Even more recent news, my book Catwoods, Stories and Studies of Our Feline Companions, won both a Certificate of Excellence and a MUSE Medallion in the Cat Writers’ Association contest!
July 2019. Latest news, I now have a book out and I’m now a Professional Member of the Cat Writers’ Association! WooHoo!
I am a writer fascinated by the natural world and animals. I’m especially taken with the household cat, felis silvestris catus. I feel that humans can grow in compassion towards all when they have direct contact with nature and its creatures.
I was also a visual artist until I became ill with a rare chronic neuropathic disease in 1992. Because of the limitations of the illness, I write and update this blog at a slower than usual pace. This is also true of publishing and answering comments, and commenting on the the websites of others.
I’m slowly learning photography and photo editing late in life because I can no longer do painting and mixed media. I’m having lots of fun with it; I’m not very skilled but I’m always happy when anyone likes my pictures.
I live in Alabama with my husband and our animals. There’s a cat in my life who has been missing since the 2011 tornadoes. We have kept up the search and the hope of finding him, but he would now be getting up in age.
I’m a lifelong wilderness advocate. I am liberal. I live in a like-minded community in the southeast US; liberal southerners do indeed exist! I do mention political matters on occasion but my health is too fragile to discuss them in depth. If you’ve stated political and/or environmental views that differ from mine, I will still follow and “like” your posts about cats and other topics of interest to me if they include no politics. If you include a political statement I disagree with in a post, I won’t like that particular post; but I’ll be back for another post if it’s devoid of views I don’t agree with. Though I’m here for cats and nature and art and science, I’ll “like” posts on politics and environment that I do agree with.
The US southeast where I live is a place full of creative activity, with many artists, musicians, actors, and especially writers. I’ve written a book. My husband has written a book. My father-in-law wrote a book. Just about everyone I know is writing and/or creating something. The same goes for a zillion folks around here that I don’t know.
I’ve been using the screen name ‘catwoods’ on several websites including this one, since 2007, partly because it’s the literal translation of felis silvestris and partly because I live in a forest, with cats. Now it’s also the name of my cat book, which can be purchased through Amazon and other online sources (see upper right hand corner). I’ve changed my username here back to my own name to see how that goes.
Y’all come on out to my imaginary porch where the party never ends and the house cats are watching the screen, meowing at me to get their stories told!
My book, Catwoods: Stories and Studies of Our Feline Companions is out after many years of work! It was published in July of 2019. It’s available on Amazon (see clickable cover at upper right), Ernest and Hadley Booksellers, and Borgo Publishing. Here are the links:
~ Leah
Little Buddy
I live near a creek in a forest, in close observation and awe of the wildlife outside, as well as the domestic animals of the household. I'm writer Leah T. Alford. I was "catwoods" on this site Catwoods Porch Party, Itchmo Forums for Cats and Dogs, and a few other sites that may or may not exist now. I have now published a book, and the publisher wanted it called Catwoods. I never expected the book title to be the same as my username, so for now I've changed the username to Leah. For more info, click the "About" button above.
Catwoods Porch Party 
Love your photos; starting to add more pics. myself. Cats are strange creatures. Our newest cat “Blue”, mostly Ragdoll I believe, loves me but my wife, not so much. They got into a catfight yesterday and Blue won, hands down. Thanks for following my blog. Leo
Thank you Leo, I’m glad you like the photos! Sometimes it takes awhile for a new cat to warm up to everyone, so hopefully Blue will settle in with everyone in your household soon. My pleasure following your blog, and thank you for following mine!
Dear Leah, Think of you often and wonder how you are doing… I am so sorry you are so ill. Any good, new developments?
Please take care and know that I pray for you daily. ❣️🙏🏽
Hi Ellen, Thanks for checking up on me! I’m trying to get off TPN now, but it’s going slowly. Not sure it will work. Still waiting till the best time to try some meds, and that’s going slowly. Pandemic issues plus bone-headed legislators here – no more telemedicine – are interfering with my ability to get prescriptions. Really enjoying your fantastically beautiful photography. Cheers and Meows, Leah
Oh dear Leah, it must be so hard to get off the TPN! I read about it. I will pray hard that the new meds will work. It must all be so hard and how stupid to stop the telemedicine!!! I am so sorry. I think they should keep that from now on anyhow. You are my hero!! I have a mental illness and migraines but nothing like you have. Thanks so much for your compliments on my photos but the place was totally photogenic. I miss your photos of colorful leaves near water. Meows to you and blessings for good health❣️❣️❣️🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Dear Leah, Happy New Year to you and to your family and to your cats! Thank you, Hugs and Love, nia
Hi Nia! Thank you for the good wishes! We wish you, your family and friends and kitties, a very Happy New Year too!
Leah, I know you haven’t posted for a long time, but I see you are still reading and liking posts. I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to tell you how often I think of you, because our little creek here looks a lot like yours, and when I see leaves floating in it, it makes me think of all your photos of leaves, water, and reflections, and of how you see so much more in those subjects than most people notice. Best wishes for 2023!
Good to hear from you Textile Ranger! And thank you for your kind words about my pictures! I did become much sicker as of October 11, 2021, and I’m still trying to make my way back. I don’t know if I can or not, but there are a few things left to try. I’m housebound now and have missed two autumns on the creek; I’m not a happy camper! The cats do help me keep going. I do still try to keep up with the blogosphere and I really enjoy your posts! Just sorry I don’t comment more often. Many thanks for your good wishes! All the best to you in the new year!
Ellen, Thank you! All good wishes for the new year back atcha! I’m really enjoying your posts and your gorgeous photography!
🙏🏽❣️🥰👍🎄
Dear Leah,
Here’s to wishing you all good things for the new year, especially including some relief from your rare disease. Thank you for always “liking” my posts. Will be praying for you as always!! Happy New Year, Leah❣️🙏🏽
Dear Leah, Thank you for all your “likes” on my blog this past year! For the holiday season, I wish you wellness so you can do some of the many things you want to do and can’t. We all do what we can, we take the path that is open to us in spite of how slow-going it may be. I am starting with a new doctor and will see if things improve. I really pray things will improve for you. It seems you have been through alot. God bless us all but most especially you, dear Leah! Keep up the spirit❣️
Ellen, thank you for all your good wishes! My pleasure keeping up with your blog! Your photography is just exquisite. I send best wishes for you to recover and feel better, too!
Oh, many thanks, Leah❣️I don’t have a disease… just lots and lots of migraines! And agoraphobia. And physical problems. Nothing as dramatic as your disease. You are the brave one, Leah, and I thank you for your sweet words. I pray for you, dear friend! 🙏🏽🎄🥰
Happy Thanksgiving, Leah!!!! I think I read a new post of yours. Not sure. I sure enjoyed it though!! Hope you are weller! Hope you feel better!❣❣❣🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽❤❤❤🌷🌷🌷
Thanks Ellen, and Happy Thanksgiving! No new posts from me, but I’m hanging in there!
So glad you are hanging in there❣️❣️ Hope you can enjoy your holiday with two-legged and your precious four-legged ones as well. With much appreciation fir you, Ellen
Happy Thanksgiving, Leah!!!! I think I read a new post of yours. Not sure. I sure enjoyed it though!! Hope you are weller! Hope you feel better!❣️❣️❣️🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️❤️❤️🌷🌷🌷
Dear Leah,
Thank you so much for liking my post. I sure appreciate your faithfulness. And I’m 🙏🏽 for you. Migraine now so won’t write more. Hope you are feeling okay but fear you are not. Purrs and hugs, Ellen
Many thanks, Ellen!
You’re most welcome!
