Cats I know
second in an occasional series

This is Cosmo, he technically belongs to Jamie's parents, who take care of him and feed him, but he's not above defecting to the neighbor's house for a bowl of cream. (Yes, she gives him cream)


Cosmo is about 10, weighs 17 pounds, and is one of the brawniest cats I've ever known. He's got extremely large and furry paws (read: snowshoes) with horribly well-honed claws which he loves to dig into you in the middle of the night so that he can pull you closer for more efficient licking.

He's quite the impressive figure, with long, silky fur; he's so fluffy that he's actually got a mane. He loves to sleep on the ottoman in the living room, where he'll always respond to his name with a flick of the tail, even when he's sleeping. Cosmo likes to sleep with the humans and is well-known for demanding attention from everyone, including unconsious strangers, after he comes back inside in the morning.

Despite the fact that he could live an entirely cushy indoor life, Cosmo is really a creature of the outdoors. He is so well-insulated that snow will collect on his back in the winter, allowing him to conduct business in all kinds of weather. He is a successful hunter of small, squeaky creatures; he even taught Gabe (the other family cat) to hunt. His long, luxurious fur can cause him some problems, though. He is occasionally snagged by a burr, needing to find a human to extract it as quickly as possible.

Cosmo's a good cat, fun despite his constant demands. Keep him supplied with stroking and twice-daily treats and he might not feel compelled to claw you just enough to make you acquiesce to his demands. He can be found in a comfy little town in Maine, prowling the woods and fields, keeping vigil on the porch, or curled toastily in front of the wood stove.

The Unemployed Penguin Rides Again

Been busy. I've been spending a lot of time trying to finish my degree. I travelled to Raliegh, NC, took my translation test, re-wrote a paper, and have been trying to finish up my classes. Then I can take my test next week.

We went to Maine for Thanksgiving. It was nice, my brother came.

This is Jamie and me at Pemaquid Light House, near his town in Maine. It was cold and windy, thus the babushka look. I always like going there, just stay away from the ocean, the waves will drag you to death on the none-too-friendly rocks.

Then we went to South Bristol, but this time there were people there!
This is me and my brother in front of the bridge as it's swinging. Note the "don't shoot me, I'm not a deer" hat. Yes, it is snowing. Poor Jon got carsick on the windy roads of the peninsula, but he never barfed.


I haven't been knitting too much. Too much work to do. I'm in the middle of gloves for my dad and socks for my mom, but I'm bored with the first one and waiting on more yarn for the second. I am swatching for my sweater-coat, though. It's done in Nashua yarns' Creative Focus worsted, which is 75% wool, 25% alpaca. I think I'll probably use it, but I'm going to have to save up first. I don't see it anywhere for much less than $7 or 8 a ball. At least I get 200 yards. I'm going to do some more swatching, then I'll have to bite the bullet and calculate.