Tortoise Cat asks a coincidental question

Tortoise Cat: EYOW! All I want to do is cat-nap and dream cat-grassy dreams! But the Big One has been bugging me to blog.

Chameleon: I notice the Big One is also behind in blogging. What a funny coincidence!

Tortoise Cat: What is a co-incidence, Chameleon? There is now happening...And otherwise, whiles of napping, hunting, hiding, strolling, eating, lapping, smelling, listening, poo-peeing, scratching, biting, bathing, snuggling and dreaming happen, now and again. What is NOT a co-incidence?

Chameleon: Tortoise Cat, you are wise AND other-wise!

Tortoise Cat says EYOW-NO to stepping on snow

Tortoise Cat: After my first horrible chilly-dim-season, long whiles ago, I have steadfastly refused to step on snow. Do you remember those experiences?

Chameleon: No, but an angel told me horses let you ride over the snow back then, Tortoise Cat.

Tortoise Cat: Yes, my second Big One was a horse. Then, when cat-grass season sprouted up suddenly I wandered off.

Chameleon: And you met me, next.

Tortoise Cat: Yes...And many others...Before you arranged for me me to meet the Big One of this home.

Chameleon: Tortoise Cat, I do not know why snow blows in with so many sad and scary reminiscences...though brighter blessings have always sparkled though.

Tortoise Cat: EYOW-YES...that is true!

Tortoise Cat flies in autumn garden dreams

Tortoise Cat: Most of my favorite plant-pals have already gone into hiding, underground...But their drying, dying bits and pieces have started emitting the most surprising, perplexing, extraordinary aromas...!

Chameleon: Relax and allow those potent transformational essences to induce amazing, shapeshifting dreams, Tortoise Cat!

Tortoise Cat: OK. EYOW. Am I really flying, Chameleon?

Chameleon: Well, yes. In these wondrous autumnal day-dreams you are soaring and diving most skillfully, Tortoise Cat.

Tortoise Cat dreads Cat-Grass Season's immanent end

Tortoise Cat: EYOW. Cat-Grass Season is all but over, Chameleon. I was so sure this one would last forever!

Chameleon: Longer-Dreaming Season is about to begin. Your cat-naps will deepen and grow more fun, Tortoise Cat.

Tortoise Cat: I prefer sun-rays warming my fur and living vegetable aromas to dreams, Chameleon.

Chameleon: But, Tortoise Cat, in your dreams you best the taunting Robins with your Griffin-ish wings, and even join the Crows in aeronautical shows!

Tortoise Cat: EYOW. You cannot convince me the icy, chilly while I sense and feel overtaking us is as wonderful as Cat-Grass Season, Chameleon. But I shall do my best to make the best of my longer, deeper cat-nap dreams.

Chameleon: OK. The Big One is ready for your next garden stroll. Go on, Tortoise Cat, prowl through today's brisk breezes and let your furs absorb as many southward waning sun-rays as possible, and let your nose show you the brightest synesthestic tapestry of this season's fading flowers ever.

Tortoise Cat: Thank-you, anyway, for attempting to cheer me, Chameleon.

Tortoise Cat ruffles her nose to smell flower flavors

Tortoise Cat Sniffing Dry Asters

Tortoise Cat: Whew. I forgot how delicious those dry flower buds smell!

Chameleon: Those are Asters, Tortoise Cat. Pink and purple Star Flowers. Can you smell the different flavors like the bees, butterflies and moths do?

Tortoise Cat: When I bury my whole head in the plant, curl my tail and ruffle up my nose, I imagine I can. But, this means Cat-Grass Season is waning, again!

Chameleon: There are a few whiles of your long favorite season left, Tortoise Cat. Now, tell me, is nose-ruffling anything like nose-blurring?

Tortoise Cat: Nose-blurring just happens when a strong odor whiff suddenly swirls out of a flower. Nose-ruffling is reaching way into the plant to catch the smell-swirl after it's gone hiding.

Chameleon: Wow.

Tortoise Cat roams harness-free

Tortoise Cat in the Autumn Garden, Harness Free

Tortoise Cat: Being able to roam the garden harness-free with breezes ruffling my furs was wonderful! I hope the Big One wants to take more furry pictures of me soon.

Chameleon: When you climb a tree too high and get scared and yowl, I wonder...Is THAT sort of rumpus your idea of fun, Tortoise Cat?

Tortoise Cat: So, tell me Chameleon, how did I get back down so suddenly?

Chameleon: Naturally, I shape-shifted into a dragon and flew you back down to the bench! Do you not remember?

Tortoise Cat: Happily, the fright-full memory has blurred already. 

Chameleon: Really? Blurring memories on purpose is one of the simplest shape-shifting techniques.

Tortoise Cat climbs trees suddenly

EYOW...Trees are the funnest neighbors on the block!

Tortoise Cat: I'm never "posing" for the Big One's picture-play when I rush up a tree. So, I never show off my best side. That's what the Big One exclaims, often.  

Chameleon:  Yes, Tortoise Cat, as pretty, cute and adorable as you are, you are remarkably non-photogenic. But that adds challenge for the Big One's photography "play" — and not all cats like to pose for photo-ops just to look elegant and show off their beauty.

Tortoise Cat: I enjoy our conversations, Chameleon, but after a few sentences, I am usually lost. 

Chameleon: That's OK, Tortoise Cat. Go climb another tree. Uh..wait. You'd better just climb a shrub, until the Big One returns.

Tortoise Cat wags her tail waiting for a squirrel

"Squirrel went in there," meowed Tortoise Cat, "But I can wait a while and wag!"

Tortoise Cat: Why did the link list disappear on our blog, Chameleon?

