Merci Turns 16

A special Saturday birthday post for our lovely Merci.  She was adopted on this date from the local shelter in 2003, possibly age 2 at the time, so Jan made this her official birthday.  That would make her about 16.. 

This is a more recent photo of her, probably within the last year.  She is showing her age even more today.

Merci:  Thank you for this lovely card Pipo, Mr Jack Freckles and Mom Ingrid.)

Merci:  And thank you Alasandra the Cats and Dogs.

What pretty cards.  I can't wait to open the presents you guys got me.  There are presents, aren't there!

Rusty:  Um ... I don't see any. Doe anyone know if we bought Merci a present?

Taylor:  Actually, we didn't have any money to buy her anything.

Micah:  I thought we were going to steal .. er, borrow some from Jan's purse.

Marcus:  We shook it and all that fell out were three pennies.  Amazon didn't have anything on sale for three cents.

Rusty:  But there's cake.  Surely there's cake. Noooo?  Cyndi is shaking her head.  Cyndi, weren't you in charge of baking Merci a cake?

Cyndi:   I was but when I tried to get eggs out of the refrigerator yesterday, a pineapple fell on my head and Jan yelled at me to stop bruising the fruit. What about the bruise on my head?  My ears were ringing for hours. 

Micah:  It seems we've failed to make your birthday a happy one, Merci.  We're sorry.

Buddy:  If I were you, Merci, I would refuse to turn another year older until Jan gets on the ball and gets you something worth celebrating!  After all, you only turn 16 once.

Merci:  It's okay, guys. You tried.  I don't really need anything except my family and you're all here. Except Jan.  Where is she?

Buddy:  I think that was Jan that just yelled "ow".  I wonder what happened?

Percy:  *cranes his neck to see into the kitchen*  I think the pineapple that attacked Cyndi yesterday just fell out of the refrigerator onto Jan's bare foot.

As long as we're posting on Saturday, we would like to join Athena's Caturday Art blog hop.  The first picture is a sketch.  Unfortunately, we don't remember what we used for the second.

Farewell 2016, Welcome 2017

Merci:  New Year's Eve is tonight, so we're posting our old standby graphic to wish you all the start of a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2017.

Micah:  While we're posting, we thought we would join Athena's Caturday blog hop.  We added a drop shadow to the original.

Merci:  To that we added HDRish.

Percy:  What is an HDRish?

Merci:  I don't exactly know.  I think it might be High Definition Radiation. 

Percy:  What does that even mean? 

Merci:  I don't know that either, but you know how Jan is always telling us if we don't know something to use our imagination?

Percy:  So you just made that up?

Merci:  Well ... maybe.

Micah:  And to Merci's imagination, we added Sepia and then Warmify.

Percy:  Don't tell me.  There's a heating pad under the graphic to keep it warm.

Merci:  It would sure be a lot safer than lighting a candle under it.

Percy:  I think you two are pulling my tail.



Visit Athena's blog for more Caturday art.

Merry Christmas 2016

Rusty:  Merry Christmas from all of us to all of you.  We hope you have a wondrous and blessed celebration of the birth of Jesus.

Percy:  We've been working hard to email our card.  If you haven't received one, we might have fallen asleep at the keyboard and sent it to outer space.

Merci:  Pssst.  I think you mean we might have sent it to cyber space.

Percy: Seriously!  Our eyes might be permanently crossed from cross-checking lists and trying to read Jan's handwriting so we don't miss anybody. 

Rusty:  Thank you for the lovely snail mail and ecards.  There is so much creative talent among the furry bloggers.

Micah:  This is Rudolph the Candy Cane.  We have been blessed with superb mail carriers since we moved here and Miss Vickie continues the tradition.  We know some people leave a card or a gift for their carrier but this is the first time we have received a card and a gift from a carrier.  Isn't Rudolph adorable? 

Marcus:  This is embarrassing. Don't you dare take my picture wearing this thing! 

Jan, please will you take off these silly antlers?  What will my fans think?

Help!  I'm being dressed by a crazy human with no sense of size. It's too big.

Yes, this is where they belong, on the floor being stomped.

Buddy:  You should have shredded them while you had the chance, Marcus.  Now Jan wants me to look "cute".  How does a guy look cute with a broken antler?

Marcus:  I'm going to report you to the Society for the Prevention of Canine Humiliation, Jan! 

Buddy:  Oh, please tell me the S.P.C.H. won't make this public.

Marcus:  No, I will not sit up straight and pose.  I look ridiculous. 

I don't care if it is Christmas, I will not wear your scarf, Jan.  Take it off me before I shred it.

Merci:  We don't usually post on Saturday any more but since we are today, we are joining Athena's Caturday Art blog hop.  We used a cross process on our Christmas card and added a frame.

Happy 14 or 15 Merci

Taylor:  I thought yesterday, July 22, was Merci's 13th Gotcha Day and designated 14 or 15th birthday.  Why are we celebrating today?

Merci:  It's okay.  You cats needed to do a fishy flake review.  I wasn't planning to leave for the bridge yet, so I didn't mind waiting an extra day.

Buddy:  Come on, everybody, let's sing for the birthday girl!

     Happy birthday to you- owooooh.
     Happy birthday to you - owooooh.
     Happy birthday, dear Merci - owooooh.
     Happy birthday to you - owooooh.

Merci:  Thank you, but it would have been okay to leave out the howling, Buddy.  My old ears can't handle those high notes any more.

Buddy:  And my old voice can't sustain the notes.  Good thing Jan didn't bake you a cake.  You'd probably pass out trying to blow out the candles.

Taylor:  Since we're posting on Saturday, we thought we would join Athena for her Caturday Art blog hop.

Buddy:  And what better art to play with today than Merci's birthday card?  This is a sketch. 

Taylor:  Thirty seconds after Jan made these changes, she had completely forgotten what she did to get this effect, so we're calling it Merci's Hippy Pic.

Buddy:  That can't be spelled right.  Merci is not hippy.  I think you mean Merci's Hippie Pic.

Merci: Or my green ear phase. 

Buddy:  Whatever it's called, we're happy you're still with us.  We hope to celebrate again next July.

Percy Is Twelve

Happy 12th birthday to our handsome Percy!  We are glad Merci rescued you when you were a wee kitten.

Since we are posting on a Saturday, we are joining Athena's Caturday Art blog hop.

If the picture looks a little ... er, unusual, it's Picasa's heat lamp effect (compare the colors in the two graphics) with a museum matte frame. 

We haven't been posting this week, but it's Percy's special day, so we begged Jan to help us and to let us use the computer.  She dug up the 2011 graphic and turned on the heat lamp for us.

It has been a long week.  Jan has been incapacitated, we have been bored, and the weather has been a sauna!

Boost and Focal

Merci:  We have missed playing with photos on Saturday, so even though we don't post any more on weekends (and Saturday is definitely weekend!), we are posting today.

Taylor:  This is a photo of Cyndi waiting for Jan to give her a treat.  Jan used a boost filter and then a focal b&w with a drop shadow frame in Picasa.

Percy:  Now before we're accused of indulging in too much nip, yes, Picasa has closed online, but the program on the computer still works.

Taylor:  We wish Jan hadn't accidentally deleted the lovely pink art photo she made in Photoshop Elements.  Perhaps Jan had too much nip?

Merci:  This is the original picture.  Cyndi sure was intent, wasn't she!

We are joining Athena for the Caturday Art blog hop. 

Close Your Eyes and Model

SAM:  Oh, no!  I can't believe Jan is making me model this tank.  Maybe if I close my eyes, it will disappear.  Or maybe I'll disappear.  Wait!  I shouldn't complain.  This is to keep me warm.

BUDDY:  Nope, it won't work, Sam.  Jan is determined we're going to model our new winter coats.  Thank you, Miss Pat, for the nice present.  You know how I am always cold.

SAM:  Yes, thank you, Miss Pat.  I get cold too.  Merci has a long, thick coat and Marcus is young and active, but Buddy and I can use a little help now that we're older.

BUDDY:  Jan said she wishes this covered more of me but there was a big gap in sizes and it appeared the next size up would have been way too big, so ordering this size was her idea.  It's hard to tell until you actually get to try it on.

SAM:  These photos are pencil sketches.  Can you tell my eyes are closed in this?

BUDDY:  We thought we would enter the HDR-ish and sketches in the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by Athena.

SAM:  And we can't forget the Sepia Saturday blog hop. 

BUDDY:  It's co-hosted by Ruckus the Eskie and Earl's World.

Making An Impression

MARCUS:  I'm becoming popular.  And famous.

CYNDI:  Since when?

MARCUS:  I have a face and ears everyone can love.

RUSTY:  I doubt that.

MARCUS:  Well, on our way home Thursday, a young woman passed us, then stopped to tell Jan, "You have my dog."

SAM:  So what are you doing here?  Jan should have returned you on the spot!  It would have made us all so happy ... I mean, sad.

MARCUS:  But I didn't know the young lady.  She evidently has a dog that looks just like me. Except he's white and his name is Jody. He has this handsome face with big pointy ears.  Big pointy ears are sexy to the ladies, you know.  Like Mr. Spock from Star Trek.

MERCI:  I don't know about that.  I'm a lady and I don't find your ears sexy.  Just tall.

Caturday Art with Athena.

MICAH:  So, if Jan stopped to chat with her, did you show off with another strip tease?  (Marcus Houdini)

MARCUS:  No, I was a perfect angel.  I lay down quietly.  I stood up on my back feet to show her how tall I am, I let her pet me and feed me a treat, and then I impressed the daylights out of her!

PERCY:  *face palm with paw*  Oh, no, what did you do, Marcus?

MARCUS:  There was a fly flitting by, so I leaped, snapped and swallowed.  Just like you taught me to do, Buddy, only I don't miss.  You should have seen the young lady's eyes grow big.  She was impressed.

BUDDY:  I doubt "impressed" is the correct word.  But it sounds as if you did make an impression.

Sepia Saturday with Ruckus the Eskie.

 Be sure to go by and join the blog hops Caturday Art and Sepia Saturday.

 Caturday Art is hosted by Athena.

Sepia Saturday is hosted by Ruckus the Eskie & Earl's World.

Talk Like A Pirate 2015

MERCI:  Well, even with all the reminders - and Jan added it to her calendar! - we still almost missed Meow or Woof Like a Pirate Day.  But the Funny Farmer Furry Buccaneers are ready to sail.

MICAH:  We asked Jan to rework a couple of graphics we've used before.  It was sad to remove Cameron from this one.

SAM:  We've had a lot of fun with this over the years.  I guess every furry dreams of being a pirate.

PERCY:  We have posted this one a couple of times but we can only remember one - possibly two - humans noticing the non-furry.

MARCUS:  We changed the text this year.  First, we ran it through a pirate translator site to make certain our speech is authentic.  We can't afford to be cited for inappropriate speech!

BUDDY:  This is our Caturday Art blog hop picture.  The hop is hosted by Athena. We just loved those circles when we tried a halftone pattern in Photoshop Elements.

CYNDI:  After looking at this picture for a while, the room is starting to move in circles.  I think I'm dizzy.

RUSTY:  And our Sepia Saturday blog hop picture.  The hop is hosted by Ruckus the Eskie & Earl's World.

Frankie and Ernie Snow Freak Chaos

BUDDY:  Our friends Frankie and Ernie have been offline (for the most part) while their typist lazed around for the summer

PERCY:  No, Buddy is kidding.  Their typist mom and their dad were actually working hard to downsize their possessions, pack up what's left, and move to Pencil Vane E Ah to be closer to family.

CYNDI:  We have been waiting for them to return to blogging.  We understand they moved Tuesday and today is supposed to be the big return day.

MERCI:  So we would like to ... uh, what's that?  Micah, do you see what I see?

MICAH:  Yes.  Guys, get your nose out of the goodies box. Listen to me!  R-U-N!

CYNDI:  Eeeeeeeeeek!  We're running!  Where do we go?

RUSTY:  Oh, no.  We heard a rumor that Frankie and Ernie's mom allowed some of her snow freaks to escape while she was packing them! 

CYNDI:  Frankie and Ernie are terrified of their mom's snow freaks.  They wreak havoc wherever they appear.  (The snow freaks, not Frankie and Ernie.)

PERCY:  Guys, behind you!  Look behind you!  We're being invaded.  R-U-N for your lives!

MARCUS:  *waves paw*  Hey, Percy.  Do you want to come outside to play with us?

RUSTY:  Turn around!  Snow freaks!  Snow freaks behind you.

SAM:  No, we're not snow freaks.  We don't like snow, remember?

MICAH:  You nincompoops, TURN AROUND!

MERCI:  Help!  Mrs. Frankie and Ernie's Mom, helllllllp! 

SAM:  Oh, no, they're in back of us and in front of us.  Where do we hide?

MERCI:  Cyndi, push the screen door open and let us in!

Whispers heard from a secret hiding place.

MICAH:  *low groan* Sam, get off of my paw.  You weigh a ton.

SAM:  Sorry, Micah.  Someone pushed me.

CYNDI:   Rusty, get your butt out of my face.  Your long fur tickles my nose.

BUDDY:   Will you all be quiet!  They'll hear us.

PERCY:   We're doing the best we can.  It's very cramped in here.

MARCUS:  It sure is.  And dark.  Pitch black.  I'm not sure if I'm facing one of you or a wall.

RUSTY:   Does anyone have a match?

MERCI:  We're hiding in a tiny closet from renegade snow freaks.  There's barely room to breathe and you want a match?

Along with a host of your other friends, we would like to welcome you back to blogging, Frankie and Ernie.  We recently read you already met a number of friendly canine neighbors and some humans too before you moved.  And you'll be getting a new fence for your yard to keep you safe.  We hope you will all love your new life in Pencil Vane E Ah.  Be blessed and happy!

PS -- And please, please, please send your Mom to collect her snow freaks ASAP so we can come out of the closet!  Cyndi has to pee. 

Our Caturday Art blog hop picture.  It is hosted by Athena. We used the Craquelure Filter in Photoshop Elements.  It is supposed to make a painting look old, but you know Jan, she can't read, so she used it anyway to give the picture a different effect.

And our Sepia Saturday blog hop picture.  Hosted by Ruckus the Eskie & Earl's World.

Glowing Edges

MICAH:  Hey, Sam, you're looking a little down ... I mean, a little brown today.  Are you okay?

SAM:  Yes, I'm fine.  Jan thought I would look interesting in sepia.  What Jan wants she sometimes gets. 

MICAH:  So what happened here?  You look like a lost constellation.

SAM:  No, I've got glowing edges.

MICAH:  Are you radioactive?

SAM:  Not yet, but we had better close this post before Jan decides to dye me pink or something weird.

MICAH:  I like you a lot better wearing your own colors.

SAM:  So do I.

Sepia Saturday blog hop - Hosted by Ruckus the Eskie & Earl's World.

Caturday Art blog hop - Hosted by Athena