Manly Monday Mauling

Genji: Meee-Ows, Everyone! I am kicking off today's post by showing you what an amazing host I am when we have guests. Yesterday, #1 hosted a bunch of her cousins to lunch and as soon as the first cousin arrived, I hurled myself at him in welcome!

Of course, later on, I had to spend quite a bit of time cleaning my furs…

It's hard work being a host!

Da Beebs: I have a rather romantic photo for you today:

#1 says she loves the way the sun is shining on my furs…

Did someone talk about bathing? I think elegance in bathing is so important!

Vidock: So, I returned as planned to my regular field yesterday. It was hard saying goodbye to Uncle E.  He told me I had been a very good boy!

But it was also fun being back in my big field!

Tommy: I got to supervise the lunch yesterday!

And after our guests left, #1 took me for a long romp in the fields as it had stopped raining!

PS: We were very saddened to hear that Harlow and Monty's (How Sam Sees it) little newborn human sister, Anabel Rose, flew off to the Bridge yesterday. We would like to send her parents, Christine and Aaron, our deepest condolences. We have no doubt that Sam was waiting for her and is taking really good care of her.

Our Sixth Blogaversary!

Tom: Six years! It was six years ago, on a Sunday just like today, that we wrote our very first post! Back in those days, it was just Sen-Chan and me, and you can find that first post here.

We were wondering how to do this anniversary blogpost and we thought we would look back on the posts that cover our arrivals. Of course, Sen-Chan and I were already here when the blog started (Sen-Chan arrived in October and I arrived in December, 2007), so here are a couple of pictures of us from around that time.

Here is a pic of #1 with Sen-Chan, taken on his first (and sadly only) birtthday, on July 9, 2008:

And one of me showing my best smile, also taken in early July 2008:

The next one to join the Poupounette was Tama-Chan, in October 2008. Here is her first post. And here is a pic of her from that week:

We lost sweet Sen-Chan in January 2009, and little Sei-Chan moved in with us in March, initially with her mother, and initially thought to be a boy! It's hard to pinpoint a debut post, but here is one celebrating her SixWeekDay! She was almost too cute to bear, and her Mama, Viña del Mar (who just happens to be Tama's GrandMama!), was a real beauty! Here are the two of them:

In October of the same year, we were really lucky to welcome another red Aby, Yuu-Chan, who turned out to be one of the sweetest kitties ever. He had stayed at Poupounette Central several times with his siblings when very little…

He is the one on the left in the photo above. He moved in with us full-time in October 2009. His introductory post is here.

Did we mention that Yuu-Chan was sweet? Everyone adored him, Here he is with Sei-Chan:

When Tama-Chan came to live with us, the deal with her breeder was that she would produce one litter of kittens and then be spayed, and all the kittens would go to him. Tama-Chan had her litter of 4 kittens on December 4th 2009, and one of them decided, as soon as he could see and walk, that he was staying right here. Thus Beebs joined the Poupounette Gang!

Da Beebs has always been here, so we'll use the first SoS he featured in, two days after he was born, here. And here is a pic of him with his two brothers and sister, taken when they were just over three months old. Da Beebs is wearing the collar:

Yuu-chan was felled by the same awful FeLV as Sen-Chan in September 2010. We were all heart-broken. A couple of weeks later, #1 introduced the latest member of the Poupounette Gang, the first one to reside "extra-muros". The Big V (who was little back then) was introduced in this post. Back then, we thought that Vidock would grow to be 16 to 17 hands high. He is actually closer to 18!

I was, and still am, the only one who actually got to "hang" with Vidock:

It took more than 18 months for #1 to even consider getting another kitty after Yuu-Chan went to the Bridge, but in July 2011, our little blue boy, Genji, joined the family! You can read his first post here. He very quickly made himself at home!

We thought the family was complete then, but there was still a very large surprise to come! We had been writing in the blog for some months about the mare who was abandoned in the field next to the house when, finally, #1 decided to adopt her in March 2012! Our sweet Violette introduced herself to our readers in this post. Initially, she was only supposed to stay for a while, but she turned out to be a fabulous foster fail!

Here is a photo of #1 with Violette on the day she moved to her new home:

With Violette's arrival, we became eight, including #1. Four girls and four boys for perfect balance! We love blogging and sharing our adventures with friends across the globe. Long may it continue!

Now, we wanted to do something special to celebrate, something that would have the "Poupounette Stamp" on it, so we are holding a Blogaversary draw with, as a prize, a Vidock lucky horseshoe which we will happily ship anywhere in the world. Here it is:

This shoe is extra special as it was worn by Vidock during his training to drive and log! If you would like to be entered for the draw, please leave a comment. You can also enter if you leave comments but do not have a blog!

Swinging SEIturday!

Sei-Chan: After several weeks of fine weather, we have been getting thunderstorms and some heavy rain. In addition, the French Air Force fighters have been practicing their flyovers for the July 14th parade in Paris right over our heads! So, it has been a little on the noisy side (don't even get me started on the owls in the attic!). Well, maybe just a bit… Here I am relaxing with #1 when they started screeching again:

Anyway, you know that my sister Tama-Chan prides herself on her dangling efforts but I wanted to show you that I too have some talent in this field. Here I am showing off a lovely dangle from my perch in the kitchen:

As you can see, it is an unusual widespread paw dangle!

