First sunflower of the season

It’s a little spooky photographing a sunflower, because bees are fans too. I managed this portrait and a couple of others. The bees hummed, but I was not stung.

Colors and Vines of Effieland

My cats Effie and Paladin are out with me in 96° Effieland, but defer from blog appearances today in favor of napping in the shade.

Lupines come in so many wonderful variegated and solid colors. . .

 

One of my favorite solids is Cream.

 

More poppies have bloomed since yesterday.

 

Grapevines are expansive throughout Effieland.

The Cats of Effieland

Effieland is a secured 1,000 square foot garden that makes it safe for Effie and Paladin to be outdoors. Lots of grass and a planter of catnip grow there, as do flowers and grapes and berries for the humans who belong to these remarkable cats.

Effie contemplates her sunny dominion

 

Paladin scans Effieland from beneath a chair

 

Paladin awaits the opening of the lupines

 

Effie Surveys Effieland in Season

Effie enjoys sitting on the air conditioner viewing the vastness of her holdings, Effieland.

Effie Runs off a Herd of Deer

Nine young female mule deer formed a troupe and congregated on our property this morning, and Effie was not welcoming. She gathered a look like thunder in grey clouds. She stuck a menacing paw through the fence surrounding Effieland.

She has done this to Cat Halvor, who is close to twice her weight, and this morning she deployed The Look and The Paw and sent nine does hightailing it away and out of sight in a few seconds.

Good for Effie, defender of our grapes she understands are important! The grapes were well out of reach for the deer, but they turned tail and ran when Effie’s power paw came through the fence. The deer evidently had no sense that a fence kept them apart from Effie, as well as keeping them from the grapes.

This all happened as I watched through the window, and the deer were gone before I could fetch my camera. I have these photos from previous occasions.

Warning yowl directed at Halvor. . .

 The Paw says she means it. “Does this look like Halvorland to you?”

I mean it. Any further questions?

The Heart and Mistress of Effieland

My name is Euphemia, Effie for short. My people have a garden named Effieland, and it is a place where I love to prowl, hunt, and nap, and eat a variety of delicious grasses. In summer and early fall, my Mom picks a few fresh catnip leaves for me every day from a flower pot of catnip my Dad planted. I also hunt bugs and run and jump a lot here, so I get lots of healthy exercise, in sunshine, rain, and snow.

My Mom is paranoid about foxtails, which are sharp little spears of brome growing in Effieland. She is afraid the foxtails will penetrate my skin and cause an abscess. This happened to a dog she had a long time ago, and the vet had to operate to remove the sharp little projectile. So she combs me every time I come indoors! But foxtails are very bad, so I let her comb me and I only leave a few teeth marks in her hands if I get playful or just bored.

I love Effieland because I am the Effielander, and Effieland is my dominion–but I do let my Mom and Dad pick grapes, berries, and tomatoes from the vines they planted. I just don’t understand why they don’t like to eat bugs! Bugs are so delicious!

It’s 112° in Effieland and Effie finds shade. . .

under a grapevine, where even the paving stones are cool!

Effie among Grapes

Special Guest Star Halvor basks in the welcome sunshine on the patio. . . .

Effie enjoys a bit of shade near a chair.

Effie checks out a blackberry branch. She probably doesn’t mind that the blackberries have all been picked. Behind her are ripening Flame grapes.

Happy girl in a pleasant garden!

Colors of an Effieland summer morning

Sunflowers, poppies, flax, and a blue sky make Effieland a delightful place to spend time with Effie–though at 9:00 a.m. it was already 91°.

Effie in her garden of sunflower wonders

The first sunflower to bloom was bronze. . .

 

followed by yellow.

 

Effie seems to debate the virtues of it all; or, she could be tracking a bug.

 

Sweet clover grows above Effieland.

Effie devours a catnip leaf from my fingers.