Today Misu discovered IMAX for cats, i.e., my desk window.  Right outside were ravens eating the turkey scraps I had thrown out there.  (I’m still working on raven photography, a tricky skill.)  A warm laptop and a panoramic view of nature, what more could a cat want?  Well, obviously, to be on the critter side of the window!  But the other night, a big pack of yapping [cat-eating] coyotes camped out right under our windows again.  She became very agitated.  One big reason for cat large-screen TV.

Imagine if everyone just stayed home on Black Friday, didn’t shop online, and only patronized local small businesses.  Just a thought on a non-eventful erev, with instant reheated leftovers, and Misu relaxing under the table.

Maybe turkey doesn’t in fact contain more L-tryptophan than other foods, but you could have fooled Misu.  This is her on turkey.  She almost fell off the shelf.  Normally she’d be begging for more cat food, but today she’s a shelf potato.  Maybe it’s the taurine fix.

BTW, PSA–the safest way to serve turkey to cats is to lightly simmer the giblets with NO seasonings.  Onions and garlic are toxic to cats.  Do NOT give cats bones, fat, or skin.  For dogs, mostly the same goes, plus mix the meat with some rice.  Cats are carnivores, dogs are omnivores.

Here are E’s famous deviled eggs, plus turkey-day dinner of champions for humans–a serious imperial stout.  (Oh, and a turkey and sides were featured, as well.)

Outside, it’s an amazing sunny 64º, after raining all night.  The colors are, if not dazzling, still eye-catching.  Indoors, some culinary arts by E are happening. This was her infamous savory Italian Florentine pie, and these are her equally famous homemade egg noodles, drying.

Tomorrow is T-day.  It will be quiet and non-eventful, just us, which is fine.  Avdi is traveling up to PA to spend the holiday with the kids.  I’m just thankful he’s alive and well, and getting to be with them, which doesn’t happen very often anymore.  As long as he’s out there somewhere, I’m okay.

Here is Misu and extreme fog.  Or my brain in the morning.  You decide.

Whatever weird thing attacked me the other day, and left as mysteriously as it had come, I’ll never know, but I’m still not out from under its influence.  I feel exhausted, slightly confused, and just not quite right.  I literally lost a day and am still catching up.  I hope it never revisits.  I’m so thankful for the presence, patience, and assistance of my brother, B-I-L, son, and E during that inopportune timing.  Somehow they bore with me when I suddenly became a helpless zombie.  It was like a living wake.

Happily, it’s raining, with more to come, while still in the 50s/60s out.  The leaves are seriously falling or fallen now.  I’m glad I live in a place where leaves are allowed to rest in place and improve the natural environment.  I’m also thankful for a quiet, non-eventful upcoming turkey day, the very best kind.  I’m a little sad my dwindling family won’t be  in-state for it, but they have their own families to be with, as it should be.  Some folks don’t have any such thing, as we know only too well.

I’ve been venturing back outside, since my recent horizontal state.  It seems to be back to “normal” seasonal conditions outdoors as well, which is pleasant, with falling leaves and occasional rain.  Misu continues to adjust to house arrest, entertaining herself with live-streaming squirrel tv.  Impeachment hearings continually play in the background.  One can dare to hope that justice and sanity will prevail after all.

I think I’m back after an eventful few days, during which a much-awaited (first) visit from my brother and brother-in-law (R&B) from CA happened, and (unrelated but inconveniently) I got deathly ill and couldn’t even get out of bed.  I don’t know what awful bomb hit me, but I’m still shellshocked from it!  I’m  very thankful for their and Avdi’s extreme thoughtfulness and help, and not least of all E, who lost much sleep to caregive both me and our guests.

I can’t leave out Misu, who faithfully stayed with me the whole time, knowing something was not right.  I did get some much-appreciated quality if not quantity time with all my favorite people under one roof.  I know I’m very privileged.  Misu took to The Bobs immediately and thoroughly, as I knew she would.  Just as with Avdi, she recognizes blood relations and senses cat people.  Here she is staking her claim.

We survived the Deep Freeze, and all the snow and icicles are finally melting.  Here’s how it looked pre-defrost.

We’re busily preparing for a very special guest appearance–my brother and brother-in-law (R&B) will be visiting us for the first time tomorrow!  E cleaned the whole house and baked challah, while I did other preps.  It smells pretty fragrant in here.  Misu galloped from room to room, supervising (when not watching “squirrel TV” out the window).  It takes our minds off the national news streaming in the background.

I harnessed up the sled dogs, stashed my whiskey, and slogged up through the wintry wilderness to the mailbox and back.  (The tracks are actually from the recycle bin.)  I brought back some snow for Misu, but she was not impressed.  She’s quite fine with being snowed in for the duration.  As are we.  Here are more scenes of autumn in the south.