rolanni: (Default)

Yes.

Yes, it is Trooper's birthday.

Let the dancing begin.

rolanni: (Calvin & Hobbes happy dance)

Today, December 15, is the eighth birthday of Kelimcoons Sooper Trooper. We usually call him Trooper, but for his birthday, he gets the Whole Formal, at least once.  Festivities are planned throughout the day.  The sun has obligingly come out, and is puddling nicely in the napping spots.  We also have a Flying Mouse Competition planned for later in the day, and a grooming session.  We will also have Jazz on Pandora.  Trooper is partial to Jazz.

Today, December 15, is also the day that "Block Party" (collaborative effort number 82 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller) will be published to Baen.com, around noonish US Eastern Time.

We'll obviously be very busy here with the Natal Day Festivities, so feel free to sing out when you see the story come up.

Here's a picture of the Birthday Cat, wondering what all the fuss is about.

rolanni: (Calvin & Hobbes happy dance)

...is, of course, Trooper's Birthday.

Which is -- today!

Kelimcoons Super Trooper, the 17th Best Allbreed Cat in the Northeast Region, said TICA, in 2011, and the 2nd Best Maine Coon Cat in the Northeast Region, retired from show biz and relocated to Maine, in June 2013.  Today, he is six years old.

Trooper is a thoughtful, kind gentleman -- a scholar and an athlete -- who takes a constant interest in our lives and our work, and does his best to encourage us to play flying mouse more often, because exercise is good for us. We hope to celebrate many more birthdays on his behalf.

On this auspicious, if rainy day, Trooper plans on napping, herding various springs and floofy balls up and down the hallway, collaborating in the writing process from the copilot's chair, and possibly the red basket, and assisting in the preparation of the celebratory ice cream.

Here's a picture of the birthday boy:

Trooper, on the other paw, was ready for his glam shot

Thursday Cat Spam

Thursday, July 9th, 2015 12:48 pm
rolanni: (Mozart)



Belle shows her musical sideBelle shows her musical side





Belle and Sprite with mustache July 9 2015Mom, daughter and mustache





Scrabble Knot July 9 2015Scrabble dreaming knotty dreams atop Mt. Circular Logic.





Trooper and Belle playing July 9 2015Belle and Trooper had been playing tag until each hit their preferred base.


Trooperversary Two

Monday, June 29th, 2015 10:13 am
rolanni: (The Dragon in Exile)

Today, we here at the Cat Farm celebrate the second anniversary of Trooper joining the professional staff, and taking up his duties as Companion to the Old Guy and Lieutenant Director of Coon Cat Services.  For this momentous occasion we of course have planned many Celebratory Events, most of which are on hold as the Guest of Honor naps in the sunshine.

The photographer has been asked to put off portrait-taking until later in the day.

I am, as I type, awaiting the mailman. In a Just and Merciful Universe, today's snailmail delivery will include the the D&A check for Alliance of Equals, which will catch up all monies due in the first half of the year.  Then, we get to sit down and figure out the updated budget, a task which would be much easier, had we the bill from the mason.  Well, perhaps today's mail will be doubly fruitful.

After the mailman's passage, I-or-we will need to venture out to Home Despot in order to pick up primer, and a tarp; possibly a roller pan.  Will look downstairs and be certain what we have.

This just in!  The D&A check has arrived, which is eggselent.  The invoice from the mason has not arrived, which is less eggselent, but!  We have a Plan B in place:  assume that the final bill is twice as much as the estimate, set that aside, and then get with budgeting for the rest of the year.

The game of Cat Chess continues with remarkably little in the way of open hostilities.  Trooper has recovered his usual good nature, and taken the Official Stance that he is Not Inconvenienced in the Slightest, nor will he be.  Sprite, I'm pleased to say, has worked out and adopted a Strategy which may actually be a winner.  She has identified all the various boxes and baskets in the house as Sprite's Boxes and Baskets, by pointedly sleeping in them when Belle is in the same room, and firmly refusing to be rousted from them.  She has decided on the wide-eyed, "Yes, this is MY place," look, which is non-confrontational while being completely unassailable.  Belle is, for the moment, at least, not pushing the issue, but is contenting herself with occupying Certified Cat Spots which are NOT presently occupied by cats.

