A Very Simple Montana Christmas

My sister and I started a new life in Montana this past July. We live right on the Bitterroot River where I see the bald eagles fly almost every day and hear the grand chorus of coyotes singing at night. The glorious snowy mountains are right out my front door and I feel the presence of God all around me.

We have no Christmas decorations, no lights, no dinner to make. But on a whim last night about 7 p.m. we cut some sprigs of thyme....

placed them in a vase and found some pom poms, kitty beads and bells...

 I made a tiny tree skirt....

Mary Sue added this one little very old rudolph ornament that she brought with her (that she glued a shiny red nose on - and it even glows in this pic!) 

and voila!! A LOVELY tree - and OH SO fragrant! 

Here is the night version.

And here is the absolutely stunning kaleidoscope version that we almost fell out of chairs over when we saw it! (I use Pixlr - a free online editor and had never tried this effect before!)

Then we sang and laughed until our bellies ached. Only my sister and I would ever be able to have such a spontaneous joyful moment together. The love runs deep in our blood and we thank God we share the essence of Christmas together - a love for our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

When all is stripped away at Christmas, and you have nothing but the simple beauty and depth of relationships to glory in, it's not hard to see the importance of that One special baby born this day long ago. 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas. And a kinder 2013 to America. 

I love My Pets Jubilee Teammates !!!

I received my fun and practical giftie yesterday from my secret Santa and it couldn't have been more perfect!! 

This is part 2 of Carole's gift that arrived today (12/24)! Look at ALL these handsome piggies! And I was just complaining to myself the other day about not having enough magnets on the frig! Ha! Thank you SOOOO much - such a perfect gift! 

lovely modeling by Tooey and Chubbs!

I'm looking forward to another wonderful year with my true BFs in 2013!

Felt Christmas Doggies For Your Tree!

Here's a few Christmas items I've been adding to my Dogbarks shop!  

Isaac

Angel 

Bing 

Some day I hope I have a whole Christmas tree decorated with little felt dogs and cats! 

Meet a Rescuer on National Feral Cat Day!

Today, October 16, is National Feral Cat Day. Visit Alley Cat Allies to find out more. I thought I would add this to yesterday's post for extra emphasis!  

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About The Feral Cat Rescue Project

The Feral Cat Rescue Project photo blog is an attempt to document the lives of feral cats and their plight. I do my best to feed and care for them, and to protect them from danger. The Feral Cat Rescue Project is not a 501(c)3 charity; it's just the effort of one impoverished artist.

~ Chriss Pagani

Today, October 15, 2012, is Blog the Change for Animals. There are many many good people out there who engage daily in selfless actions to help change the course of life for many of our furry and 'unfurry' friends. I want to highlight one of those people.

Chriss has literally given her all for the care and feeding of the feral cats that she has devoted her life to. Through her beautiful photography, she has allowed a glimpse into the lives of those that are too often considered unworthy of a place on the earth. Her own tragic background has perhaps allowed her to experience a deeper empathy than most toward the plight of these kitties. The loss of her own cat several years ago certainly played a large part as well in her current efforts to provide a safe place for these feral felines. 

Flojo

She has captured and neutered dozens over the years through the help of a local vet and used to house them in an old trailer on her sister's farm property. Sadly, an electrical fire earlier this year wiped out the trailer and as of this writing, I am not sure if she has yet found a place for the 30 or 40 that depend on her to winter over. But she continues to feed and care for them as best as she can through her sales of her art and photos and donations of other caring cat lovers.

Her blog header states:

Photos of feral cats and rescue cases. Full of beauty and sadness, feral cats are not trespassers nor are they alien invaders: feral cats are part of our natural world. This photo-blog documents the lives of feral cats; raw and real. It is not a place for studio portraits or carefully photoshopped pictures of fluffy purebred kittens. Real life is not always pretty, as you will see. This is the feral life.

Please visit her blog. You will find many gorgeous photos as well as her full story along with links to her art and photography and other selling venues. I included a couple of them here. And please consider a donation. A little can go a long way! 

Where to find her art, calendars, and other items for sale:

Fine Art America 

2013 Feral Life Photo Calendar

Zazzle T-shirts and Cards

God Bless you, Chriss! And thank you!

My Warm & Fuzzy Prezzie!!

I received these super cute fingerless gloves in the mail today from AnnieKDesigns! It's been very cold here in the mornings, and the room I sleep and work in gets down to the 50s at night and takes quite a while to warm up during the day. I can't tell you how much I appreciate these! They even match the long underwear I have – LOL! Thank you, dear friend!

If you want your own pair of very cool and cute fingerless gloves, visit her shop HERE. 

Cat-themed Apparel and a Real 'Cat Bird'!

I've been busy with custom orders in my Catcalls shop! Lots of fun!

Doofus Pet PJs. Do you know why they are 'doofus'?

And a cool Halloween skirt for a party.....

But what is this?????

Poor 15 year old Nipper! 

Fall Hunting Stats

Hunting Stats 9/22/2012

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The Mystery of the Half-Eaten Green Pepper!

Hmmmmm...I wonder what happened here?

Can you put Tooey's adventure in the greenhouse in the correct order?

Add any of Tooey's thoughts, if you like, as you solve the mystery!