Dear Leah, A thousand apologies for my last comment. My husband told me it was totally in appropriate and I am very sorry. Please erase this message, too. I totally admire your devotion to cats and nature which is why I love your blog. Thank you for liking my Indian post anyhow. God bless you 🙏🏽 ❤️ ellen
Ellen I’ll be glad to take off anything you want me to but I don’t see anything inappropriate. Right now I only have access to a phone and it’s disrupting the sequencing and format of comments so I can’t find things by sequence. If/when I get the computer back up that may or may not straighten it out. I appreciate your comments and caring so much!
Oh, Leah, thank you. The feeling is mutual! You do what you see fit. ❣️🙏🏽🙏🏽❣️Ellen
Hi, Leah, Hope you are feeling better with the cooler weather! Thank you so much for liking my posts so faithfully. I pray for you.❣️ellen
Hi Ellen, Thanks for checking on me! I’m hanging in there but haven’t seen much improvement. Still some things to try. My pleasure following your blog!
Hi Leah,
Well, just wanted to check in with you and see how you are doing. I remember some of your Fall posts. Have any of the things you said you still had to try working? I pray for you daily and sure appreciate your support of my blog. May you feel better!! Meantime I hope you can enjoy the Fall. We are no longer in the country but in NYC and the leaves are just starting to change here. There has been sort of a drought so many are just turning brown and falling. We haven’t had a first frost yet. I forget where you are located.
Well it is the middle of the night here so I should go back to bed. Happy Fall to you😍💖🙏ellen
Hi Ellen, Thank you for checking up on me! Unfortunately it’s going to take some time to go through the things we’re going to try. Have to contact docs, etc. I do love the autumn and wish I could get out to see it this year, but I probably can’t. I lost last fall too. Big bummer, I am an outdoor person trapped inside. Fall does sometimes last a while here in case somehow things move more quickly than expected. Really enjoying your blog, Cheers and Meows, Leah
Dear Leah,
Oh, thanks so much for writing, dear Leah. I think of you, especially in Autumn. I am sorry you cannot get out to see it and take your beautiful photos. I am having trouble walking, trying to go out, too, to take photos but I wind up just going to doctors. I lost last Fall, too. It IS a bummer! Agreed. But your thing sounds far more serious. Fall is my favorite season, too. Well, let’s keep hopeful. I bought a phone harness so I could put the phone on it around my neck and take pictures from our window without dropping the phone. Not quite the same. It is at this time I miss our little barn upstate the most. Now we are New York City. We’ll let’s stay positive. I pray that something works for you. Take care. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽😊😊😊and thank you for the many “likes”. Glad your book is doing well.
Ellen
Ellen, I did not realize that you also have health problems! I send purrs (abundant here) for you to get better, too! It would be hard to live in the city after living in a more rural area. Thanks for your kind words about the book, the awards were fun and it’s great when someone says something nice about it; it was a labor of love, after all, but I don’t know anything about marketing and I’m so limited, it hasn’t sold especially well. It’s fun to have a book out, though. I might try coming out with a kindle version if we ever get my computer going again. Cheers and Meows, Leah
Hi Leah, hope you are doing better! 🙏🏽 Thank you for your continued following of my blog. ❣️ellen
Will 🙏🏽 pray for those “still some things to try.” Really miss your posts as I know so many others do. Take care and thanks for enjoying my pix. I am not on Instagram otherwise would look you up there. Had bad experiences on Instagram and can’t figure it out. Anyhow feel better!!!
Thanks Ellen! Instagram does have too many scammers … A friend’s account was just taken over by a scammer. I spend alot of time blocking any followers and recommendations that seem “off” in the slightest way.
Hi Leah, hope you are doing better! 🙏🏽 Thank you for your continued following of my blog. ❣️ellen
Thank you, Leah! I appreciate you liking my photos of India. You are in my morning prayers every day. Hope you can get back to blogging but meantime relax and heal yourself. xxellen
FINALLY!!! I found a way to write to you, Leah! I so appreciate so much about you and thank you a million times for being such a dedicated reader of my posts!! And I refollowed you today trying to find new posts but I fear you are too sick to post. Our loss as readers and photo admirers and cat lovers. Please take care, Leah. I am always so happy to see you appear on my posts. I will pray for you. 🙏🏽❤️ellen
Ellen, thank you much for your kind words! I had a big health set back in October and I’m not back to where I was. Not sure I’ll get back there but am still trying. Meanwhile I’m not making new posts, partly due to lack of stamina and partly because my computer isn’t set up right now. I’m working from the phone and that’s harder for me. Sorry that this is the only post open to comments. I had things set for a sixty day cut off on all the others. So, people can still converse with me here. I do check this site every day and will try to answer. I don’t comment much on other blogs, but do try to keep up some, especially in the cat blogosphere. My pleasure following your blog! Thank you for following, I do hope to get back to making new posts one day. Our cats are all fine and I post their pics on Instagram now and then, which is easily done on the phone.
Hi dear Leah, Thank you for answering but not necessary. I was following you before but somehow got off the list. I am so sorry you are so sick. I don’t know if I will be able to communicate with you here because not quite sure how I found this avenue to you. But really all I wanted to say was thank you for being such a faithful follower and hope you feel better soon and can blog again. I have you on my prayer list and will pray for you daily. 🙏🏽 Sending you blessed wishes and prayers for healing. ❤️ellen
Hola Leah. I certainly can relate to a hiatus in pounding the keys of a computer. After a two year struggle with anchoring to this spinning teetotum it’s a pleasure to join up with your sight again. My feline familia of eight have been a blessing and my muse, and I look forward to sharing with you a few poems they have inspired. A welcome back from my village in Mexico where it is always spring.
Good to see you again John Thomas Dodds! I’d love to see you post again and I look forward to seeing your kitty-inspired poetry. Unfortunately I don’t know when, or if, I’ll be posting again. I’m still very sick from a rare and complicated condition and whether I can get back to posting speed is iffy. I do get around to liking posts. I comment sometimes, but not always. Cheers and Meows, Leah
Getting back into posting after a long hiatus is somewhat of a challenge at my age. I was down for the count there at one time and blessed to up and running again. There’s been a few changes in the world and WordPress. It took sometime trying to master the blocks, and not there yet. We now have ocho Gatos on our little Hacienda. That’s a handful. I have a small collection on Kindle titled Kats, Kids & Kreativity. Here’s one of the poems.
Gourmet Tidbits vs Lizards
you want them to stay out of trouble,
but trouble’s their nom de guerre
you want them to lay off the birds & bugs,
settle for gourmet tidbits,
and the crème de la crème of scraps
and just when you think
you know what they want
its double trouble and lizards for lunch
curiosity it seems, is the name of the game
nothing that moves
or seems out of place
escapes their radar ears, saucer eyes,
and energizer sniffer
It’s just part of their nature,
to hunt down a sound,
stalk an invisible unknown something,
and bring home gifts you’d rather decline
you want them to stay out of trouble,
but troubles their nom de guerre
Take care, be well.
Good to hear from you, John Thomas! And thanks for posting the poem, I love it! I’ll check out your book on Amazon. I’m nowhere near back to where I was and won’t be posting myself for awhile. I had a workaround for the block editor and I hope that’s still there. If it’s not, whenever I try to post again, I’ll be in big trouble.