I have suggested to Belle that it's not necessary that she Win; that she can simply Fit In, but I'm not sure she understands.

And now?  I'm off to inventory painting supplies before I go off to town.

Belle of the Ball

Friday, June 26th, 2015 12:28 pm
rolanni: (The Dragon in Exile)

Yesterday, Steve and I took a leisurely drive in really perfect weather, down to New Hampshire, where, in a little town near Center Harbor, we stopped to interview Belle, and to admire the new crop of Kelimcoons kittens, of which there were many, and busy.

Belle, who was presented as "shy" decided rather quickly that we weren't the least bit scary, consented to enter the cat carrier, and accompanied us on our return trip to Maine.  Aside from a complaint or two at the very beginning, as we were negotiating the remove from the rather tricky driveway, and another, as we made the transition from Route 25 to Route 35, she was completely calm, and napped for most of the three-hour return trip.

Once arrived, she confessed that she was not quite up to meeting new subjects cats. Staff therefore prepared the Retiring Room for her use, and she withdrew behind the washing machine to recruit her strength.

Staff visited her several times on the overnight, once for an extended cuddle session -- Belle was also billed as a "big lap cat," and this seems to be so, and this morning, she once more undertook a journey, this to the office of her new physician, who made certain that she had taken no harm from her exertions, and recorded her weight at 15.1 pounds.

That detail taken care of, she returned to the Cat Farm, where she immediately began a systematic and thorough inventory.  Scrabble hissed -- not unexpectedly -- when Bell entered Steve's office.  Belle did not return the favor, but gazed upon her with wide eyes, and an expression that seemed to say, "Why, look; a tiny cat," before she continued with her inventory.

Trooper, I am sorry to say, hissed at Belle when she came into my office.  Belle didn't even seem to hear it.  She jumped into the copilot's chair as if she knew exactly what it was for, and that she had perfect right to use it.  Gave me a couple of head-bumps, showed the belly and went off to count the linens in the bedroom.

Right now, she's resting under the headboard, a time-honored resting place for those who wish to insure their privacy.  Trooper and Sprite are with me -- Trooper on top of the file cabinet, and Sprite in the red basket on the desk.  Scrabble is behind the suitcase under the desk in Steve's office -- another time-honored private place.

And peace reigns over all.

Steve's gone to the grocery store; I've started the laundry, and will be doing some chores around the house.  Possibly reading will happen.  When I finish the current book, it will be time to read Dragon in Exile and Alliance of Equals back-to-back, and so drift back into working mode.

Tomorrow, at the unghodly hour of 8 a.m., we shall have the sheetrock guy, who will contrive a back wall, and put on the first of three coats of paint.  Once he's done, we will, hopefully, be quit of contractors for the foreseeable future.

Which will be nice.

Today's blog title brought to you by Kelimcoons Belle of the Ball, and Leroy Anderson.  Here's your link.

Some photos from earlier, after Belle's triumphant return from the vet's:




Belle exiting the bottom level of the cat tree


Belle exiting the bottom level of the cat tree





Sprite watching Belle exit the cat tree, from a safe distance, naturally.


Sprite watching Belle exit the cat tree, from a safe distance, naturally.





I've never seen Trooper frown, but he is clearly not pleased.


I've never seen Trooper frown, but he is clearly not pleased.





Scrabble's not delighted, either.


Scrabble's not delighted, either.


rolanni: (kitty!)

Work is going forth, here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory, which means that I'm even more boring than usual.  For those who have been concerned -- as who has not? -- regarding the state of the deck roof:  so far, so good.  The wind blew some of the snow off, and I managed to slug some more off via the rake, by remembering that I was destined to be a basketball player.  Possibly, I wasn't as successful as I could have been, had I actually been willing to fall backwards off the steps to make the shot, but old age makes cowards of us all.

