HAPPY 56Th ANNIVERSARY TO US

Yesterday My sweetie went on a 'secret mission'.  Came home with  a

beautiful bouquet called

Hummingbird Bouquet and  Chocolate Decadence Napoleon cake

Full disclosure:  Fresh Market offered a deal  he could not refuse

A deal for  THREE 

so of course he bought Three

I went  on a a secret mission to buy sweets for my sweetie

He loves Tooties pops.  I bought him a box of cherry flavored.

 

Valentine's Feline Double Date Feline and Nature Friday

Dear Auntie HiC,

We invited Precious and Katie Isabella for an exciting, Valentine’s weekend getaway to a ski resort.

 

Our hosts for Nature Friday  LLB Gang   

After checking in, we quickly got suited up,  grabbed our snowboards, and hit the trails! The girls were awesome snowboarders!

Later, while three of us snuggled up with mugs of  delicious hot chocolate, Rocky, the young whippersnapper, was looking quite impressive on Purrridge Meowtain! 

We were exhausted and famished after our day in the cold, so we headed to the lodge for dinner.

We all enjoyed scrumptious grilled chicken by the cozy fire.

The girls are quite the conversationalists (chatty catties)! 😹

And of course Kat kept us entertained with his corny jokes. 

“ Hey Rocky, what do you call a slow skier? A slopepoke!”

“Katie, “Why did the girl keep her trumpet out in the snow? She liked playing cool jazz!”

“Hey Precious, what do you call a penguin in the Sahara Desert?

Lost!”  😹😹😹😹😹😹

After dinner the girls retreated their suites for a warm, soothing bubble bath! 

We all agreed this was another fun-tastic double date!  

We hired let Mom come along too since she is our Videographer.

She made this wonderful video

❤️ Kat & Rocky

To you & all our loveable friends in “Blog Land”:

Click here Hostess Miss Mimi

Thoroughly Poetic #249 and Thankful Thursday

   Thankful Thursday hosted

Very very THANKFUL Mother Nature gave us a reprieve for the icy, cold frigid temperatures.

Tuesday, February 9, it was 70 degrees...Believe it or not we still had snow and ice on the north side of the house...so happy that is gone too.

******************************

Today is Poetic Thursday hosted by our pals Teddy and Angel Sammy at Two Spoiled Cats

Today's photo challenge

Weed or seed sprouting in the spring

no matter which pops thru

they all strive to quickly find sunshine

to survive

Words on Wednesday: The rest of Monday's story

 

 

 We thank our Hostess Sandee at

 Comedy Plus    

Monday, Feb 9 we took an unexpected fun day trip.

Today I'm happy to share something we recently learned

The rest of the story:

February 4th the original battery in our 2020 Honda  CR-V died

We call the CR-V, Madi 2 because she is the same shade of gray as Angel Madi

BAD NEWS:

Madi 2 was in the garage 
 Anytime bad icy weather is predicted, we put one of our cars in the garage. So we don't have to clean off 2 cars.

GOOD NEWS:

We are long time members of AAA roadside service. I called 1-800 (HELP QUICKLY) 

Charles from AAA roadside service was here in 2 hours.  He was friendly, efficient and funny.  Charles must have been 6'8" tall or taller. Our garage is a single car garage. He squeezed himself between Madi 2 and the back wall of the garage.  Madi 2 was pulled in all the way.  I was worried about the confined space at the front of the car.

He had a handy dandy machine that could test Madi 2's battery.   Within about 40 minutes Madi 2 was purring like a kitten. WooHoo

BAD NEWS:

Madi 2's annual inspection is in February each year.  Due to two winter storms in a row we had to postpone her service to Friday February 6. We dropped her off at 8:30 am.

Went to the mall to walk...about 9 am we rec'd a call from the service tech saying he could not inspect Madi 2.  He asked if our battery was new? YES 

Well Madi 2 has lots of bells and whistles on her that have to be recalibrated.  Inspection cannot occur until Madi 2 has been driven at least 100 miles and she has to be driven many of those miles on the highway.

'GOODEST' NEWS

MONDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2026 WE TOOK A DAY TRIP TO ROSE HILL, NC TO HAVE LUNCH A DUPLIN WINERY BISTRO AND TO VISIT THE WINERY.  TOTAL MILES APPROXIMATELY 150 MILES. 

Our favorite NC wine is from Duplin Vineyards.

By the time we finished our lunch the dining room was full.

Bryan had bacon cheeseburger with sweet potato fries

I had Reuben with sweet potato fries.  The little cup is cinnamon butter to dip fries in.

It was delicious!!!!

Many don't realize this but the Piedmont section of NC is the same latitude as 

the Tuscany wine country.  Some of their vineyards snapped from a moving car

Inside gift shop 

BREAKING NEWS MADI 2 PASSED HER ANNUAL INSPECTION ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2026.  HAPPY DAYS

Happy Tuesday with Rocky

 

 We thank our Hostess Sandee at Comedy Plus

Dear Auntie HiC,

I was sleeping and had a wild dream

Auntie HiC is loves Pillsbury Orange Danish breakfast rolls

I think you look just like and Orange Danish.