Hi Leah, I don’t see any email address for you so I will comment here — as you may know I live in similar surroundings to yours, and I often think of you when I see leaves floating in the creek, or some other photographic subject you like and have posted about. Just the other day I realized that you haven’t posted for a while, so I hope all is well with you! You can email me at texasstorm at outlook dot com if you would rather chat with me over there. And if your current health issues are such that that would be too much effort, just know that I am thinking of you and I am sure all your other readers are too! 🙂
Hi Textile Ranger! Sorry for being late getting back to you. I am indeed having a rough time with illness right now. It started in October so I missed the fall leaves here, and it’s going to take awhile yet to resolve. I wouldn’t mind doing a post about it in more depth so everyone would know, but I’m both sort of weak and away from a computer now, using a phone. That means I’d probably have to use the block editor which I don’t know how to do. With the computer, I have a workaround, or I did last year. I hope it’s still there. I’m not much of a correspondent right now but will try to write you a note at a later date. I did post “cats with blogs” fb but that’s been awhile. I always really enjoyed your work and your blog, and I hope I can come back soon. Cheers and Meows, Leah
Apparently the email I sent wouldn’t go through? So I hope you see this here.
I copied the address incorrectly, that’s why it didn’t go through before. Just re-sent.
I am sorry to hear your health is not up to par, I am sending you warm and cozy thoughts! Gwen
Thank you so much!
Dear Leah. I found you through dearest Cordelia Feldman – RIP. I have read much of your blog and love it. Thank you for doing what you do for cats and beyond. I am very sorry to hear about your neurological condition and wish you healing although I know chronic illness is a very hard path – so mostly I wish you good days. The publishers I work for just published a book about chronic illness that really brought it home for me suffering from chronic illness myself. I am sending you healing and strength to keep your beautiful blog going. Thank you for being such a light in the world and a really good friend to Cordelia. We will remember her.
Thank you so much for all your kind words, Louisa. They brought tears. Cordelia had such sparkle and such courage. I will never forget her. I am sorry that you too have a chronic illness and I wish you all the best in weathering it. It’s going to take me several months more to get back to where I was, if at all possible. Meanwhile I can’t be at the computer itself, just the phone which I’m not too skilled at using. But I’m looking forward to checking out your site more as the chances open up. I’ll save the email with your comment so I can find you and follow.
Sounds good. I am unable to follow sites because WordPress banned me from doing so when I followed 20 in one day for business reasons and it’s been an uphill battle since. I will however follow you via the usual channels. I hope you will get on the road to recovery, I know that can be fitful and I wish you only good things. Thank you for being such an inspiration to others – oh and I love cats and rescue them too!
Very cool that you rescue cats, too. Louisa!
One of the best and my favorite blog ever.
Thank you much! I’ve been I’ll and have a long recovery ahead, that’s why it took me awhile to publish your comment. I look forward to checking out your site when things get better.
This is a delightful About page, Leah. My cat, Crystal and I send a hello — and so does Lilith from “Atonement, Tennessee.” Be well, be happy. Hugs on the wing!
Thank you Teagan, I appreciate it! Looking forward to exploring your blog more when time opens up. Hugs and meows from our kitties to you and yours!
I love animals and nature, too. It’ll be a sad world without them. I pet a dog a day to keep the psychiatrist away. It restores your sanity.
I’d rather live in a crumbling hut in nature than a deluxe apartment in the city, but that’s where the jobs are. Guess I’m stuck.
I couldn’t make it without animals and nature for sure. I did spend plenty of time working in cities, some large and some smaller and with more access to the natural world. One thing I will say is that being out in remote areas can be lonesome and isolating at times. So to live in the wild you really need to balance things out and visit people. However, that can’t be right now because of the need for social distancing due to the Covid virus, of course. So we will all need to cope with being isolated for awhile.
Thanks for your many likes of my work, Leah
Following now and wishing you all the best xx
My pleasure liking your posts! Thank you for the follow and wishing you all the best in return!
Hi Leah: I just saw that like icon (star) in your About page. Its come under Reader > Conversations > About > Click About and it will open your About page > In there, its in left hand pane. WordPress is getting confusing. I also noticed apart from your few latest blogs, it won’t allow me to leave a comment as if comment section below your post is closed. Thanks!
Well, it’s amazing you found the about page likes ’cause I haven’t yet, thanks! One day I’ll check into it. On the older post I did close off comments after around 60 days, because I was having trouble keeping up. Sorry about that but I am limited in what I can do every day and it takes awhile to go around to the old posts.
I understand. Keep up the good work though. Talented people must never stop. Yes, too many comments can be overwhelming to keep up with, I guess I am lucky in a sense cos no one really read my blogs hehehe! I am glad you spend time reading my work, I appreciate it very much. Saludos! Ashraf
Thanks for all your encouraging words, Ashraf! In general, I think people aren’t spending as much time on the Internet as they used to. Maybe one day – it won’t be soon though – I’ll do a post on my favorite environmental sites. If I do yours will most certainly be there!
Hi Leah:
How thoughtful, inspiring and wonderful of you to mention about supporting Species Ecology. You are very real and kind person. I sure will mention about your ‘well-enriched’ and ‘super popular’ Catwoods when I write up blog on cats in general and wild cats in particular. I think every cat lovers should know and read your site. It is very rich both in terms of its article contents but also in terms of ‘liveliness’. Best!
Hey Leah, Thanks for such a fruitful and succinct reply. I am glad you like my sites and thanks for the inspiring comments. I sure appreciate it a lot. Despite health issue, I think, you are doing pretty good and I am sure you will continue to persevere despite all the odds. You are strong person and it reflects on your work and writing. Thanks for the tips on popularizing my sites. I never really knew that. I know there is reader section but I never been there until you read your comment here. Really fruitful tip and I have started utilizing the Reader > Adding Tag (Ecology, Wildlife etc) > and finding lots of sites that I never knew exist. I typed Catwoods but nothing showed up, not sure why. But I got your site bookmarked anyway. Also I do not see like button in your site. I want to press like to your post just like you did to mine but I can’t locate it in your site. Thanks!
Thanks for the encouraging words, Ashraf! I’m not sure if you can look up titles of sites in the reader; I haven’t tried though. I think it’s just categories like cats, ecology, nature, etc. There are blogs that are environmental though I haven’t found many with the scientific depth that yours has. But many photography sites with beautiful nature photos have an environmental outlook. I looked into the like button thing and I don’t see it on this About page. I actually thought it was there but maybe it wasn’t; I’m using an old theme and changes made over the years by wordpress might have interfered. I do think the like buttons are working on the individual posts, though. Thanks for pointing that out, I may ask wordpress about it in the future.
Good bio. I enjoyed reading it. Keep up your good work on cats. Cats are cool species and it’s always nice to find avid cat lovers like yourself. Best! Ashraf
Thanks Ashraf, I appreciate it! I do adore cats! You have an interesting blog . . . I’m wondering if you know that your name above does not go to the wordpress blog though, but rather to some kind of Yahoo search result page? Your Gravatar image does go to the right profile and does have a link to your blog.
Hi Leah: Yes, cats provoke sheer sense of joy and excitement whenever and wherever I get to see one. I have three of them and they are all my daughters. I launched a new site focused on my cats recently and you were the first person to visit and liked it. It was launched on my Grace Sweeties 3rd Birthday on August 6, 2019. Species Ecology is my main site and it is focused on wildlife ecology. I did not know until you pointed out that clicking species ecology does not take you to the site. Thanks for pointing that. I did some checking and amended it, hopefully it should work but if not, please let me know. Thanks! Ashraf
On the second comment it goes to your site now, yay! But I discovered that on the your first comment it still goes to that other page. I’m not techy at all so I don’t know how that works.
Thanks for letting me know. Yes, I noticed it does not direct to the site in my first comment but I think with any future comment, it should work. Feel free to explore all my sites and I will do the same for yours. Paws Up!