At the moment, and barring a blizzard that does not blow out to sea, I think the roof is safe.

Since I'm being boring, allow me to share some pictures of my assistants, who are never boring.

In case it was less than clear how very much Warrior Princess Jasmine Sprite adores getting her picture taken:




Warrior Princess Jasmine Sprite, the camera-shy...Warrior Princess Jasmine Sprite, the camera-shy...


We don't keep Trooper around just because he's so dern sexy. . .




. . .but we could.


. . .but we could.


rolanni: (Nicky)

Mozart was our first Maine coon cat, and he came to us courtesy of Kathy Robinson of Kennebec Cattery, which is not, as you might suppose, in Maine, but in Pittsburgh.  He was born in March of 1998 and came to live with us in November of 2003, after his first situation proved less than ideal.

Kodi and Nicky had both died earlier in 2003, leaving us with Hypatia -- a grey-and-white "barn cat" -- and Max! -- a cafe au lait masked wonder.  Mozart came to us in early November, and two weeks later, we also brought Scrabble on-board direct from her temp placement at Animal House Pet Supply.

Mozart was the only Maine coon in the house, and he was Rather Shy.  He and Scrabble buddied up for a while, being the new kids, but as Attrition Happened, Scrabble asserted herself, while Mozart remained somewhat reserved, though affectionate and interested in the projects of His People, assisting with the writing, and reading, of numerous books.

In mid-2005, we found ourselves running a household with only two cats.  We thought we'd add a third, and we thought we'd get another Maine coon.

We brought Dulsey on-board, but she couldn't find a place within the Mozart/Scrabble dynamic, and eventually moved on to her forever home.

In 2008, we brought Hexapuma into the team.  He of course immediately fell under Scrabble's spell, agreed that she was, indeed, The Most Qualified to Run Everything, and left her to it.  He would sleep near and with Mozart, and occasionally invited him to play.  Mozart seemed to ignore him, mostly, but obviously missed him terribly, as did we all, when he died.

When Socks came to us, in 2012, Mozart paid more overt attention to him, perhaps at first thinking that he might be Hex.  He would occasionally cuddle up with Socks, and it might have been that they would have become big, sloppy, cat buddies, but Socks was barely with us a year before he succumbed to cancer.

Which brings us to the New Kids in Town.  We adopted Trooper from Kelimcoons in New Hampshire in June, 2013, specifically as a companion to Mozart, who was clearly feeling the loss of Socks.

Predictably, I guess, Mozart ignored Trooper, who wasn't grey, and who very much wasn't Socks.  Trooper, who had come from a house full of cats, and who had been on the show circuit, continued to make overtures, to sleep with the old guy -- by now, Mozart was 15 years old -- and to try to tempt him to play.  We pretty quickly saw the difference between 15 and 4, and in November, 2013, we brought Trooper's daughter, Sprite, up to Maine.

Sprite and Trooper bonded immediately; they shared a common vocabulary (do not laugh; Maine coons TALK, and while Sprite has a lot more to say about stuff than Trooper does, it's perfectly obvious that they have conversations and consult with each other); they shared a common house culture, and an understanding about How We Cats Go On.

Maine coon females are billed as the shyer sex; however, there is a certain Mom Cat Foo that trumps. . .almost everything.  Sprite immediately took Mozart in paw, cleaning his ears, snuggling next to him to nap, cleaning him up, and seeking him out to just check in several times a day.  Mozart gradually came to the point where he'll lick her cheek when they meet, and will occasionally bury his face in her fur, because apparently all that multi-colored fluff smells Really Nice.

He's a little more conflicted regarding Trooper.  I can see this.  Mozart, who will be 17 on March 1, is a shadow of his former self, and even in his prime was a smaller cat then Trooper, who is tall and muscular -- a working athlete.  Trooper, however, puts up with the occasional swat in the face with patience, and insists that a guy needs another guy to snuggle against, and to watch things with, and occasionally to do his ears for him.  And Mozart mostly accepts that.