Chameleon: The Big One explained Blogrolling.com might be linking by mistake to a bad website that could cause computer problems for our visitors. The Big One removed the blogroll until that problem is fixed.

Tortoise Cat: Could we link-blog another way?

Chameleon: The Big One is looking into it. You might have to open another Web 2.0 account somewhere, start all over and do it yourself, Tortoise Cat.

Tortoise Cat: EYOW! I would rather stroll and play with that squirrel who keeps hiding stuff in the rock garden.

Chameleon: I was kidding.

Tortoise Cat: Let's go out for a while before it gets dark! Look, that squirrel is hiding stuff in the Big One's trash bag!

Chameleon: It happens. OK, let's stroll.

Tortoise Cat wonders why the raccoons stopped visiting

Tortoise Cat in the Courtyard Garden Savoring Autumn Breezes and Sunrays

Tortoise Cat: Other cats prowling keep me up all night, asserting my territorial rights. I would rather greet the raccoons.

Chameleon: Those raccoons steer clear of you lately, Tortoise Cat, probably because of the terrible names, terms and threats you howled at the family when they trotted by a while ago. What a rumpus it was!

Tortoise Cat: How strange! I simply do not recall emitting a single tone that night, Chameleon. Well, anyway the flowery and breezy smells are preoccupying me now.

Chameleon: You are indeed much mellower most mornings, Tortoise Cat, especially after you simply stretch, stroll and nibble your favorite cat-grasses. 

Tortoise Cat dreads the end of Cat Grass Season

Tortoise Cat and the Next Generation of Thistles

Tortoise Cat: Chameleon, I smell hints of colder days blowing in soon. My paws and whiskers can feel the dark, snowy, icy season that I refuse to acknowledge by granting it a nick-name stealthily, steadily creeping up on us!

Chameleon: Oh, play on, Tortoise Cat. This year's Cat Grass Season will last some fun whiles longer. Weeds and grasses are renewing and thriving in our home territory, though our tree neighbors are shedding their leaves early.

Tortoise Cat: Does Cat-Grass Season last longer in the Central Valley of California, where the Big One wants to go and mark new territory?

Chameleon: Grasses grow through the darker, rainy days there, but need extra water during stretches of longer, hotter days.

Tortoise Cat Hastening Home in the Wind

Tortoise Cat: You know how much I dislike wind gusts and rain storms, Chameleon, but let us pack and go anyhow—before the first snow falls and all the puddles freeze over.

Tortoise Cat's muggy August afternoon

Tortoise Cat in the Rock Garden on a moist, muggy August afternoon

Tortoise Cat: My new favorite seat in our Rock Garden is the old red cushion the Big One almost threw away.

Chameleon: Good save, Tortoise Cat. It's too hot for your fur-suited, warm-blooded body to stroll, let alone prowl or play, so nap and dream on.

Tortoise Cat: My custom cat-grass patches are thriving within reach, so I'm content.

Chameleon: I'm appreciating the brighter, vivider colors and oders the dampness is bringing out.

Moving to another territory far way, some day

Tortoise Cat rests in a favorite territorial garden nook.

Tortoise Cat: The Big One mentioned moving to another territory! Why?

Chameleon: The rumpus of city life...? Winter snow impeding progress...? I don't know, Tortoise Cat. It must be an old longing for the first home territory.

Tortoise Cat: What do you mean, first home territory?

Chameleon: It's wherever one is when exploring and marking beings, like your first place with the Big One, two blocks westward.

Tortoise Cat: Where is the Big One's first home territory, Chameleon?

Chameleon: It's in a land called Central Valley, where summers are hot but dry with cool night ocean breezes. The way big ones reckon distances, it's much closer to my own home territory called Point Reyes Seashore.

Tortoise Cat: How?

Chameleon: I will shape-shift into a dragon and fly, Tortoise Cat. But you and the Big One will pack a van and roll along.

Tortoise Cat: A van? What is that? Must we roll dangerously fast like we did to and from the Big One's folk's territory during snow-season, way too far westward, but wonderful when we arrived?

Chameleon: A van is much bigger than the car you rode to the folk's place in and it will roll slightly slower. But, you will roll much farther westward and arriving will be...wondrously amazing. The ride to the Central Valley will take about five days.

Tortoise Cat: EYOW! What is "five"...?

Chameleon: Five is just one of the many, many words the big ones use to say "some"...but as cats count, the ride will take some days and nights.

Tortoise Cat: More than one and more than two, is too, too long a ride, Chameleon. When?

Chameleon: Next year, probably. And that's too long from now to keep on conversing about today, Tortoise Cat.

Tortoise Cat: Is next year after cat-grass season? Because this cat-grass season might never end.

Chameleon: It won't happen before the next cat-grass season, Tortoise Cat.

Tortoise Cat: OK, Chameleon.  Let us play, nap and dream through every day of this perfect cat-grass season that might last forever.

Tortoise Cat and Chameleon sunbathe then begin blogging anew

Tortoise Cat Foot Bath in the Rock Garden

Tortoise Cat: Why did the Big One delete our other blog so swiftly, Chameleon?

Chameleon: If Blog-City isn't going host individual bloggers anymore after a year or so, why stay on? Now is always the best moment for a new beginning!

Tortoise Cat: When will the Big One turn our old blog into an ebook?

Chameleon: We must keep pestering the Big One for it to happen sooner rather than later!

Tortoise Cat: ...Because the Big One isn't so swift, usually!

Welcome to the Tortoise Cat's new blog home

Image by Shamanic Shift via Flickr

We've started getting things set up here to leave our old blogging territory and start over, ASAP.

So check back for more, soon!

The Big One backed-up our old, longstanding weblog for future publication as an ebook, then deleted the site.

Maybe we can re-publish some favorite posts.

We apologize for broken links. Stand-by.