Will do! In zipping through my day I somehow failed to ‘follow’ your cat blog. When you have a moment maybe tell me the name or post a link so I can get back there! TIA
Hey Leah, Species Ecology is my main site which I noticed you are checking out lately. Nice of you to do so and feel free to leave a comment and encourage other like minded folks to visit. Its all about wildlife ecology, bit nerdy I know but I try to keep technical details at bay. Like you I am avid cat lover hence I launched a new site to mark the 3rd Birthday of my Grace Sweetie on August 6, 2019. And you were the first visitor. The link for that site is https://mylovingdaughters.photo.blog/ Feel free to explore and leave a comment. Paws Up! Ashraf
Thank you for the link, Ashraf, I went to your site about your cats and it’s impressive! I’m following! I’ve also followed your Species Ecology, another great site. I’ll try to leave comments when I can. I have a serious chronic illness and am undergoing a downturn in wellness and energy that makes it hard for me to get around to everyone with comments and/or put words together in ways that make sense, lol. I really do like both your sites – I like your thorough writing about science-based efforts to preserve endangered species – and will certainly suggest others check them out. A way to get your sites around is to go through posts on similar topics in the “tag” section of the reader and “like” posts. I now remember finding your cat site and I think that’s how I found it, by looking through blogs under the “cat” tag.
Thank you very much for liking Migraines on my post. And other posts that I have been negligent in acknowledging. I really like your art, which I realize you are no longer able to to do and love your cat photos.
Nancy, my pleasure liking your art! I really enjoy it. I used to do a little scratchboard myself, and your work with it is so beautiful. I’m happy you like my art and kitty pics!
ahh… cats … not too long ago 7 of them lived with us. now it’s only 3. (room for more, but “Betty” says she doesn’t think so). come by and see our “Annie” puzzling about neutrinos (2 posts back, I think)
Sorry to hear that you’ve lost cats over time, we have too and now many are at the Rainbow Bridge. For now it’s best we only have our one little Ultraviolet girl. I did go by and check out your post about Annie and the neutrinos, LOL, it’s quite cute and funny!
Catwoods, am so glad you visited my site – especially as it’s led me to your lovely blog – wishing you & yours the best for 2018 🙂
Thank you so much for you kind words, da-AL! I’m happy you like my blog. I enjoyed visiting your site and I’m looking forward to checking it out more when time arises.
❤
I had fun reading your blog and seeing the pictures of cats. My wife is a big cat lover. We have probably had twenty cats during our time. Three left. Many of them are still in our memories as truly great. Morris was the smart one. Baby the cuddles of the bunch and Little Blue could catch animals and leave them on our door mat. Mostly mice and an occasional squirrel. P.S. today is my seventy two birthday and I want to thank you for reading my blog. It made me smile to have a fellow cat lover read my stuff.
First of all, Happy Birthday Barry! It’s nice to communicate with fellow cat enthusiasts and I thank you in return for reading my blog! I enjoyed reading about your cats and I always enjoy your blog. It always warms my heart to read the story of how you met your wife! We have had about 15 cats in our lifetime, and helped to find homes for many more. I try to always catch your blog but sometimes miss a lot due to a hectic schedule right now. Enjoy your birthday!
Hello Leah – I have a remote cabin I go stay at from time to time.It’s remote enough that no one can hear me cutting up my firewood with my chainsaw.Over the years I’ve gotten to know my neighbours. The resident bear who visits me from time to time is called Leah.I called her that because she prefers to stay around the meadow & Leah is Celtic for meadow.
Leah is sleeping now.I won’t see her for months.
A Liberal in Alabama? Must be tough.Good luck with that election tomorrow!
W
Hi W, that remote cabin sounds like a really nice place to be. That much isolation would be an experience for sure. I’ve only ever been in such places, with no highway noise and no train noise, a few times in my life. Although I’ve seen lots of wildlife, I’ve never seen a bear in the wild! Happy to hear she has the same name as me. I did know about Leah being Celtic for meadow, and that’s my preferred meaning of the name.
Sorry for the delay in publishing your post, and thanks for your good wishes on the election. I had to be away from the computer yesterday, partly to vote, and then came back to a big celebration online and elsewhere because, Doug Jones won! Our liberal candidate won! There are many more progressives in Alabama than those in other regions and nations realize. We just don’t get recognized as much. Although we are outnumbered, our community is vibrant and energized and worked really hard on behalf of Senator Jones.
All the best,
Leah
YES! I saw on the news last night that Jones won! Congratulations! Moore defeated himself! He won’t even concede until he hears from God.This will stick in his craw ! 🙂
Hi Madeline, thank you for your kind comments about my blog. It does sound like you have an interesting product! I’m crazy busy for about the next 6 months and have no extra time for anything, but when things settle down I will consider a review. I’m keeping a copy of your comment so I have your email address. I edited it out of your comment so it would not be exposed to the Internet at large. However, if you want it in the comment let me know and I will restore it. Thanks again!
Thanks for the follow, and it’s great to see your site, the lovely images that capture your natural world and the cats. There’s no doubt that your senses are very much alive, even if illness has altered how you juggle those talents.
Thank you so much for your kind words, and for following my blog also! Much appreciated! My pleasure finding and following your beautiful blog, I look forward to visiting more when things settle down for me a bit!
Si; I hope you find a way to better health. Two years ago dengue/chikungunya co-infection slammed me down, and the chikungunya side effects still appear, especially arthritic-type pain in the joints.
When I drink lots of fresh ginger/turmeric ‘tea’ it seems to help…
Extreme fatigue is another.. there’s balance, and after a few challenging days of travel or intense painting sessions, I do little except rest…
Before moving to the neotropics, i had a perennial cough that has basically been absent since I left 17 years ago… Ah, clean air and healthy chemical-free diet are easier to find here, and I think that’s a big part of wellness.
Thank you for the well wishes! So sorry to hear you had such serious diseases! Glad you survived but I know that coming back to full strength can be a long slow road. My husband had West Nile meningoencephalitis a few years ago and has a lot of lingering effects to battle daily also. The condition I have is neuropathic and does involve fatigue, and I’m working on getting a book out so I have a long to-do list for some time ahead. May we all reach recovery! Having the clean air and the healthy diet does sound wonderful.
Leah, just want to say thank you so much for following my blog. Your blog is really beautiful and unique, and I always enjoy stopping by.
Mary, thank you so much for your kind words! I’m happy that you like my blog. Reading your posts on your blog is always a pleasure!
Leah loved your article-:I don’t know why but I no longer get informed about your new postings. Thanks for checking out my new blog ana
Thank you Ana, I’m glad you liked the new article! I’m sure I’ll enjoy your new blog! Someone else mentioned not getting new post notices for me, and I’m not sure why. I don’t post very often, for one thing. But if you rely on email, I have noticed that there’s a list of followed sites in my control area – I’m not sure how I got there, lol – and each site had email either turned on or turned off. I didn’t recall checking one or the other; so maybe when wordpress last changed the settings areas, lots of those got turned off in the process. I usually just go by the reader for the sites I follow.
Hi Leah, thank you so much for following my blog. We certainly have interests in common, including nature and — though less apparent in my own blog — cats. I’ve always had a cat or two in my life, the current one was a street rescue and after 17 1/2 years is still semi-feral. He has been my first experience with ferals, and over the years I have learned a great deal of respect for how much he has dared to expand his world and also compassion for his continuing limitations. I love him dearly. I hope your missing cat returns to you some day. It is a terrible thing, not to know for sure what has happened.
My pleasure following your blog, Penny! I do love street art and street scenes, and you have captured it all so well! I need to go back and look around when I have time. I found your blog today when I was trying to find out something more about the garage with the cat painted on it. Pictures circulate around the Internet, but I didn’t know until today that it’s in Toronto!
Thank you for taking such good and understanding care of a feral kitty. We’ve had quite a few in our life and they vary so much in how relaxed they become, and how fast. Thanks also for your kind sympathy and hopes about our missing cat. It is indeed hard not to know what’s become of him.
Thanks so much for liking my drawing/painting Mother’s Day. Your work is great!