And then I woke up crazy! Typical orange cat behavior! 😹



❤️ Rocky 

Dearest Rocky OMCs your handsomeNESS always makes Auntie HiC

giddy with glee.  These action videos were the topping on my Ice Cream Sundae

Awww Monday with Kat

Hostess Sandee at Comedy Plus 

Thank you

  

 Dear Auntie HiC,

Just sending a quick message to you & all my furiends❣️

❤️Kat

Day trip about 9:30 am today. There will be pictures 

shared later and the reason for the day trip.  You'll giggle

Hugs Cecilia

Bonus photos

I found some photos in my December 2025 folder from our trip the NC Coast

I don't think I shared them

Saturday Symmetry and Avian Art

 

Nature and Feline Friday: Cedar Waxwings visit is a BIG deal

 Cedar Waxwing from Google

A treat to find in your binocular viewfield, the Cedar Waxwing is a silky, shiny collection of brown, gray, and lemon-yellow, accented with a subdued crest, rakish black mask, and brilliant-red wax droplets on the wing feathers. In fall these birds gather by the hundreds to eat berries, filling the air with their high, thin, whistles. In summer you’re as likely to find them flitting about over rivers in pursuit of flying insects, where they show off dazzling aeronautics for a forest bird.

They are rare gems in the avian world. Their colors are show stoppers.

Waxwing refers to the red on the tip of the wing. They travel in flocks, congregate at holly trees and any water source.  We've been honored to have them in our yard 2 times.  The below pictures were early January 2026.  I was inside my pictures are not as good as the ones below taken in 2012.

Will cedar waxwings come to feeders?  Although bird feeders hold no attraction for them, Cedar Waxwings may come to visit your winter yard if you have any plants that bear fruits or berries.

(FYI: all the debris on the other side of the fence belongs to our neighbor...It is where he stores material from projects.  We have paid to have Skip Laurel shrubs planted along the fence to hide lots it.  The big area where there is not shrub has tree stump and roots. We can't plant there)

.  

Notice on upper left there is a Cedar Waxwing coming for a landing.  We had probably 20 all over the back yard in the holly on the dogwood waiting their turn for a sip of water.

Last sighting was February 2012...14 years.

I was outside when they visited got excellent photos.

 They winter in our area but Mom rarely sees them.  Yesterday
there were dozens and dozens of them in our backyard and at our birdbath.  They normally migrate to our mountains in early March
Mom says the mild winter must have them confused.

Note the red tips (thus wax wing) on their wings and their yellow tipped tail

EXTRA Nature Friday from my friend in Palm Coast, Florida.

Sunday February 1 it was 23 degrees at wake up

Photo was taken Feb 2, 2026, it was 26 at wake up

.  This is a fountain at her office

Click here Hostess Miss Mimi

FLASH BACK with Madi 2012

Madison D Cat aka Kitchen Kop

AFTER CLOSE INSPECTION

 IT IS MY CONCLUSION

 MOM IS DOING A GOOD JOB OF

KEEPING MY KITCHEN IN ORDER AND CLEAN

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

MADI

Thankful and Poetic Thursady#248

  Thankful Thursday hosted

TODAY I WANT TO TELL YOU about a big  

THANKFUL 

We were able to clear snow off our cars. Our house faces NORTH.  Never any sun on the side walk.  We used ice melt on our steps and side walk. However, our drive way is just too steep for two old codgers to balance on a slippery slope and shovel .

The snow in front of our garage (and our neighbor's) had a layer of ice under it. No amount of shoveling will break that up.  

SUNDAY AFTERNOON we looked out our window to see

Dear Neighbor Ken, shoveling our steep driveway.  

Kind

Eternally grateful to have him as a

Neighbor

Today is Poetic Thursday hosted by our pals Teddy and Angel Sammy at Two Spoiled Cats

Today's photo challenge

I am writing this poem for the man on the right pointing his finger

The luncheon was huge

The table was full 

plates beautiful, deSSerts galore.

Food is a bore

when there is no  

Grey Poupon to 

be found in the store.

Wordless Wednesday: Birthday gift that keeps on giving

 

 We thank our Hostess Sandee at

 Comedy Plus    

For my birthday, this year, favorite Sissy and BIL of Angel Madi sent me a Wildgrain Gift box...click here to visit Wildgrain website.  Below is a collage of the mouthwatering contents in my box. I have not baked the Parmesan Herb Biscuits; however, I have had other biscuits which are delicious

They are delivered frozen.  All go directly into freezer.  When you are ready for a taste sensation, take out of freezer preheat oven, place on baking sheet cook frozen.  You won't have to wait long before your kitchen's aroma is bakery fresh.

Happy Tuesday

  

 We thank our Hostess Sandee at Comedy Plus

MANY OF MY K9 friends asked if I ever saw YOU TUBE background photos with 

dogs...

I AM HAPPY TO SAY

YES I SAW one last week. It is AI generated but a most handsome German Shepherd

Awww Monday with Cali, Kat and Rocky

Hostess Sandee at Comedy Plus 

Thank you

  

Dear Auntie HiC,

I’m sure our friends can relate to this! 😹

❤️ Kat, Rocky & Cali 

PS I apologize if I missed stopping by yesterday.

We  started working on  snow removal while the sun was out.

Sunday Selfies

From YouTube music channel