At last summer has arrived, and with it an end to the early morning drive to Chinatown and the classroom. The endless list of duties, assignments, arguments, complaints, accidents, packing, masks, moving to a new classroom, talking, listening, involvement. I kept our ship on course for 10 months, but now the passengers must find their own way. Captain Moss has pushed off and is rowing and drifting towards a new shore. Alone.
I am here. Home. Where the wind is blowing through the trees as I write this. Cool air is moving through the windows in the middle of the day. Squirrels are lounging on branches. I can hear acorn woodpeckers knocking and tapping. Just now a big butterfly on the porch. A yellow-green flurry of Jacaranda leaves rain down. The kittens are napping next to each other. Iris has her paw on Otto’s back. When I walk into the kitchen I can smell peaches ripening in the fruit bowl on the table.
How nice to rest in the quietness of this place right now. No one talking, asking questions, or needing anything.
I made a little accordion book from a left over scrap.
Lately, all I want to do artistically is map out the shapes of my new kittens. They are 8 months old now!
They aren’t shy around me anymore, but they run from visitors. Dear Iris has come such a long way in a month. She approaches me now for pets and doesn’t run when I approach her. Otto is like a lightening bolt. He is very wriggly. I have no idea how I’m going to get them into the cat carrier together next week to take them in for their first vet visit next week. Adventures!
If you’re a cat person the following info may be of interest to you: Otto had some digestive distress with a capital D (read between the lines here) which I’ve finally got under control. He seems to be very sensitive to ingredients in the food and treats. I’ve had good luck with Instincts Original pate: chicken for kittens, rabbit, adult chicken. Weruva pouches of chicken & pumpkin (stomach soother). Weruva Chicken Frick-A-Zee, Tiki brand pumpkin/wheat grass tummy toppers which I mix with the cans. But the food that finally seemed to get the smelly digestive issues under control were the Stella & Chewy free-dried raw rabbit morsels. I soak them in water and after about 15 minutes they gobble them up. I also just tried Smallbatch raw chicken sliders (frozen). I was going to supplement everything with dry kibble but Otto can’t seem to tolerate any kibble without adverse affects. Iris seems to eat anything and doesn’t share her brother’s sensitivity to ingredients.
I share all of that food-related information in case you are at your wit’s end with kitty digestive distress. You might want to give the Stella & Chewy rabbit a try. For now they are on a half raw/half canned diet. I noticed immediate improvement in Otto with the addition of the raw.
They are adjusting so well to Moss Cottage life and don’t even try to get outside.
Well, except when they do. Otto got the patio slider open last weekend. He was tempted outside by an orchid that was swaying in the breeze. Apparently he got the door open, knocked the orchid pot over, and brought the orchid pup inside to bat around. I caught him with it in the kitchen when I went to investigate. I have since created a duct tape locking mechanism on the screen door. No more funny business!
They are delighted by the windows and sit in them all day chatting with the birds and squirrels, when they aren’t chasing their tails or each other around the house. I also have several fishing pole contraptions, a zillion balls, feathers, and other toys. Jackson Galaxy on Youtube is my new cat mentor. I haven’t had kittens for so very long and never indoor cats so his videos have been informative and entertaining.
Otto & Iris are a JOY.
A balm to my school-weary soul.
I think of Wyatt every single day. He was not shy, but he was a stinker just like Otto when he was that age. High energy and full of tricks!
Little Iris lets her brother know when she’s had enough of his nonsense by hissing at him.
Otto is full of the dickens!
I’m so very glad I have both of them. I can’t imagine one without the other.
Little partners.
I am in the process of making a few videos to add to Oh My Gouache as I mentioned in my March post.
I will start filming any day now and will let OMG class members know right here on DFLA when I post those new videos to the class. This will take me a few weeks. Expect 3-5 new videos. It’s just a small update to share my current palette and how I’m working with gouache these days.
I’ll also let you know when I have our first Zoom scheduled. That will not be instructional, it will just be a chance to work together casually drawing and painting with gouache. Think of it as a playful art date. The fun part will be sharing out at the end. I’m thinking it will go for about an hour. I’ll try and schedule for 10 am PST on a weekend. I look forward to meeting some of you in Zoom! This might be live only and not recorded. It will depend on my new internet upload speed.
My internet is the slowest in LA. My download speed is 6 mbps and my upload speed is less than 1 mbps. You can check to see what yours is if you’re curious by running a speed test. I usually use speedtest.net. I’m in the process of switching providers.
Just to clarify, there is no additional charge for this OMG update, but you will need to be a current member to access.
ON MY BOOKSHELF
Enjoyed both of these very much!
Okay, it’s your turn. Tell me what you’re reading, how your fur people are, what you’re making, and how you’re living. All of it. Every last thing.