My pleasure, Nancy, I really like your art. I’m particularly fond of scratchboard techniques. Thank you for your kind words about my pictures!
HI
Just to let you know I have given you a shout out here
https://itsgoodtobecrazysometimes.wordpress.com/2016/04/19/animal-links/
Trina
x
Trina, thank you so much, I appreciate this!
Warmest wishes,
Leah
Most welcome 🙂
Thanks for liking my piece A Glimose of Hope. Your photographs are beautiful. I see that you have an interest in cats. Check out my animal drawing page. You’ll find some scratchboard drawings I did of animals. https://nancywolitzer.com/gallery-6-animal-drawings/
I went and checked out your animal portrait page. Your pictures are truly exquisite! Thank you about my photos, I’m happy you like them!
Thanks! Nancy
Thanks for following my blog. I really enjoyed looking through your posts and photos! 🙂
You’re welcome, Brianna! Thank you for your kind words, and for also following my blog. I’m having fun looking around on your site, too.
(have i “been here” before? any-weigh: ‘award-free’ ? ~ i can send you the pdf of my award-free-ness (wiltingly rumpled: it’s a “play” on something …)
cats and forests have quite the presence in my life too. we are “down” to just 5 cats (& 2 dogs) — to me it’s kind of like almost not having any!
It’s wonderful to have and love and care for that many animals. The most I’ve had at one time is five cats, and I miss having that many!
Your pictures are gorgeous!
Thank you, threechattycats, I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures!
Leah, just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year and hope that you had no damage during this crazy weather. We now have calm cold weather and it feels like winter. Love Kerry x
Kerry thank you! Wishing you a Happy New Year also! No wind damage here, but not too far away there was a small F0 tornado, and an F2 in a city about an hour away. Thankfully, no fatalities, but many homes lost. I’m still drained from three lengthy severe weather watches in about 4 or 5 days! We have much cooler weather now but I think we warm up again next week. Love in return, Leah
Leah, I’m just using this as a contact platform to thank you for your faithful attendance at my blog; while I inwardly profess not to care about numbers and visits, let’s face it, they do encourage us.
No need to post this; you may if you wish. I wish you a fruitful, encouraging, reviving new year.
Lauren, thank you also for viewing my blog, and commenting. It certainly does make a difference in my outlook. I should return comment on the blogs of everyone who comments on my posts, or at least make a post thanking everyone, but neither is possible at this time. Three severe weather alerts in 4 or 5 days have just drained me, and the to-do list is looming. I am enjoying your blog!
Merry Christmas, Leah! Warm (literally) wishes from Texas.
Merry Christmas, dear Leah! Warm Greetings from Texas the cats who are currently so badly behaved that Santa will not come…Kerry xx
Merry Christmas! and LOL! Hugs, Leah
Sorry to be delayed getting back to you! Just got back to the computer after last night’s severe weather watch. I’m not skilled enough with the phone yet to post comments with it.
I was just watching CNN and seeing the damage. So glad that it has missed you this time. We have tornado watches for the weekend. Weird weather, eh? Keep safe. K x
You stay safe too, Kerry. Slight risk remaining for us tonight and tomorrow, then again on Mon. Having been in one, I understand the risk in a way I didn’t before.
I have nominated you for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award. You are under no obligation to nominate anyone else. However I have nominated six bloggers whose posts I enjoy and who contribute to the blogging community through their commenting. Rules are posted on my site https://wonderfulwordsblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/16/1704/
Brenda, thank you so much, I am honored to be included! Unfortunately I will have to decline because I just can’t fulfill the requirements at this time. I’m a little extra tired now and have too many obligations. I’m very flattered! I’m going to follow your blog.
The rules say that you do not have to nominate anyone else. Please accept.
Well, I could accept, but I hadn’t planned on posting again for several months until I get my book done. I’m out of stream today after 2 hours of activity, and I don’t even know how to display the award logo, which is very beautiful BTW. Maybe I could try sometime after the holidays; whatever you think best, I’ll try to do.
Please do nothing to stress yourself out. Just be aware that someone appreciates your writing. A book? How wonderful.
Cool! And again, I thank you. Been working on the book a long time. I’m calling it mostly done. The details of actually getting out are a bit overwhelming. There’s a description at the link, though it’s lengthy. There’s more info in another post made over a year ago, the first time I thought it was done, LOL. https://catwoodsporchparty.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/announcing-my-cat-book-meowyall-a-feline-centric-memoir/
You write beautifully Leah. We have a lot in common – a love of cats and all nature, The South (I’m from North Carolina and lived in Mississippi for four years), progressiveness and art. Impressed that you found a liberal corner of Alabama. Glad I found your site!
Thank you for your kind words, Deanna! I’m happy to meet you online, to have found your site, and to have so much common ground. Looking forward to exploring your site when more time opens up for me.
Pleased to meet you – here’s hopin’ you have a sense of humor…
Nice to meet you also, and I thank you for your service to our country. I think it’s great that you are documenting the Pacific War and have dedicated the site to your father.
Go ahead and delete the picture – I won’t be upset about that!
OK, I did that. Appreciate you being understanding!
No problem… I’ll try this one for an apology?
🙂 Charming!
HI
Thank you so much for finding my blog and liking a post. Hope you come back again soon
You’re welcome, itsgoodtobecrazysometimes! I will certainly come back and read more, just don’t know how soon as I find myself with many neglected tasks. I’m slow about doing things, but sure!
I do know that exact feeling, good luck with all your tasks
Oh sorry to know about the fourth cat in your life. I hope you find him soon.. I love cats too and can think of nothing better than living in a forest with a bunch of cats. I currently live in Mumbai city, which is choc a bloc with buildings and not a tree in sight. *sigh* anyway am happy to find your blog.. Tc!
Thank you for visiting, and for your kind words about my Tiger. We still hope to find him. Living out in the country is fun in many ways, but it does become rather isolated at times. So it could be living in a city has some advantages, too. Welcome and best wishes going out to you,
Leah
I am so glad you liked the autumnal post. It is so weird seeing everything half green and half rust but magical nonetheless.
Just lovely pictures and words, Kerry! I wanted to leave a comment on your post last night, but I’ve had trouble with hand pain lately. If it’s not one thing, it’s another, as they say. Will try today!
Oh Leah, I am so sorry – no need to worry. I find that my neuropathy starts tingling when the seasons change until my body adjusts. I hope your hand feels better soon. Celebrex is the only thing that works for me.
Your passion for writing and the natural inspires me. Hope you’re experiencing better days, and I look forward to reading so much more. Thanks for the visit!
– Kris
Thank you for your kind words, Kris. I enjoyed visiting your blog! Thank your stopping by here and commenting!
I hope you are feeling well enough soon to create another blog. Every time I look at that bloody cicada and the moths, I get the heeby jeebies. 🙂 You know I jest because secretly I think the cicada is beautiful but I am just phobic. My mental health has been fragile recently so I empathize with every task feeling enormous (washing, dressing, writing). Feeling better now, after increasing vitamins and exercising. Love Kerry xx
I’m very glad you are feeling better now, Kerry! I do have another post in mind, but I haven’t been too well lately, so it’s slow work as usual getting anything posted. Of necessity, I’m a total slacker! It will be mainly cat-themed, as I promised Bud the Cat. Warmest wishes for your well being!
Look after yourself – you are not a slacker! I find it impossible to write when not feeling well and even if I did write I would not be able to imbue it with a positive spirit. Hugs X
Thanks for visiting and liking my post. I’m truly intrigued by what I see on your blog and will be interested to read much more from you!
I enjoyed visiting your blog, Carol, and will be back to look around more when time opens up. Thank you so much for visiting and commenting!
