. And have a Plan for that.

He flies today.

Had a moment of complete disbelief this morning when I went to check him in for his flight and it wouldn't go thru. This would be because "Business Class taxes had not been paid and the UK now charges them"

I have been on the phone with, yes, I will mention the name, thank you, DELTA, 7-8 times a day since the dear little Volcano erupted. This MIGHT have been mentioned at some point.

Not. Funny.

Smelling a Very Large Rat here.

Oh, you can believe this has been dealt with.

He flies today.

You see, we (Us Assistant types) never sleep.

(Always wanted to say that)

(And if we do it's with Blackberry. Not a French Speaking Law Enforcement Officer who also happens to do Roller Derby)

(Hey, just thought I would throw that out there....You never know.)

Love and Airlines,
Lorraine

Hello anyone trying to get to the UK, or back to the US from the UK!

Our Travel Agency has booked a private jet. Details below. There are still about 50 seats left on this plane.

Please contact: Bettianne Belzano at bbalzano@ovationtravel.com if interested....


We have confirmed a 737 plane at our disposal to pick up or take passengers from Newark to London.
* Basically the plane will leave here 6 hours after the skies are cleared.
* People in London can expect to depart 12-18 hours thereafter.

The plane is fitted in all coach - rows of 3 and 2 seats each. I have upgraded meals to be along business-class standards, but there is nothing we can do about the seats.

The price would be $2000.00 all-in ,per person assuming we fill all 174 seats.

To get things straight, first of all, we need to be clear, or there will be NO end of confusion. Kitty, who is also called Cat, and who is also Boss's assistant and one of my BFF's (Yes. I can say BFF if I want to. Sometimes I do. If I want to. I mean, if I feel like it. So there) She also runs Neverwear, which is very, very cool. As you know. If you don't, I have handily linked it. If you do, you should check back and see the new THINGS she has lying around the shop.

My Bengals also are called, at times, Cat or Kitty. So to keep things straight, we will call the Person Cat/Kitty "Kitty who is also Boss's Assistant" for short. And the Bengals can be Cats or Kitties.

Are we good?



Kitty who is also Boss's Assistant is a photographer, among other things, and she was the one who took the pictures today. You can tell, they're in focus, framed nicely, kind of tell a story....

Like these first three. I call them Super Model Mim.



Cat was born for the camera (and remember this is not Kitty who is also Boss's Assistant, but my kitty who is a Bengal Cat. We talked about this. Follow along.)

She likes being up high. With Monsters. I can understand that.

(Kitty who is also Boss's Assistant is here all week. Expect more pictures. This makes me happy)



I got the Carnivorous Plant Wallpaper samples today. This is bad. It's even cooler looking at it for real than it was on the web. Bad news, if you recall exactly how much it was going to cost to paper the room. Am thinking quite seriously about doing one wall. The rest could be painted to kind of GO with it. And I could see it every time I went upstairs. It would make me happy. I would go with the green, after consulting with my colour expert. (Who is also my Boss and has really fine colour tastes. I've never gotten into trouble taking his advice. On anything)



The Royals, King Lear the Huge and Little Queen Mab, pictured here looking like Laser Demons on their Real Faux Fur Throw, love Kitty who is also Boss's Assistant. Lear especially. He is pretty scared of anyone else, except for Spooky Teen who cleans my Spooky House, but he really seems to connect with Kitty who is also Boss's Assistant.

And she with him. This also makes me happy.

She would take him home in her luggage in a second. Mab too. If Selena Kyle and Batman wouldn't object. And if the Treehouse she lives in wasn't kind of open, allowing for Kitties to walk about outside from time to time. And if she wasn't on the road so much. And have other people around.

But other than that, she IS the only person I've ever found who could love Lear like he needs to be loved. Or rather, who Lear could love like he needs to.



Lear is really special. Like Venus. He knows more than he says, and remembers things we have forgotten.

He listened to the stories, the ones told late, in secret places. He worries at times, still. Maybe because he listened so closely.

He has moments tho, when he is almost a cat, sort of. He head butts me in the morning, and walks up and down the bed, making his strange snuffling sounds. He tells me he is glad I am awake again. He suggests I could get up and make breakfast. At night he sits on the side of the tub and talks about how nice it is that I bathe with steak every night, while Queen Mab slinks about, glad simply her eyes are made of the green jewels.

Once in a while he Purrs.

And smiles.

This makes me happiest of all.

And finally (Edited to add) Just got this from Kitty who is also Bosses Assistant, Of Selena Kyle, a kitten for I met at the Shelter, who fell in love with Kitty, and she with her, and went off to live in LA with Kitty (and Batman). KNEW she was pretty darn special. Both of them.



Love and Cats of All Sorts,
Lorraine

This picture has nothing to do with tonights post, but I like it. And I had no other photos from today, which is what I am writing about. It should probably have a caption.

