Thankful Thursday

Everyone is thankful here today because, after days on end of rain and grey skies, the sun has finally come out! So... the cat run is once again open for business!

We are also thankful that we had very handsome visitor:

And that our apples are ripe and delicious!

As for Tommy, well, he is thankful that everyone else is thankful!

My World Wednesday

Tom: I thought I would do something a little different today and show you a little bit of my world here. We live at the end of a lane that's about 1km long. It meanders down gently and on both sides are fields. There are just three houses where we are. Our cat buddy, Basha, lives in one, and in the other are my girlfriend, Damia, her big sister, Puce, and two kitties, Grisette and Manoushka.

I am very lucky in that I can run free most of the time, and explore at will. Here is an early morning view from half way up the lane:

Here is a picture of me romping in the big field:

And one of #1:

The area we live in is known for its gently rolling landscape. You get very few big open views.

Right next to the big field is another big field. Last year, there was a Percheron mare and her foal there but, this year, it's these beauties:

Two lovely Charolais cows, and their calves!

Of course, the charms of the fields are not all large-scale. This time of year, the spider's webs are amazing. Take a look at this hammock!

And this year, there have been more ladybirds (ladybugs) than ever before!

I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of my world!

Tama-Chan Tuesday

Tama-Chan: After some lovely weather in late September, things have definitely turned autumnal. It poured with rain all day yesterday. I still demanded to be let out into the run so I could check for myself whether it was raining there too. Sadly it was. Sigh.... So in the absence of outdoor activities, the next best thing is to supervise #1's work:

In this, I was not alone...

#1 would just like to mention that she spent yesterday cleaning her desk and it does not look like that anymore (everything is on the floor instead, he he he....).

Now let's zoom out a little further...

I bet you're wondering where THE BIBI is? Actually, he was in the hammock you can see in the top left corner of the photo.

We just wanted to mention also that our Yuu-Chan is back home at last and resting in peace, next to Sen-Chan, in the garden he loved so much:

In case you are wondering, it is legal in France to bury a pet at home, as long as the animal weighs less than 30kg (66lb) and the land belongs to you.

#1 has decided that Yuu-Chan's last, beautiful collar, would be her new everyday bracelet:

Bibi is desperately trying to catch the mouse on the screen (when he does, he licks it... sigh...) so we will leave it at this for today.

Manly Monday - And Then There were Two

Tommy: Since there are just two of us left for Manly Monday now, we feel we must make an extra effort to be super manly. That of course is not a problem. I have a wonderful series of manly shots of me that have been taken over the past week.

First off, I had a fabulous romp in the Big Field when #1's friends were here. I hadn't been in it since early summer and there were so many wonderful smells!

I also got to visit a wonderful medieval garden. This is the pond where the monks raised the fish they ate:

And here I am showing our guests around the actual garden bit:

And, finally for today a great shot of me following my nose!

Bibi-Chan: It is a huge responsibility to be the only Mancat in the house and, actually, I am not sure I even qualify. I am 10 months old today!

I am a humble sort, you know...

But I like a good laugh now and then...

I am fierce as I lie in wait for bugs that are hiding in the lamp...

I like to play in boxes....

I am THE BIBI!!!!

Here is hoping you all have a great week.

Snuggles on Sunday

Tama-Chan: As Sei-Chan said yesterday, we have all been doing our bit to help #1 and ourselves through the loss of our beloved brother, Yuu-Chan. So, we have been spending even more time than usual snuggling this past week.

I had a mega-snuggle session with my sister, Sei-Chan:

Bibi-Chan had his usual snuggles with Tommy:

And he also snuggled with #1

As did Tommy:

We don't want to seem morbid but we do have one last photo of Yuu-Chan to share with you. On one of his final times out in the garden, #1 put her hand out to him and, as he always did, he put his paw on it. She managed to get a picture which she will of course always treasure.

Remember to give everyone you love a big snuggle today!

SEIturday Support

Sei-Chan: I have been on a mission this past week, Dear Friends, a very important mission. You see, of all of us, Yuu-Chan was the one who snuggled with #1 most, and so we can imagine just how very much she misses him. That little pest of a Bibi-Brother of mine sleeps tucked up against her at night, under the covers, but it's not quite the same. I have therefore made it my mission to stick close to #1 at all times so she never feels lonely. She has not managed to get any shots of us snuggling together, but it has given her the opportunity to take some nice portraits of me!

And here I am, giving my invaluable assistance to her work...

Until that Bibi butted in...

We are also aware that today is LIVE STRONG Day and would like to lend our support to a great movement.

In less than two years, we have lost two beloved siblings, Sen-Chan and Yuu-Chan, to feline leukemia, and #1's father lost his battle with cancer in November 2001. We hope with all our heart that this illness, in all its silent and awful forms, will be fully conquered very soon.

#1 took this photo of a yellow late-bloomer in the big field a few days ago:

And this in the medieval garden she visited with her friends this week:

Frootbats and Friends on Friday

Tama-Chan: We are glad to be back among our friends again, although we feel it may take us a few days to get our proper "blogging paws" back again.

#1 tells me that I am particularly good at posing for photos. Maybe it has rubbed off from my boyfriend, Misha (Where are you, Misha????). Anyway, I have a Frootbat offering for you today:

And here is my boy, Bibi, with his rather impressive set:

This next photo of Bibi and Sei-Chan is rather poignant as you may remember we put up a very similar photo just a few weeks ago, with Yuu-Chan also in it.

We do have one last Frootbat photo of Yuu-Chan to share. It was taken just a few days before he left us for the Bridge:

On a happier note, Tommy has had rather a good week with lots of playing with friends. His Boxer pal, Eve, was over at the neighbours' for a couple of days, and they had their usual blurry-fast chases!

He made his biggest friend yet, a young Newfie called Alaska who was rescued by a really nice guy who tends the medieval garden in an ancient abbey that is now a museum. Alaska spent a whole year at the local shelter before being saved.

And Tommy even got a kiss from his girlfriend Damia when he and #1 went to have coffee with our neighbour Ms. N: