ESSunday ESSelfie

Kitties!

May Ling here.

My Handsome Finnish Mountain of Love Mancat Mirsku was concerned that the newly refurbished ESS wasn't up to rigorous and exacting Tortiemeezer standards, so I decided to lay his fears to rest by putting it through a grueling test rest.

*gnaw gnaw gnaw*

Don't fret, my sweet, it's PURRfect, and here's a Sunday Selfie just for you!

Happy Sunday!

XX  May Ling, Chief ESS-Tester  XX

Thanks to The Cat On My Head for this fun Blog Hop!

Courtney Act!

Kitties!

Sheebie here...courtney act*of taking a photo!

Although not technically a selfie, I thought it was interesting enough to use for The Cat on My Head's Sunday Selfie Blog Hop.  

And of what was I taking a picture?

This little building's sign, advising people of electrical hazards--and you all know how much I enjoy defying signs--naturally I disobeyed, touched the building, and lived to tell the tale. (BTW, that's not me in the second photo, it's my equally daredevil hostess!)

I'm a rebel on two continents!

Happy Sunday!

XX  Sheebie  XX

 *court in ee act = caught in the act.   Say it out loud!

Snowy Saturday

Kitties!

No, it's not snowing here in the desert, but there was plenty of snow at the zoo in Ranua (Finland) when Mommy visited.  She saw all sorts of interesting animals!  Unfortunately, it was so overcast that the lighting wasn't very good for photos...but it IS what these animals are used to in nature, so keep in mind how well they are camouflaged with their surroundings.

A Snowy owl.  He was HUGE.  Mommy was amazed!

Reindeer--not the one that provided our cozy hide. 

Polar bear.

He looks small there, right?

Check out how big they REALLY are!

(Mommy is 5' 2" or 158 cm)

These critters were the wildest of the bunch:

Mommy's pal Hayley and her son Noah, who were wonderful company for the trip.  Mommy had a great time at the zoo, and it was especially pleasurable seeing it with a little boy's perspective--she says "Thank you" for giving her a fabulously fun day!

Happy Saturday!

XX  The Katnip Lounge  XX

Vishus Vednesday

Kitties!

We take everything back.

Everything, that is, that we said was awful about Mommy leaving us, because we are just lucky she's ALIVE.

We all know that deer are vishus and on the lookout to eat tender young joosey kittehs, right?

Do you see what's in the background?

Kitties, it's creatures even MORE vishus...

MOOSE...

...and it tried to eat our Mommy!

or click HERE

Although, on second thought, Mommy's pretty tough and stringy (and old)...maybe she was safe, after all.

In any case, we'd advise all of your peeps to beware of potentially vishus mooses if they ever visit the Ranua zoo in Lapland.  Because you just never know...

Happy Wednesday!

XX  The Kats  XX

Turist Tuesday

Kitties!

Upon further perusal of the damning cloud files it has become apparent that our floosey Mommy was able to tear herself away from the Finnish Felines long enough to get a few quick snaps of the Great Outdoors.

Water is abundant in Finland, which really charmed our desert-rat Mommy.

This is an old quarry-turned-swimming hole, complete with a tiny sand beach.  Crazypants people swim here in the winter too!  The building in the background is (according to Mommy) the nicest service (petrol/gas) station she's ever been in. (more on that in an upcoming post.)

The ground is quite marshy in the springtime; this is actually a little bit inland from the smaller lake near the house.

And the lake directly behind the preceding shot.

Mommy loves pathways.  This one is leading to a bird-watching tower through (yet another) marsh.  The ground in Finland is rising fairly rapidly from the release of the weight of the glacier retreating from the last ice age.  As recently as fifty years ago, this land was still under water! 

The ice on the rivers has just broken up and the water was in full spate.  Mommy says the roar was incredible, and the water is tea-brown from all the peat and organic matter that leaches into it.

And here is Mommy's host/patient, sitting on a submerged dock.

On purpose.

They do some weird things in Finland...

Happy Tuesday!

XX  The Kats  XX

Foreign Finnish Mancat Monday (and Mommy)

Kitties!

Upon further investigation of Mommy's cloud storage drive (she really should password protect that thing...NOT!) we have discovered damning evidence of her charming cats across the globe--or at least Finland (N).

Here she is shamelessly pandering to (from left, clockwise) Mirsku, Punapipurri, Pekka, Jura, Seppo, and Java (who is a girlcat but that's OK) with treats and scritchies. 

Which by rights should be all ours.

She shared her foodables!  

Granted, it may have been due to relentless pestering under some duress, but still.

Unforgivable.

Ruska (Right) actually solicited pets from Mommy--which she gave--and he's normally not a "company" type of kitty, she must have sucked up to him BIG time for that.

But this is the worst: 

Playing kissy with Sampo!

She claims he was just doing a breath-check, but we know better, right kitties?

And she's already talking about going back...

"Happy" Monday!

*grumble grumble grumble*

XX  The Highly Jealous Katnip Mancats  XX

Seppo's Ordeal

UPDATE:

We fixed the privacy settings...you should be able to see the video now!

Kitties!

We have conclusive evidence that all was not wine and roses Catnip and Chikkun with the Finland Gang when Mommy was visiting...we found a video on her cloud drive of her giving Seppo--the Nekkid Sphynxie--a...a...a...

BATH.

**shudders**

And it gets worse.  Under severe questioning, Mommy admitted to administering not just one, but TWO water torture sessions!  Apparently there was a camera error the first time, and thus the "extra" (a week later) bath.  Mommy tried to justify her behavior by claiming that Sphynx cats need a bath every week or so because they have oily skin but we think she's lying to us and the TRUTH is she's just a perv who enjoys washing shriveled mancat sultanas--which explains the look of diabolical joy on her face in yesterday's post!

Observe:

or click HERE

(It's a bit long, we know...Mommy apparently knows her way around cat bathing better than video editing, feel free to skip ahead if you want!)

We took a poll amongst ourselves and the vote was unanimous:  If Mommy ever feels any urge whatsoever to bathe cats, she can go back to Finland!  

Pronto.

Happy Thursday!

XX  The Great Unwashed Kats  XX

Rudolph...is that you?

Kitties!

Sweet Pea here.

I'm enjoying the souvenir Mommy mailed me herself home from Finland:

A REINDEER hide!

Here's a better photo of the hide, along with a pretty pillowcase (made in Lapland) that her new friend Penny gave her.  Mommy has some Grand Idea about this becoming her new cozy reading pod...

...but *I* say possession is nine-tenths of the law!

zzzZZZZzzzzzzz...

Happy Monday!

XX  Slumber Pea  XX

Two-Timing Thursday

Kitties!

Mommy's outrageous behavior continues...

Here she is CUDDLING ANOTHER KITTY showing Sampo what's boiling in the pot--chikkun titz--that aren't for us.

Punapipurri, King Kitty of Finland (North) opted for the direct snoopervision option...taking over The Baby's role in the operation.

Mesi didn't want to wait for the jerkification, in fact, many many many many pieces of sliced chikkun was consumed, pre-dehydration.  (Do you see the extent of our Mommy's evilness--she put a Preventative Cat Barrier on top of the delicious slices!)

After an excruciatingly long wait (or so we assume...WE didn't get to smell the tantalizing aroma of drying titz) the jerky was ready for consumption...our favorite part of the operation...and Äila's...

...and the entire Finland Gang, as well!

Our only consolation from this sad sorry state of affairs is that the Gang's Äiti now has NO EXCUSE to let them go without these scrumptious morsels of Finnish fowl.  

Ever.

bwahahahahahaha!!!!!!

Hyvää ruokahalua!*

XX  The Katnip Lounge Kats  XX

*Hearty Eating

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Kitties!

Our horrible Mommy has reached a new nadir in treachery and betrayal.

SHE MADE CHIKKUN TITZ !!!!!

And not for us...

Photos tomorrow.

"Happy" Tuesday!

XX. The Miffed Kats.  XX

While We Were Away...

Friends and Kitties!

As you may (or may not) know, our Mommy cruelly and wantonly and WITHOUT PURRMISSION abandoned us a week ago to stay with the Punapippuri Clan whilst their Äiti was having surgery.

Well.

She LIED about what was really happening:

She saw these really big guys in Helsinki...

And visited the Greek Orthodox church.

She's experienced some unusual weather in Oulo...

and outright metres-thick snow at the zoo in Ranua.

She's eaten traditional Finnish blueberry pancakes...

and watched birds at Liminka on a cold blustery day.

Now, we ask you, what has ANY of this to do with caring for kitties?

NOTHING!

to be continued...

Happy Sunday!

XX  The Katnip Lounge  XX

Caturday, in the Yard

Kitties!

The Baby here.

Daddy took a bunch of photos of me the other day (you may have seen one) and I wanted to show you some more.

Because I'm just so cute.

And modest.

And oh, so filthy dirty...

...at least on one side!

Kitties, Mommy is all geared up for her upcoming trip to Finland.  If you are on Facebook, she has created a page called Finnishing School, in which she'll be documenting her traveling adventures, and she will try and post here often as well.  Daddy has promised to email photos of us doing our usual annoying wonderful activities so paws crossed you'll get to see us as well as the Punapippuri Clan.  There are a few commemorative postcards still unspoken for, drop us a line at the email in the sidebar if you would like one.

And now I have to dash around the yard like a Madcat...yesterday I went up and over the back wall into the neighbor's yard!  (There are some excellent eating/barfing weeds over on that side.)  Mommy and Daddy were a tiny tad upset because they had to clamber over the wall after me but like they said at least I feel peppy enough to leap eight feet.

Happy Caturday!

XX  Bibs  XX

It's Time!

Kitties!

Check this out:

The kitchen clock died!

How are we gonna know when it's time for dinner--oh wait, WE'LL know--it's just Mommy that might once again mess thing up.

The clock in situ in better days
(behind Bibbers)

Don't worry, another clock is on order.  Hopefully we won't starve to death miss any meals during the two-day shipping period.  

And, speaking of TIME, it's time for those of you who would like a Postcard from Finland (N) with a special edition Punapippuri commemorative stamp to send us your snail-mail address:

katniplounge AT gmail DOT com

We have about 40, so don't delay if you want one!

Happy Caturday!

XX  The Katnip Lounge Kats  XX

Countdown

Kitties!

May Ling here.

I'm very busy, working on my beauty sleep, because in exactly three weeks Mommy leaves for Finland and I have to look my best for my Handsome Hunka Hunka Mancat Mirsku!  

Soon my darling, soon.

Happy Tortie Meezer Monday!

XX  May Ling  XX

EUREKA! or, The Great Mystery Revealed

Kitties!

For weeks we have been on pins and needles, wanting to tell you all our Big News, and it's finally time:

Mommy is traveling to Finland (of all places) in April to care for the Punapippuri Horde, and their Äiti, as she recovers from surgery!

She is, of course, totally mad to be doing this, but Mommy has never been one for doing something in small measures.,,and in our opinion halfway 'round the globe seems to be in keeping with her personality.

May Ling is over the moon with excitement and busy devising ways to get herself packed up to visit her Finnish Mountain of Lurve, Mirsku.  Mommy has learned how to say "cat" in Finnish which is proly all she needs, right?

So, there you have it--our wild secret!

Many more details in later posts, and please click HERE to read the full story of the genesis of this crazy adventure.

Happy Wild Friday!

XX  The Katnip Lounge  XX