You are the only blog I am now following from Alabama. I try to be discriminating as I cannot follow too many blogs and actually read every post, if you know what I mean. One of my thoughts is to follow a blog in each state–then I would have cat country covered. lovely photos by the way.
Greetings,
Greg and his cats
Thank you for following, Greg and kitties, I am honored to be the only one from Alabama! I know what you mean about getting around to all the amazing blogs out there, that’s difficult for me also especially as my connection is throttled at the moment. I’m happy you enjoy my photos, I’m certainly enjoying yours!
I hope you can handle responsibility for representing the cats of the great state of Alabama!
LOL I hope so too Greg! I have a start, I have a book about them all that I’m trying to finish up. Got to admit, though, that one of our cats was from FL and one from TN.
THANK YOU for visiting my blog! yours is a marvel with my favorite things photographed so splendidly. I am now following your posts.
Thank you.
I am not posting much lately because of health issues (me too!), but there are over 400 past pages for you to visit and you are most welcome to tell me what you think.
Thank you for your kind words, vera, I am so glad you enjoyed my photos! I visited your blog quickly and found you have such beautiful pictures! I look forward to going back when I have some extra time to really look around. Best wishes!
A pleasure to meet you, Leah! What a great About page—so many are so cagey about their interests and beliefs and loves that it’s hard to guess whether the blogs are even written by genuine, individual humans. I would guess, from yours, that you’re not only a delightfully smart, interesting person, but one I’ll enjoy getting to know better through your writing.
All best to you!
Kathryn
Thank you, Kathryn, for such a lovely comment! It’s a pleasure meeting you also, and I have enjoyed looking around your blog! You have articulated one of my criteria for ‘liking’ posts on other blogs! I look carefully at a blogger’s About section. I sometimes avoid blogs with too little information about the person doing the posting. Warmest wishes!
I feel that when we do connect; when something I write coincides with you feeling well enough to respond, that your comments are all the more special when they arrive. As with any good friend, it does not matter how often we speak, for when we do, it is as if we only spoke the day before.
I am sure Bud feels just the same way when I send good wishes from my cats- Otto and Josef to their friend in Alabama
Take care Leah…..Karen x
Karen than you so much for your thoughts, I always love to hear from you. I loved your post today, with the picture of handsome Josef! He looks very much like a cat we have been privileged to have live in our home, Booper Minou, a tuxie who also had the white chin. Bud definitely returns good wishes to Otto and Josef!
Thank you for being such a good friend even though I don’t get to send greetings very often. I have some extra medical things to sort out, which may take awhile. I hope to return feeling better and able to get around more easily. Meanwhile, all the best going out to you!
Hello, I’m plain old Bob. I found your site through a common admirer, CDog. I looked through your entire blog site and love the way you write as well as your photographs. I live in Portland, OR in the Pacific Northwest and am a retired photographer. A staunch animal advocate I find animal photography has replaced my human portraiture. I’ve bookmarked you site and hope to return on occasion to catch up you your posts. Thanks for blogging.
Bob, thank you so much for stopping by, and for your kind words! I checked out your site and your photos are stunningly beautiful! I have some health matters to take care of for now, but I look forward to returning to your site and looking around more.
I feel a kindred spirit. My chronic anxiety and depression make life difficult at times and limit my writing to happy moments. Our three geriatric Egyptian cats give me so much fun and laughter. Thank you for visiting my site. Your blog is lovely and inspiring.
Kerry, thank your for kind words! I’m sorry to hear about your anxiety and depression, and send you good thoughts for getting through that. It’s wonderful that you have adopted older kitties! They are indeed such a pleasure. I really enjoy your blog, since I can’t get around much it’s a welcome glimpse of scenes in both other countries and the US.
It is ironic that I have no anxiety about traveling anywhere and it is my great privilege for you to be my virtual traveling companion.
Oh thank you Kerry! I’m pleased to be a part of your travels!
Lovely blog
Many thanks, Snowflake and Starlight!
Hallo Leah, thanks for reading my blog! 😀 Best wishes from Austria
My pleasure reading your blog, Sandra! Thank you for visiting; good wishes go out to you also!
Thanks for the follow Leah! The love of my life is my cat, Baby. She is around one. You have probably seen her on my blog, she’s a star,,,😻 I just wish I could get her to stop biting,, errrr, any ideas? She was born on the beach at Port Aransas last year and was weaned way too early. I rescued her and she has always bit or scratched a great deal, even though I’ve been good to her,,, my friends and family are now somewhat afraid if her, this breaks my heart,,,😹
You’re welcome on the follow, Darie, and I also thank you for following me. I have seen a picture of Baby on your blog, she’s a beautiful cat! It’s wonderful that you rescued her! I can tell you a couple of general things I’ve gathered from reading about cat behavior, but I don’t have much experience with cats who have serious biting behaviors. First, a complete vet exam from a vet you trust might tell you if there is a medical cause underlying the biting. You mention the early weaning … it’s of course not always possible to keep a kitten with its siblings, but behaviorists now recommend that kittens should stay with the litter as long as twelve weeks. They learn socialized behaviors in play; the reactions of other kittens teach them when to withhold biting and scratching; so if your cat didn’t spend some time with siblings, that’s a possible cause. Best case scenario would be to have a good professional cat behaviorist work with you and your kitty, but that could be pricey. There are many great books on behavior; I can’t recall which ones cover biting, but you might find them by googling. Also, this link leads to a web site that covers many behavioral topics, and people sometimes email the blogger with specific problems. Good luck with finding a harmonious resolution for all. http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/
Fantastic ! Thanks so much!! I hadn’t considered that she wasn’t with her siblings long,, it was like only 4-5 weeks,,,poor thing,,,😹I’ll keep u posted,, 😘
Thank you for stopping by and for following Storyteller. — Ray
My pleasure, Ray, I enjoy your blog!
Hi! Thank you for visiting my site. I think your handsome Bud and my cutie Jack would get along very well. You are very smart to surrounded yourself with animals. They are wonderful healers and so compassionate. They make every day better!
Bud and I thank you for visiting and for your kind words! Bud and Jack would get along for sure! You have described animals very well, I just could not live without them in my life. All the best to your and your animals!
Thanks for stopping by my blog and clicking “like” on the post about my cat TC. He’s a rescue cat I’ve had since he was just a month old. His lot was to be a barn cat where his life would have been short and cruel. Now he is here and is such a joy to be with.
I was looking at your flood post and the pictures. Hope it doesn’t get worse.
I enjoyed visiting your blog; TC is a beautiful cat! Good for you for giving him a great home! Thanks for visiting, and for your hopes on the flooding, but that flood is over. It was back in January after about 4 or 5 inches of rain in one night, and it’s long gone for now. Of course we could always have another heavy rain! In prior years I’ve seen the water higher than what you see in these recent pictures.
My dream is to eventually live in the woods (and be able to afford more than one cat!). Your creative community sounds absolutely wonderful! Thanks for stopping by my blog and I look forward to more of your posts.
Thank you for stopping by Lauren, and for your kind words. My pleasure viewing your blog! Best wishes and hopes that you realize your dream of living in the forest, with more than one cat. It’s a wonderful way to live!
Thank you for liking my post on Journey, Limerick and Alliteration. I like the name of your blog and your screen name. I will look farther at your blog and hope you will be able to do some more writing yourself soon.
Mitsu
>^;^<
Thanks for stopping by, Mitsubachicats1! Thank you for your kind words. I enjoyed your post, and I hope you will be able to do more writing also. I’m still getting some writing done, but it goes slowly!
I am trying to do more writing with this writing 201: poetry course. And definitely really had no problem with the first 2 assignments. However, Day 3, Trust, Acrostic and Internal Rhyme, I don’t think in that form. I’ll have to do a lot of thinking to figure out my take on it.
And so it goes. Also, I do not insist on others writing out my complete screen name. Mitsu is just fine.