Now here is an intricate outdoor "in-between the planks" dangle!

And now with the addition of the widespread paw effect:

And also the "no dangle" effect!

#1 did some tidying up in her bedroom and a spot underneath one of the chest of drawers opened up:

As you can see, she hasn't tidied up everything. She does need constant supervision…

Have a great weekend, Dear Friends! And come and see us tomorrow because we have an extra-special post to celebrate our six years of blogging!

Vidock and Violette Vendredi

Vidock: Studly Neighs, EveryFriend! I have been continuing to make progress in my logging activities and everyone around me is impressed by my huge strength! I can now pull logs that are 400-500kg (around 1000lb) as though they were just little twigs!

Behold the mighty stallion!

Back view:

"Getting Hitched"!

Intricate Maneuvering:

My "basic training" with Uncle E is now deemed to be complete. I passed all tests with galloping colours! I am due to return to my regular field tomorrow for a bit of R&R!

Violette: Pretty Neighs, Dear Friends! Well, I got my nails done as planned last Friday:

#1 was very proud of me because I was really good for the farrier, even when there was all that smoke!

Here is a picture of me getting brushies from #1 that we haven't shown you before. My outstretched neck is a sign that she is hitting a really sweet spot!

Oh, and here is a fun thing! #1 went to an agricultural fair last weekend and she met two of my half-sisters there! We have the same Mama! They are both quite a bit older than me, but please meet Mignonne and Neva!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Thankful Thursday

Genji: Every day, on FB and on blogs, we read about kitties and woofies and other animals who are looking for homes because they have been abandoned, or never had a home at all, and we realise how lucky we all are to be safe and loved at Poupounette Central.

We realise what a luxury it is to be able to just hang out together, watching squirrels or birdies, or just napping…

The Big V, Vidock, is thankful to have the guidance of someone like Uncle E who appreciates him, even when he is being a little bit naughty…

Sweet Violette loves being loved and is always thankful for her treat bucket!

Sei-Chan is thankful that she can lend #1 a paw with writing blog posts!

And Tommy is of course thankful for #1 indulging him in endless playtime!

And we know it shows she is a little bit strange, but #1 was thankful for these beautiful Normandy milk cows she got to see at a local agricultural fair the other day. She says she finds them simply stunning!

Woofie Wednesday!

Tom: Guess what? The farmer has finally been cutting the hay in the fields around our house. It was so high that it was almost impossible for me and #1 to play ball, so we are both very relieved!

This shows you the difference between the cut and not yet cut bits:

Waiting for #1 to throw the ball!

Wheeeeeee!

Finding a green bit on the edge to rest for a moment:

The weather is supposed to stay nice for the next 2-3 days and then we may get some rain. I am planning to enjoy every sunny moment!

Tama-Chan Tuesday

Tama-Chan: It's still sunny, Dear Friends, and you know what happens around here when the sun shines, don't you? I am always the first one to gallop over to the cat flap into the run in the morning, and of course, I get served my breakfast on the ledge there!

We have a rather nice structure in the run that looks a little like a bookcase, and we can hop into the various levels and sit in the shade when it gets too warm!

But, as you know, I simply love to explore the heart of the jungle!

#1 told you, didn't she, that she has turned over her old desk chair to us now that she has a new one? This of course in no way means that I don't get to try the new chair!

And I must say that I am once again developing an interest for the great outdoors. Don't tell my son, Bibi! When I was a little girl, I "HouTamaed" several times and had to be rescued from various trees...

By the way, I am happy to say that #1 has tidied up the porch.

And I can always sit and dream as I supervise #1 at her desk!

Manly Monday

Da Beebs: I hope you will agree with me, my friends, that true manliness lies in knowing how to enjoy the good life! I spent all of Sunday afternoon in the sky hammock in the cat run!

Let's hear it for a hammockful life!

But one does need to get down occasionally and check on what is going on at ground level:

And then come indoors for a well-deserved rest!

Genji: Whilst some enjoy hanging from the sky in their hammocks, others are hard at work…

…investigating:

#1, I think you're going to have to do something about this ivy!

Tom: Can you see me now?

Maybe they will make hay this week?

#1 wanted to share with you this little conversation she had with me. First, there was this photo:

Upon which #1 says to me "Tommy, why are you looking at me like that? Anyone would think you're worried about something. Can I have a smile, please?" And so…

Don't you agree that I'm a pretty good guy?

Vidock: Studly Neighs, EveryFriend! The other day, Violette was going on about getting a pedi, but she wasn't the only one. I got one too! Here I am going down to the salon with Ms. S:

First the farrier has to take the old shoes off:

Don't you just love all the smoke when he fits the new shoes? It's like magic!

I was a really good boy and did not bite the farrier's bum… Neeeeeeeeeigh!

Have a great week, everyone!