friday ark

Weekend Cat Blogging: Behind the Camera

For years, we have been showing Luna in front of the camera for Weekend Cat Blogging. This week, we feature Luna behind the camera:

She was understandably curious about this odd setup in her favorite perch at the top of the stairs. It was in fact part of a more complex photo project I was doing, and the top of the stairs was the perfect place to frame the subject with floor as a backdrop.

You will have to wait for a future Wordless Wednesday or see my Open Studios events in September and October to see what was in front of the camera.

Weekend Cat Blogging #378 is hosted by pam and all the cats at Sidewalk Shoes.

The Carnival of Cats will be hosted this Sunday by the Three Tabbycats in Vienna, Kashim, Othello and Salome.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator. This is the 400th edition, quite a milestone!

Weekend Cat Blogging #263

Last weekend was exceptionally warm here, and we opened the whole doorway between the patio and the main room. Luna enjoyed some time outside in the morning before the stones got too hot:

She does like to play hunt with insects she comes across:

Having both patio doors open gave me different views on familiar objects inside. For example, we have seen Luna pose next to the glass table many times, but from this new angle one could see the reflections from the colored lamp. Little spots of color against the black, silver and glass.

We will be looking forward to enjoying a quiet Father’s Day tomorrow…

Weekend Cat Blogging #263 will be hosted by Othello at Paulchens Foodblog?!

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at When Cats Attack!

And the Friday Ark reaches a milestone today with #300!.

Weekend Cat Blogging: Grass!

It seems like a fine weekend to enjoy some grass:

“Rosy’s” is our favorite brand, in part because of the little black cat on the tag. It has appeared previously on this site.

Luna had been obsessed lately with the grass growing the flower pots on our patio, so it seemed like she was really craving it. Perhaps this is a trait picked up from our friend Mickey.

(A bit of trivia: the photos in this article are scaled to 420 pixels.)

Weekend Cat Blogging is being hosted by Samantha and Tigger of Life from a Cat’s Perspective, now at their new home in Texas.

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at House Panthers, of which Luna is a proud member.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging: our neighbor

The M-Cats Club is hosting Weekend Cat Blogging, so we at CatSynth thought it would be appropriate to feature a “man cat.”

This is our neighbor Henry, who has visited us a few times. Luna is still a bit wary of him, though.

and keeps a watchful eye on him:

Weekend Cat Blogging #202 is hosted by Mr. Tigger and the M-Cats Club.

Whenever there are two cats here, this is always some chaos. The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos will be hosted by Kashim and Othello and Salome.

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Thoughts for Jason of Criz Cats who has gone missing, and for the other cats who have been sick or passed away in what was a difficult week.

Weekend Cat Blogging: Really almost back to normal

Luna is back home again after the China trip and final round of construction at CatSynth HQ. Things are almost back to normal.

We now get plenty of sunlight again.

But we still have much of the paper and plastic material covering the floors, and we are anxiously awaiting the cleaning crew. Cleaning day is supposed to be today actually, but so far no sign of the crew. Not having the cleaning done today would be annoying for a variety of reasons, some of which are not appropriate topics for WCB. For now, we are simply eager to start putting everything back in its place, including our artwork:

But meanwhile Luna continues to demonstrate that she, too, is a work of art, very graceful and elegant.

Sir Tristan Tabbycat Longtail hosts a very manly Weekend Cat Blogging in honor of tomorrow’s big game.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos returns to its roots with Megan and Bad Kitty Cats.

The Carnival of the Cats will be going up this Sunday at Mind of Mog

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging: Patio one last time

This weekend we revisit Luna’s adventures on the patio, before the construction/destruction begins on Monday.

[click each photo to enlarge]

It is ironic how it was only after our move to the city that Luna got to enjoy time outdoors. Our patio is high above the ground and safely enclosed by high walls. The watery theme of the murals depict ocean, beaches, and all sorts of critters:

It will be sad to see it so badly damaged in the construction. Fortunately, we are going to have it restored in the spring. No two original works of art are ever alike, but the restored version could end up even better.

Another issue with the construction is that is isn’t a safe place for a cat. Luna will be checking into a great nearby boarding facility. She will be doted on and treated quite well. However, it is probably going to be a bit lonely here at CatSynth HQ.

Weekend Cat Blogging #178 is being hosted by Cece at Mind of Mog.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is being hosted by Kashim at the BKCFOC home site.