Today was all about Horses. Rode Dim, who is doing very well indeed, in the ring this morning. I really love that horse. He's going to be lovely. He learns. I learn. After that we went and trailored some Horses, me, Mel, Al and Jen, and went to what might be the coolest park ever, some ways away, for a little of what I like to call "Extreme Trail Riding"

Oh, I keep up with them. More or less. And I learn. The last time I rode with them, I learned about Really Big Hills, and how to get up them. And down. Today I learned about Bucking. That, for you non-horse people out there means the back end of the horse goes UP, while kicking. I learned about a little maneuver I like to call "Swear and Spin" which is what you do when they Buck. They didn't tell me to swear, just to spin the horse around and get after her. I got the swearing part all on my own. Came naturally, my horse repeatedly bucking while on a narrow trail, down a Steep Hill.

I learn a lot about riding. Every time I ride.

I learn a lot about life too. There are things you need to know:

Ride with people you trust. And ride Hard.

Sometimes there are going to be Really Big Hills. Go up them. Or down.

Make sure you notice how beautiful it is around you. And where there might be danger. Watch for both. All the time.

Fuck Fear. There's no room for it. Keep your heels down, sit back on your butt and remember everything you've learned. There is no place for fear. It can stop you. Face it. Head on. It makes you very, very much stronger. Put it away and go for it.

Whatever it is.

You want this feeling. Trust me.

Amanda gets it. And put it perfectly on her blog last fall. I never forgot what she said at the time. Neither should you.


i am not afraid.
fuck safety.
i rock on purpose ALL THE TIME


That's really it, isn't it? Rock, Ride, Write, Scream on purpose. All the time.

Love and Fuck Fear,
Lorraine

I promised last night I would do a lovely blog on our new House Guest, Pearl, who is, like Cabal, a white German Shepard, but I ended up at the barn tech'ing horses for Melissa (I know that's what we call it in music, no idea what they call it in the horse world, you know, getting horses, grooming them, saddling, lunging...) and got home with enough energy to feed Bengals, but not myself, and fall into bed. No blog.

My Boss however, was more on the ball. (Not unusual) Here is his BLOG on our new friend.

I know this first picture is Venus hiding in the Tube that Kitty From Neverwear sent her, but you didn't think I could possibly start with DOGS, did you????

Venus hides in there when she doesn't like her food. In protest. Venus is there a LOT lately, despite my best efforts.



Pearl is lovely. She belongs to my friend Melissa, and is only visiting for a while, until Melissa moves to her new place. Her manners are perfect, and she is sweet. I think Cabal likes her, but as my Boss said, is slightly confused.



They do spend time locked in what they have come, Cabal anyway, to call Doggie Jail. In the Kennel. Not all the time, it would be cruel to keep them locked away all the time, with no room to run around as they were meant to, in such a small space. Heh.



Yeah. The Ritz of Dog Kennels. Pretty SURE they aren't suffering.

Pretty sure I am liking having her around. And just as sure, on nights when there are meant to be storms, that I will be camping out at my Boss's, while he is away.

Speaking of camping, I do have something to tell you, so you can get used to the idea. Those of you who know me well know that "Camping" for me means waiting for room service at a hotel in the morning, but this summer, I am going to go REAL CAMPING.

Yes. In a tent. With the horses, and my horse friends, who apparently know how this works. No cell phone. No internet. No INDOORS! I worry slightly, but it is time to do new things, and this is one of them.

(Ok, re-reading that, let me be clearer: I do not believe the horses will get tents, not sure where they spend nights, but it will NOT be in my tent)

Love, Two Dogs and Adventure,
Lorraine

Darned if I didn't rock tonight. I am sure I did. Mostly. Packed house. And I had a lot of fun doing it.

One SMALL faux pas, a bridal party. I asked who she was marrying and she had her arm around a younger girl, and a lot of times I don't exactly hear what people SAY and sort of wing it....

I said "WOW cool you are marrying her, that is so beyond cool, go MN for gay and lesbian rights!!!!!! (thinking maybe I had missed them joining the sane states)

The entire bar cheered, loudly and long. Total GLAAD moment.

Except as it turns out, this was her new step-daughter. Fortunately, they thought it was funny and after yelling NO SHE IS MARRYING JOHN, they all assured me they were all for gay marriage, and thought it was all fun.

That's my band.



Here's Kylie, a kitten (not so much anymore) I rescued a while back and who fell in love with Cat-who-runs Neverwear and is also Boss's assistant. And she with Kylie. Kylie is now living the good life in the Treehouse with Cat and Batman. I am feeling another LA adventure coming on. Very soon! Miss that town.

I know I promised you an Ireland blog, as I am going there in October for Octocon, but my brain is sadly very tired. And I found out Octocon comes from October, and not Octopus. Well, yes, I am dissapointed about this. I had thought there would be Octopi, and panels on all sorts of marine life, but this does not seem to be the case.

I am sort of curious as to what sort of panels I will end up on. The first Con I was a guest at put me on one called "How I survived writing my first novel" which was darn interesting seeing as how I had never written one.

Not sure if I should offer them suggestions or let it all come as a glorious surprise. How about "Airlines, and how to smite them" or "Yes, Americans can learn to make a great cup of tea" or "Princess of NO, she only wants to be loved"

I am pretty sure I am going to have a great time, whatever I end up doing. I realize they are going to expect a modicum of knowledge about at least basic scifi/fantasy, and I can do this. I am sure of it. (uh-huh) Ain't going to be dull, no matter where I end up, I can tell you that.