Mitsu
>^;^<
OK Mitsu! A venture into unknown writing territory can be a fun challenge, so enjoy!
Hi. Thanks for stopping by my blog and reading about PK. I enjoyed your observations.
Thanks for your visit, abbylynn, and glad you enjoyed the post. My pleasure reading about PK. He’s a beautiful cat.
Thanks for visiting our blog. I’m already fascinated by your wood and your sensitive mind.
Will you write a haiku on cats for us?
Foxelle
Foxelle, thank you for your kind words! My pleasure visiting your blog. I like the idea of cat-themed haiku. I’ll try for the haiku but can’t make promises due to my health issues, plus, I usually don’t write very fast. I often have to just wake up with words in my head, after thinking about something for weeks!
I’m sorry to hear you’ve been unwell. I’m glad that your pets provide comfort and enjoyment. Pets are wonderful that way! Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and read my poem. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Keep writing – after all, we all have something worthwhile to say!
Best wishes, Stephen
Thank you for your visit, Stephen! I enjoyed visiting your blog and would like to encourage you to keep writing also!
All the best wishes going out to you,
Leah
Thanks for the visit.
My pleasure, 2ndhalfoflife!
Thanks for liking my post, “A Toast To our furry friends at Christmas.” Like your blog too. Following as of today.
My pleasure, marjma2014! I enjoyed your furry friends post. Thank you for following, I will follow you also!
Thanks for “like”, glad you like.
My pleasure, that’s a vibrant painting!
Hi, thanks for the “like” today, good meeting you! 🙂
Very pleased to meet you also, movingtowardsthelight!
My friends call me Vonita 🙂
Oh, ok Vonita, you have a very pretty name!
Thank you for finding our blog and liking it. We’ve never been to Alabama but our Mom says she’s driven through there. We like to meet humans and fur people from all over so we’re very glad to meet you!
My pleasure, Hemingway and Shakespeare! Very pleased to meet you too!
Thanks for checking out my blog! I am enjoying your pics! Great place to live!
Thank you, Kat! I’m happy you are enjoying the pictures!
Your kitties are precious! I love your surroundings, so natural and inspiring! 🙂
Thank you, Victoria! My kitties love to hear that! The natural setting here does help keep me grounded.
Thanks for liking my blog. I’m a latecomer to the world of cats, having usually lived with dogs. However, after my last dog went to dog heaven, the sweetest little cat arrived at my door and stayed! She wore a collar and I’m sure had another home but…I’m sure my dog had sent her. Now my last cat has gone to cat heaven I wait and see what he will send. Love your blog and good luck with your health.
Thank you for commenting, Kate, and for telling me about your dogs and cats. I do agree that after they leave us they send other animals to help us get through. I enjoyed your blog; all best wishes going out to you!
Since that last comment, another cat has adopted me! Owned by a family up the street- many children, two dogs and three cats. I think this little cat was the bottom of the heap and so has moved here. My third cat who has chosen me and black and white. They have all been black and white!!! This one, named Blackie by the children is a sweet and gentle little being.I have resisted ownership but there comes a point where… so, I accept and am grateful.
I’m so happy you have another kitty now, Kate, and thank you so much for coming back and telling me. We’ve had two black and white cats and they are handsome cats! All best wishes, Leah
Thank you for the visit! How lovely to live in the forest, to be with nature in that way, the smells, sounds, wildlife, everything!
My pleasure, I enjoyed visiting your blog, naturesweetgrace! Indeed it’s a constant delight to live in the forest! There’s always an adventure coming along, and something to photograph.
I nominated your blog for the One Lovely Blog Award. Details at: http://ddominikwicklesromance.wordpress.com/
Thank you so much for the nomination! (From http://ddominikwicklesromance.wordpress.com/) I really appreciate this, it’s very flattering! Unfortunately I have to decline at this time. I can’t fulfill the requirements, due to many pressing matters, mostly related to health. I’m uncertain as to when I can even do another post on this blog. Hoping everyone understands. I look forward to taking some time to look around more on your blog, ddominikwickles, and to check out the blogs you have nominated. All the best wishes going out to you! I’ll crosspost this on your award post.
Nice to see your footprints again. You are welcome any time. I loved your photos of water’s reflections. I’m getting a good camera as a birthday present soon and hope to be able to “shoot” those things I don’t have time to paint I look forward to further exploring your blog on other visits.
Glad you enjoyed the reflections! Hoping to get back to the creek soon, but well, this time of year there are snakes, so we have to be careful. I look forward to reading more of your blog, too. Since I can no longer paint, photographing has been the next closest thing in the visual arts arena. So I feel you’ll probably find it a good way to go for any time painting or drawing isn’t possible.
Thanks for dropping by and leaving the “like” footprints. I came to glimpse your world and liked what I saw. You touched lots of kindred notes in your words and images. Think I’ll follow. Even if your posts are not so frequent I think they will be well worth visiting. Wishing you “good days” to enjoy the summer.
Claire, thank you for visiting, following, and for your kind comment. I enjoyed your blog, and will follow. Hoping you also have a lovely summer. There are a few post ideas in the works now, but I’m still, roughly, a month or so away from actual posting.
Hello Leah, Thank you for finding my blog and liking my post about my cat family…. its really nice to meet you and your cat family 🙂
Happy Days,
Helen
It’s a pleasure to meet you also, Helen! I enjoyed seeing your cats, and your fabric arts – really nice work!
Great blog. I’m glad you find one of my posts so I could find you! We have so much in common; cats, trees, liberal, progressive. But I’m not as creative and well-written. I love your art and photos – and your gorgeous kitties!
Genalsh, thank you so much! The kitties will be pleased! I am happy I found your blog, also, with its positive direction. Your kitties are most beautiful!
Hi there Catwoods, thanks for liking my posts. My Mum is enjoying reading your blog. (I’m a cat, I can’t read). Lovely cat photos, lovely cats!
Milo, my cats and I thank you so very much! You are a very beautiful cat yourself, and I enjoy your writings.
overwhelming multi voting…thank you sooo much…:-)))
from dreamily banks of river Eider, northern Germany…
Really enjoyed seeing your cat photos!
Sounds great, Leah — looking forward to it!
Sorry it’s taken me a while to get back to you, Leah. I certainly understand about your schedule and health issues keeping you busy. When you do clear out some time, please contact me. I’d love to talk animals and blogs — and your book! My name is Deb, but I’m mostly going by my blog name. However, that may change. Have a great day!
Deb, will look forward to this! Will be in touch later.
Thanks for liking my post today, Leah! I’m new to blogging and just finding my way around (well, stumbling actually), and I was very excited to find your blog (I’m following you now, btw). I’m also interested in your writing, especially your essays and book. I, too, write essays, and I’m currently working on a collection of essays and short-short fiction, but I’d also like to write more about animals and the environment. Anyhow, I’ll try to check out your work, and maybe sometime I could interview you, via computer, about your book, for my blog? Have a great day!
Cdog, thank you for your kind words! I enjoyed visiting your blog and I would certainly encourage you to write more about animals and nature, or anything that inspires you. Wow, that’s a flattering idea about doing an interview, and at some time I might be willing. Sadly, I have to say it will be about 6 to 8 months before I could do that, though. A crowded schedule plus health issues means things have to happen slowly. I noticed that your name above is not a clickable link that leads to your blog? Maybe because it’s slightly different than the name on the blog? The avatar won’t click, either. Maybe something WordPress could help with.
Thanks for stopping by Storyteller. It seems like you and I know about big storms. 🙂 — Ray
I enjoyed visiting Storyteller, Ray! So true about the storms, we have to keep a constant watch on them. The 3rd anniversary of the tornado here is coming up. I may or may not do a post about it.