Correct answers will be entered in a drawing for a special Halloween-themed cat or dog surprise!

A

 B

 C

 D

 E

Be sure to leave your email address in the comments (if I don't have it) along with your answers and if you prefer a cat or dog themed surprise in case you win! Guessing is open until Sunday, September 16, 11 p.m. EST

Winner will be posted on Monday.

(I still love you, Tooey!) 

Thoughts on Truth and Character 9-11-12

Thoughts on Truth and Character 

9-11-12

It is not the things that are seen that are important. 

It is the things that are unseen. 

The unseen is what lives on.

It is the depth of character of a person that is imparted to the things that are seen that give them beauty and meaning. 

America is beautiful because it was built by people of character who lived principled lives based in unchanging truth.

The ugliest house can be the most beautiful home because of the people who live there ; 

But the most beautiful house can be the ugliest of homes for the same reason. 

Homes last forever - houses can be destroyed.

America will only be as great and beautiful and lasting as the people who live there. 

America as a house is not worth defending.

America as a home is not worth giving up. 

America will be the Land of the Free only as long it is viewed by its inhabitants as the HOME of the brave. 

Bravery is founded in truth and acts, even in the face of fear.  

For many today, bravery is a word and concept.

For some, it has been called upon in defense of ill influences on their home.

For a few, we can only hope and pray it was not in vain. 

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Today, there are many who live because people of character acted. Instantly. The truth they lived by was deeply embedded within their souls, so action in the face of fear was carried out. 

Today, we see a memorial that is only beautiful because of the character it represents. The elevation and memorializing of truth, as seen in these acts of bravery and self sacrifice, is meant to spur us on to continue to stand for those truths. But if we take away truth, what is left? Without truth, without a standard, without a plumbline - there is nothing to attain, nothing to defend, nothing to live for. 

Truth is unchanging - otherwise it is not truth. 

We hold these truths (fidelity to an original or to a standard) to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator (not a man) with certain unalienable Rights (not to be separated, given away, or taken away) that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

It is because of these truths, that we are America. It is because of these truths, that we have built people of character in this land. 

Today we salute those who loved truth so much that they deemed it worth their lives. 

Bathtime for Tooey!

Ya know - I really don't like these. My mom thinks they're necessary for some reason. For cryin' out loud - I'm a guinea pig! Who cares what I look (or smell) like! 

And they're embarrassing!

I mean - how many people do YOU allow to see you while dripping wet with your fur (clothes) on? 

Well - at least I'm good for another month now. Stress - no one ever thinks about the stress we guinea pigs must suffer....bad for our health....shortens our lives....probably our fur too. 

Agility Competition with Sissy and Wandering Freddie

This morning I made what I hope to be my annual trip over to the big brown barn to watch my fellow Etsian and dog-lover, Bree, compete with her dogs in agility classes. This was the first time I had seen Sissy, her Blue Heeler mix, compete. She is two years old, so friendly, and full of energy! 

Sissy may not have had the best day following the courses, but she sure had fun! AND she made it through the weaving poles which is something that she has seldom done. Way to go Sissy! You can watch her as she she slows down to go through them toward the back of the arena. 

My video of Freya was not very good, but she had a bit of an off day today as well. Oh well - two more days of running are yet to come, so we will wish them luck! 

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Now this little guy...

(View here on Flickr since blogger won't load it!) 

is Fred the doxie-mix. I think he is one year old. He was a riot!! He really needs no intro as he has only one thing on his mind...F-U-N! Go Freddie GO! 

Bree works 40 hours/week at her regular job in an organic agriculture department AND spends almost as much time per week working at Etsy - PLUS she finds time to train her two dogs and compete them. She's pretty amazing! 

It was great to see you! I was highly entertained! 

You can visit Bree's shop, Freyasstudio, and find beautiful handmade collars and leashes for your dog. 

King Chubbs on Greenhouse Duty

King of Greenhouse......???

Can we get an assistant in here? 

Chubbs - KING of Greenhouse

I am Chubbs.

King and Guardian.... 

of Greenhouse. 

I earn my keep. 

Unlike other certain habitants of this household.

Kings must be paid for their services. 

NEVER interfere with a King and his Nip Bit!

Then they retire to bask in a chosen sunbeam. 

The Feral Cat Rescue Project: The World Is Brand New

The Feral Cat Rescue Project: The World Is Brand New: For the tiniest tabby feral kitten, the world is brand new. It's full of things that never happened before; full of new discoveries and adventure.


Please visit the above link to see the full story. Maybe you know of someone who is looking for a kitten within 50-100 miles of where Chriss lives in Oregon. Please spread the word!

"A fantasy of mine is for them to get a loving home together. But that's silly. It's like dreaming of winning the lottery. However, sometimes hope is all we have." ~Chriss

Burr-Butt River Queen

I am Nipper - Queen. After 15 years of life, I should be -  don't you agree?

Today, I went out to do some exploring and to claim the Bitterroot River as my own. The humans got a bit worried since it was in the 90s. But I am a tough old cuss.

I seem to have picked up some foreign matter on certain parts. 

Upon closer inspection, it appears to be burrs - hence the Burrbutt title. 

But my owner did not want me to be shamed, so she quickly removed them. 

Now it's time to retire to MY spot for the evening.