It's been really interesting, watching the two New Kids maneuver Mozart into their Coon Circle, insisting, gently, but consistently, that, no, we do not sleep on the blanket by ourself; we share the blanket -- and the person reading under the blanket, if any.  We stop and chat with each other when we meet in the hall; we eat together; we sleep on the humans at bedtime, all of us; there's plenty of room.

So, in all, I think we did the right thing, bringing the New Kids in; and that Mozart is having as peaceful an old age as anyone can, surrounded by his grandcats.




Mozart


Mozart





Sprite


Sprite





Trooper


Trooper





Scrabble


Scrabble


rolanni: (Carousel Seas)

Someone asked that I put the links I've been scattering about over the last couple days "in one place" in order to make them easy to find.

There aren't all that many links, unless someone has been adding extras in while I was napping, but, insofar as there are links, here they are:

The Night Don't Seem So Lonely -- an Archers Beach story, free to read on Baen.com

Carousel Seas eBook, direct from Baen

Carousel Seas eBook, from the Kindle Store

PREORDER Carousel Seas from Audible

As stated elsewhere, I am still waiting for the delivery of the pre-ordered trade paperback editions of Carousel Seas to arrive from the warehouse.  It's snowing, so it's probable that today is the day.  As soon as the books arrive, I will unpack them, sign them, repack them and call UPS for a pickup and a ride to Uncle Hugo's just as quickly as I possibly can.

In other news, I am, preposterously, still not well, though no longer actively sick.  Which is, yanno, progress.  I've lost almost a month to this thing, which is bitter, indeed.  As soon as I can safely use my brain, I'll need to do some counting, but I don't think I'm on track for an on time delivery  anymore (insert favorite curse here).

Trooper had a delightful birthday, and thanks all his fans for their well-wishes.

I had some adventures with the ACA in between it all, but I'll save that story for another day.

Everybody be good.

rolanni: (Calvin & Hobbes happy dance)

All righty, then!

Today is December 15, the day on which we here in East Winslow and all of you Around the World! celebrate Trooper's birthday!

Trooper is five years old today, and he has a full day planned.  Here's just a glance at his celebratory calendar:

9 am     Breakfast with Mozart
9:30     Rassle with Sprite
9:45     Play in the water dish
9:55     Run up and down the hall, moobling loudly
10:00  Look out the back window, nap on bookshelf, check in with Mozart, nap in rocking chair
Noon  Mail call
12:05  Nap on couch with Sharon
3:00 ice cream!

. . .I think you can see that he intends to pull out all the stops for this Very Special Day.

Here's a picture of Trooper from a little earlier in the year:






Sooper Trooper rockin' the red basket




Sooper Trooper rockin' the red basket



As if Trooper's Birthday weren't enough reason for celebration, we here at Archers Beach -- and all of you Around the World! -- are on a short story watch.

Sometime after noon Eastern Time today,  "The Night Don't Seem So Lonely," ought to automagically appear on the front page of the Baen website.  I, of course will be very involved in the Birthday Celebrations (see above) and may not be keeping as close an eye on the interwebs as I might otherwise do.  Therefore, I am depending on you -- yes, YOU! -- to let the world -- or at least all of your friends -- know when the story goes live.

Thank you all for your assistance, and!

May the Joy of Trooper's Birthday fill you with purrs.

* * *

Progress on Alliance of Equals
40,387/100,000 OR 40.4% COMPLETE

A large black dragon soared wing-to-wing with a slightly smaller golden dragon.  They flew straight at her, or maybe she flew toward them; she felt the cool breeze flow along her wings, savored the tang in the air, and suddenly, they veered, and she did -- or tried to, twisting as her wings failed her, and her balance, clutching for the nearest support --

Trooperversary!

Sunday, June 29th, 2014 08:55 am
rolanni: (Calvin & Hobbes happy dance)

Today, we celebrate the fact that Kelimcoons Sooper Trooper has been a busy, practical, silly, and kind member of the Lee and Miller Cat Farm for exactly. . .

One year!

