In Which: the librarian gets carried away at the Minnesota State Fair

The Minnesota State Fair, from what I've heard via human media outlets, is an event which is packed with humans getting sunburns, walking walking walking endlessly on crowded streets in search of food on a stick. The librarian made her plans on the internet. She was amazed to find a daily checklist of events from which she could pick and choose, and then command the computer to print her a personal PDF of things she wanted to do at the fair. Such are the things that make her happy and excited...I was hoping for a can of tuna, myself.

So she went, last Monday. She picked this day partly because she could watch the stock dog trials. It's about time that dogs went on trial! All that tailwagging and panting. Harumph! I hope justice was served!

Otherwise, she seemed to spend her time in some strange ways...lots of it centered around food she might eat,

 

food she wasn't allowed to eat, 

 

and food she actually did eat (in this case, tater tots with onions, cheese and bacon, on a stick of course!

 

And she really walked around the fair like this (but she wasn't the only one):

only because she couldn't find out where people were getting the pickle hats.

She has a couple of extras, so if you're dying to have your own Minnesota State Capital hat, or a pair of "fireworks sunglasses," give her a yell, as the sailor says.

And if you think I'm miffed that I didn't get to go, then you don't know your Fatty Kitty.  Crowds and heat are not my thing.  However, that walleye on a stick....

In Which: I try to ignore an annoying object

In this weather, it's better just to keep quiet and be cool. But no, the librarian must taunt me with a noisy, aromatic irritation. See for yourselves.




I make no apologies for my fitness or lack thereof. I have just found out that, according to this webpage, I am in my 70s in human years.

In Which: a large tomato is named in my honor.

Well, I could tell something was going on. I heard the librarian and her pals saying "fatty" but it didn't really seem to require my attention. Besides, I was busy.








Finally they came out with it. They appeared to think that a large tomato growing in the garden was a remarkable event.


Of course, they correlated one remarkable event with another remarkable item: Me. So, naturally, they spent quite a bit of time fussing over it.


And, well, they had to commemorate the event in some way. What better way than to anoint the fruit with a splendiforous moniker: Behold, Fatty Tomato!

It weighed in at one pound, ten oz. I gave it my official blessing:

And then it was anointed with olive oil, and...eaten, along with fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, minced onion and garbanzo beans. But not by me. I celebrated with kitty treats. Much better and they were organic, too. Slurrpp!

In Which: I recover from a hellish experience.

I hope I didn't leave anyone on tenterhooks, but really...I had to take some time to recover before I could possibly post. Behold the instruments of my incarceration:


a harness, and a Cat carrier. I don't care how soft the blankie, it was extremely upsetting to be dropped feet first into an upended box, bars snapped shut, and carried into that noisome car. Besides which, I had to listen to Elmore Leonard's The Hot Kid for three days. And the nights! In smelly (not a good smelly, oh no) rooms with no air circulation. I protested loudly to no avail. Loudly and constantly, if I do say so myself. Yes, it was horrible. And for what? I still don't know.


So here we are, in a strange house. My librarian and I are sharing this (rather large) house with others. I hid in the dank lower level for hours the first day in protest of my enforced move until hunger and the need for pampering and caresses drove me upstairs. I do allow them to pet me.


There obviously have been other Cats here before and these people appear to understand my rudimentary needs. I've been able to maintain my rigorous napping schedule, and there are numerous nooks and crannies in which to snooze. So here I remain. The librarian acts as if nothing happened, even placing the dreaded Cat carrier in my new sitting room as if it were a special furnishing. Ugh! She can't fool this kitty.


Oh, by the way, I went to the vet, and he was impressed with my overall health and good looks. I feel vindicated in some odd way. Yes, I am Fatty Kitty, all 12.9 pounds of me. Yeoooowwwwllll!

In Which: I am kidnapped...

but it's going to be difficult to do anything about it because the offending party is my librarian. I will record the entire horrifying experience when I get out of this cage. Meoowwwllllllll!

In Which: the librarian snaps and drives

What happens when someone decides to take pictures while driving - literally?


I started taking pictures in Minnesota on my way to Montana. Who can resist a giant Grain Belt bottlecap sign? On the Hennepin Av bridge over the Mississippi:


Typical midwest scene, still in Minnesota:


Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes. Here's one:


I took a lot of pictures of North Dakota. Most of them looked like this:

Ever wanted to be Home on the Range? It's one of the last towns in ND before you hit MT on I94:


In Montana now, Yellowstone River from a rest area (ok, I'm not actually driving in this picture, but it keeps the westward flow)

Being a librarian, I couldn't resist this:

They'll put a Ron Paul sign anywhere. I especially like this picture because of the Salted Nut Roll reflection in the windshield.

When I come over Ravalli hill and see the Mission Mountains, I am always impressed. I've taken pictures of this view countless times:


Getting closer to Fatty Kitty - driving into Polson from the south and the view of Flathead Lake:


Well. That was rather self-indulgent. But hey, I'm Fatty Kitty's librarian, and apparently now, his student in the school of attitude. Besides, now that I'm home, he's going to take the blog back anyway, and I'll become merely a backdrop for his self-aggrandizing remarks...unless, of course, he's hungry or itchy.

posted by the librarian

In Which: the monarch is missing

No pictures of emerging butterflies available. Sigh. When I went to look at the chrysalis the day after I last posted a picture of it, it was missing. I hadn't looked at it all day, so the butterfly could have emerged and flown away. Well, here is a picture of a monarch that I pulled off of Nancy Drew's webshots page:


Posted by the librarian