I am thinking whatever Fiends are there can sit in the back with pens and big signs, when I get STUCK, you can write the answers on the cards and hold them up. All Ireland will revel in how savvy I am. Yup. Good to have a Plan.

One thing I really want to do, if I am there then is THIS Sign me UP!!!!!!!

Love and Late Night After Gig Blogging,
Lorraine

My comment was getting so long that I thought I might as well make it a brief newsy little post.

Last night when I got home from riding, late, after nine it was, after being at work since that morning, Venus and Mim came running up to the CAR! Mewing and telling me all sorts of things, one after the other in a jumble of mews.

This is bad, as Bengals do not get to go outside off leash. (Yes, they do leash walk, it's pretty darn cute) Their Scream Porch is very secure, but I'd left a Sun Room window open, and they popped that screen right off and out they went for Adventure Day.

Scary. I live in town, and they gots no clue. Most of my neighbors know my cell, and will call if they see them out (It happened once before, so I took steps) but no one must have seen them, so I had two wet kind of nervous Leopards greet me at the car.



On the up side, Venus ATE. I'd opened a cheaper can for Lear, who eats anything, and she DOVE into the thing. Then moved onto chicken. This is good as she is getting really skinny, and is going to the vet tomorrow. She looks like a Hollywood Actress, big head, lots of legs and teeny little stick body.

On horse news, sadly, Dim's back is bad again. I haven't been riding him, so that's not it, he's going to go to another farm and Mel is going to really work with him, build up some muscle and get him working correctly. We have some good hopes for him being just fine, but he needs work, and more than I can do for him.



It looks as tho I am trading with the Gentleman who owns the second farm. He has a horse that needs the sort of work I can do. It's Chanell, the horse I rode the other day. I'll take her and pay board, and work her, and they will take Dim for me, and Mel will work him. Ought to be a win-win situation, and when I get Dim back, he will be FIT.

Like me.

In other News, here's an interview I did for the Irish Scifi/fantasy Con, Octocon that I am going to in October: Read it HERE. Very exciting.

I think that's all the News for today.

Hope your day is a fine one!

Love and News,
Lorraine

I went for a trail ride today. To be more accurate, I went for two. I hadn't planned on even the one, and had even brought my camera so I could take pics of the lesson on long lining with Dim, but my Horse People Friends tend to follow the wind as it were, and I got to the barn to find AnnaMontana waiting, with two other horses, and since it was just the three of us, had to assume plans had changed.

They do that.

But it was lovely, a bit in the ring, and then out for a lovely trail ride around the farm, thru the woods, talking and relaxing.

Then they mentioned they were going to another friends for another trail ride, and would I like to come along? Well, sure, I thought, I can do this again.

Little did I know (Yes, I have always wanted to use that phrase in a sentence) I had not yet, ever, been on a TRAIL RIDE.....



Think about the difference between biking on a paved bike path, and say, Mountain Biking in Colorado. The Bunny hill and a Black Diamond, in Skiing. Jogging a mile and the Boston Marathon.

Uh-huh.

They don't mess around. They were very nice, and picked me a lovely mare named Channel, that's her in the picture above. They kept talking a "Hill" and saying how it really wasn't so bad, so many times I said "Are we talking a little trial by fire never hurt anyone here"

Uh-huh.

Yes, they said, you're going to learn to swim. (And not in the kinder gentler manner, more the "here's the deep end we are throwing you in" kind of way)

The thing was a small mountain. I couldn't believe one could get ANYTHING up it, let alone a HORSE. My friends were really wonderful and there are no other three people I trust more riding (Heh. They said) but they are Adventurous riders.

I am now too.

I got up it. And down the other side, which wasn't as bad, and even ran up yet another hill. Thru the woods, (and let me tell you the TRAIL part of Trail Ride has a wide interpretation,) until we got back to the bottom of the flip side of the Bloody Monster Hill.

Bad feeling.

Yeah. The Big Hill we came UP? Well, if you go at it the other way, it goes DOWN.

It's a lot like it was being covered in Bees for the first time. Sheer terror and disbelief, that one could GET ones self into something like this, followed by a strength, exhilaration and total new sense of, um, Superhero Power. I wouldn't have taken this ride a year ago. It took everything I had in my mind and riding ability to take it today.

I am sure there are any number of metaphors about Climbing Mountains and finding yourself, I can't seem to think of any just now, but I know they are out there. And like the first time being covered in Bees, I am not the same person.

I want to do it again. Only we will run up it this time, like two of my friends did.



We went to dinner afterwords in an old Schoolhouse Bar in, well, I have no idea where it was, as was proven when I got completely lost trying to leave the place, only got home because I accidentally FOUND it again, and went back and made them actually go outside and show me the darn road, but that's bedsides the point.

Had the best meal ever. (I think it was a cheeseburger)

And I rode a horse up a hill today.

Love and Mountains,
Lorraine