I would like to say I love your blog and the wonderful and beautiful things you share as well as the inspiration and smiles you bring in doing so! Thank you for being you and I hope even if you do not accept awards you will accept the sentiment expressed as I honor you with one. There is no prize that comes with the award other than my appreciation and being grateful you are part of our world and making a difference by sharing in such a positive way…
I have posted the award and link to it here I hope you will accept it or at least the sentiment behind it! http://artisticlyxpressedthoughts.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/awards-and-shared-gifts/
With love,
Joe
Joe, thank you very much for appreciating my blog and for the kind thoughts you have posted here. I visited your blog and was very impressed! Your goals of peace, harmony, and care of the environment are all very close to my heart. I’m very flattered and honored that you have nominated me for an award, thank you! I can only accept if I don’t have to do anything! That sounds awful, I know! But much as I would like to return the kindness of anyone who nominates me, I have a very challenging time ahead, with increasing health issues. What seems like a small amount of activity for most can be enormous for me, so I have to reduce my task load for now. It appears I don’t have to do anything regarding this, so I’ll accept. Although I will do more blog posts in the future, it won’t be very often. I will try to get around to commenting on the blogs of all those who have commented on mine, but even that will take me a considerable time. Meanwhile I just want to let you know that I do love the focus of your blog and will look forward to keeping up with it.
Dear Leah,
Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I’ve enjoyed reading your About page and hope that you regain the strength to participate writing more again soon.
best wishes, Barbara in Australia
Barbara, thank you so much for your kind words and wishes! I enjoyed looking at your blog and will be back when more time opens up for me. Best to you also!
I love other liberal and progressive artist, cat-lover types. I’m sorry about your health and hope you feel much better soon. Thank you for your repeated visits to my blog.
It’s a pleasure to hear from like-minded people, Candace, I appreciate your comment! I’m really enjoying visiting your site. I have now caught this year’s long-lasting flu, so it will be awhile before I’m back to blogging myself.
I am sorry to say we have lost one of our cats. Little Blue got eaten by an alligator in our lake in the back of our house. She was an outside cat and we could not convert her to inside. My wife is besides herself. She loved that cat. Sorry to hear of your health issues. Sincerely, Barry
I am so sad and sorry to hear this, Barry. The natural world can be harsh, and I have no answers or understanding of that aspect. My sympathy and wishes for peace and comfort go out to you and your wife. My family and I have taken care of ferals and outdoor cats, and have known the potential for heartbreak.
Sorry for the delay in publishing your message. Delays on my part are going to happen more and more due to health and computer issues.
thanks
Dear Leah,
The old year brought you to us that we feel lucky and loved. Thank you.
We wish you and your family a brand new year full of love, health, wealth and happiness!!!
From the heart ❤
Yelloz & Family
Yelloz & Family, how pleasant to find this warm message here today as we welcome the coming of another year! Thank you so very much! I’m happy to have found your blog also, and wishing you all many blessings in the coming year.
Thank you very much for finding the effort and time to write such a beautiful reply.
We wish you all the best!
Hugs and kisses
Yelloz & famliy
Dear Leah,
Me and my family, we wish you and your family “MERRY CHRISTMAS”!!!
Yelloz, Servant Z and family
Thank you, Yelloz, Z, and family, wishing y’all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!
<3<3<3
Purrs and Hugs…
Hi, Leah – Thanks for liking my post, I am in a slightly similar situation to you in the fact that I can no longer put paint to canvas due to fibromyalgia so have developed digital art. In fact, a huge door has opened to me and I’m grateful I’m now on a different art path. As for cats, when we moved to North Cyprus, we said, that’s it, no more pets. A few days later we got adopted by a white cat who, once she’d got her paws under the table, parked her two kittens with us. These were followed by another ginger, black and white stray with one eye. Sadly one of the kittens disappeared but we still have three cats who have been joined by four rescue puppies. So much for deciding not to have pets, they decided otherwise for us!
I like the art you are doing now, but am sorry to hear you have fibromyalgia. Thank you for visiting and telling me about your pets. We know exactly what you mean about the way pets find us, that is the way most of ours came into our lives.
Hello Catwoods! MEOW! Thank you for visiting my photo blog (www.kjphoto.us) and liking one of my photos. I hope you enjoy looking and liking! I like your blog and will follow. I too am a cat person, and we have 3. I like to call them my mini mountain lions. LOL! Anyway, I enjoy seeing photos and blogs from all over the country, and in deed the world and glad you visited so I could find yours. Thank you! Hope your health improves and to hear from you soon!
– KJ
Thank you, KJ! Having lived with many cats, your mountain lion comparison seems apt! I am actually from the MD, DC, and VA area, but haven’t been there in many years. I enjoyed visiting your blog and hope to get back soon.
Dear Leah,
I’ve nominated you for two awards.
Thank you for being a part of my life!!!
Purrs
Yelloz (fourcatpaw)
Yelloz, thank you so much for nominating me for these awards! I feel very honored! And many congratulations on your nominations for them also!
Unfortunately, I have to decline, because I can’t fulfill the requirements at this time. My health issues and a heavy schedule means I likely won’t be able to do another post for awhile, maybe even as long as a month or two, unless it’s something really short. I do hope in the future, to be able to comment more on the blogs of those who have been so kind as to comment on mine. Your blog looks great and I look forward to following it! Again I thank you for thinking of me, and I express my regrets that I can’t participate in the awards program at this time; I do love the good will that it represents. All the best wishes going out to you! I will cross post this message on your blog.
Dear Leah,
Actually I was a little bit worried because of the date of your last post but I wasn’t expecting this much…
Do you know what I like about this award system? The sharing of it, to experience the excitement of receiving and giving it. That is just like the summary of life from my point of view. We just give and take voluntarily or sometimes obligatory. Even to breathe is likewise, as we breathe in and out. This is an equilibrium.
It’s OK if you can’t accept it because of your reasons, but you deserve it and please accept it as a symbol of my belief in love.
It’s an honor to have met you on this porch of yours.
I will pray to you and to your family for health, peace and joy.
Thank you for your reply and honesty.
Hugs
Yelloz and his Servant Z.
Yelloz and Z, thank you for your understanding, and kind wishes for us. I also wish you many blessings.
Thank you 🙂
Wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year…
Y&Z.
To you also, Y&Z, I wish you the Happiest of Holidays!
Purrs, Hugs, Kisses 🙂
Thank you!
Hello, how lovely to meet all of you~
Thank you for visiting! It’s a pleasure to meet you!
Thank you for the visit and the like of my post “Is the Fat Lady Singing Yet?”
My pleasure, Iamrcc.
Hello from Ottawa, Canada. It’s always a pleasure to meet another cat person, writer and photographer (well, I’m an amateur).
Very pleased to meet you!
hello & thank you for visiting my blog!
as a lifelong lover of black kitties and all things cat in general
thank you for turning your attention and energy towards f.s.catus
wishing you all good things
Marneymae, thank you so much, for your appreciation of felines and for your good wishes. Warmest wishes, all the best to you in return!
How nice to meet you–a like-minded nature-lover and advocate, artist, liberal-progressive and cat lover as well!
It’s a pleasure to meet you as well! I have really enjoyed your web site, I’ve just been so busy that I haven’t been commenting much on other blogs. I hope to have more time open up in a few months.
My wife is a big cat woman, we have in the past years fourteen. Six left. One Morris is the smartass cat I have ever seen. He locates food. He opens doors. He looks that he thinks deeply. I am sure he is a reincarnated spirit of Einstein.
Very good to hear about families with cats! My husband and I both enjoy felines. Your Morris sounds like one clever kitty!
Hi Leah. Thank you for visiting and following HoB. Much appreciated!
My pleasure! I enjoyed your blog!