The Carnival of the Cats will be at Chey’s place this Sunday.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging: Chat Noir et Fromage

Our friends at the House of the (Mostly) Black Cats are hosting a special food edition of Weekend Cat Blogging, in honor of Sher.

Luna inspects the new poster for our kitchen area:

What could be more appropriate for the kitchen of CatSynth HQ than a chat noir and fromage. Luna certainly bares quite a resemblance to the cat in the poster, including the green eyes. And we have some fromage for today’s post:

The hard cheese on the left from Wensleydale Dairy in the town of Hawes in Yorkshire, UK. The round is a California Crottin, an artisan goat cheese, from Redwood Hill Farm in Sonoma County, just an hour or so up the coast from us.

I did offer Luna a small piece of the Crottin, as she occasionally likes cheese, but more to sniff than to eat. She was far more interested in the wrapping paper from the poster than the fine selection of cheeses:

Check out the other cats and food at Weekend Cat Blogging. Lots of fish for the enjoyment of humans and cats alike.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is being hosted at The Tuxedo Gang Hideout.

The Carnival of Cats will be hosted this evening by Miz. Mog and Kitties.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging: Snuggle

We recently received our “snuggle” from DKM (“Diva Kitty Mom”). It is black-and-white, perfect colors for both Luna and CatSynth HQ.

In addition to being a comfy place to sit, it comes with a special “treat”. The astute observer may see the catnip scattered on the surface of the yarn.

Luna took to this right away.

and seemed to quite enjoy herself. Indeed, she is quite fond of catnip. You can watch this video of the usually dignified Luna “nipped out” on her snuggle:

Weekend Cat Blogging #165 is being hosted by Pet and the Bengal Brats.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is Sunday at Mind of Mog.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted by Samantha and Tigger (I believe Samantha just had a birthday).

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging: What Did You Eat?

Our friends Kashim, Othello and Astrid are dedicating Weekend Cat Blogging to our fellow cat blogger Sherry “Sher” Cermak of What Did You Eat?. She passed away suddenly last Sunday.

Sher was also an accomplished food blogger, and we have made some her recipes before. So in addition to Weekend Cat Blogging, we are also participating a tribute hosted by the “Bread Baking Babes” this weekend and preparing her last recipe.

So let us move to the kitchen and dining area of CatSynth HQ:

And with Luna ready to supervise, let us begin:

Angel Hair Pasta With Red Pepper Pesto

[Adapted from Food and Wine.]

3 medium red bell peppers or bottled roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 small garlic clove, smashed
1/4 cup basil leaves, plus 2 tablespoons chopped basil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound angel hair pasta
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese

Roast the red peppers over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning occasionally, until charred all over. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Peel, core and chop the peppers. (We opted for the bottled peppers here at CatSynth.)

In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat until golden, about 4 minutes. Let cool.

Transfer the peppers and pine nuts to a blender or food processor (If your food processor has been sitting in a box at the bottom of a kitchen cabinet since moving, make sure to clean it first.) Add the garlic and whole basil leaves and blend until coarsely chopped. Add the olive oil and cheese and puree to a chunky pesto. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and cool slightly under running water. Transfer the pasta to a bowl and toss with the pesto. Season the pasta with salt and pepper. Top with the chopped basil and pecorino and serve at room temperature.

Now let us raise a glass and toast…

More tributes can be found at Weekend Cat Blogging, hosted at Astrid’s food blog. I’m sure the boys won’t mind too much.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted here at CatSynth tomorrow. Click here to submit your entry.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos will be hosted this week at Pet’s Garden Blog.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging: Another busy weekend

Between rehearsals, work, and social activities, this Sunday morning is our first break at CatSynth for Weekend Cat Blogging. And so we make the most of our time, with photos from the studio:

and downstairs:

Luna had just done something very cute, lifting up the red-and-green mouse-on-the-spring toy with her paw. It’s one of those countless things that just happens – they are not photographed, but just enjoyed in real time, and then recorded in words.

Weekend Cat Blogging is being hosted by Kate and Puddy from “Puddy’s corner,” which features a scratching post and tunnel, a nice leopard-print house, a chrome light stand, and other sundry items. It looks like a nice spot for a cold Australian winter day.

The next Weekend Cat Blogging will be hosted here at CatSynth!

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos has a new home, which will be hosting the first anniversary edition this weekend. We’re supposed to contribute a “bad thing” that Luna has done. That’s a bit of a challenge, actually.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted today by Kashim and Othello.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator. It’s edition #199!