Yes, on this day in 2013, we picked Trooper up in New Hampshire and brought him back to the Motherland.  Boy, were we lucky.

Trooper's already celebrating:




Trooperversary celebrations are starting early. Photo by Sharon LeeTrooperversary celebrations are starting early.


Photo by Sharon Lee


rolanni: (view from space by rainbow graphics)

Early today, Trooper declared his supremacy over the String, by placing himself squarely on top of it.  During the course of our breakfast, Sprite conducted several campaigns to try to win the String back.  All were met with failure.  This is the last soiree.  Note that the Stuffed Bunny has joined the fray, apparently on Sprite's side, since he seems to be biting Trooper's tail.






The tangle for dominion of The String Photo by Sharon Lee


The tangle for dominion of The String
Photo by Sharon Lee



Later, resigned to this momentary setback in her plans for World Dominion, Princess Sprite naps in the window.






Napping in the window Photo by Sharon Lee


Napping in the window
Photo by Sharon Lee



Edited to Add:  Steve says:

For those following along at home ... it appears that the tiny kitty in question -- from tip of tail to tip of toe -- measured exactly four feet ( yes, 48 inches) ...
rolanni: (kitty!)

There was a call, down in another thread, for the "stories" of Trooper and Sprite.

There's really not much to tell, here.

Socks' death left a big hole, not only in the lives of Cat Farm Management, but also in Mozart and (though she would never admit such a thing) Scrabble's lives.  We had initially decided to wait until November to take on a new crew member, since we knew we had some traveling coming up, what with the BEA and the book tour.  We changed our mind when Mozart seemed to still be expecting us to be bringing Socks home This Time, every time we went away.

Here's Socks:








Socks in a boxSocks in a box





So, we went looking for an older -- i.e. Not a Kitten -- Maine Coon, to keep Mozart company.

We deliberately kept our search within New England; indeed, within Maine and New Hampshire, and no more than a day's drive from the Cat Farm.

Which search led us, in the fullness of time, to Kelimcoons, where the decision to retire Trooper from Show Business had only recently been taken.  Here's a link to the show cat page at Kelimcoons.  Scroll down a little, and you'll find Trooper.  After a lengthy discussion and many questions asked on both sides, it was decided that Steve and I  could drive down to New Hampshire, meet Trooper, and put the question to him in person.

We did that at the end of June; the reply was in the affirmative, and we brought him home with us.

Trooper has been a joy from the start; he's a sweet-natured, and genuinely kind cat, interested in the doings, and respectful of the elder cats.  We worry that he's a little serious, but then he'll perform an unsubtle and, to him, hilarious, Maine Coon gag and put it all in perspective.

Bringing Trooper into the house demonstrated really clearly the difference between a four year old cat and an Elder Statescat.  Trooper wanted to play -- and, having come from a house full of cats, he wanted to play with somebody.  He tempted Mozart with springs and ping-pong balls and Turtle and. . .Mozart wanted to sleep.  Which was OK; Trooper likes to sleep, and he's perfectly fine, sleeping with the Old Guy.

Just not, yanno, all the time.

So, we realized that, yes, we were going to have to get a cat for our cat.  As frequent readers will recall, we made an attempt to bring in local talent to fill the position, but the talent had a different vision and we quickly, and amicably, parted ways.

Even knowing that they didn't expect to retire any other adults until late fall, I did it -- I hoped over to Kelimcoons, and. . .there was Sprite. She had lost her first litter of kittens and rather than put her, and themselves, through the trauma of attempting another litter, the family had decided to spay her and put her up for adoption.

I was immediately drawn -- that face!  And, then I was convinced, because, as it happens, Trooper had sired only one single litter, and Sprite?  Was from that litter.

She was 15 months old, a little younger than we had wanted, but -- Trooper's daughter!  And Trooper's such a doll.

By this time the book tour was breathing down our necks, and we didn't want to bring a new cat into the house while we were away, and. . .

I wrote the email anyway.  And Kelimcoons very kindly agreed to hold Sprite for us until we returned from the book tour.

Which is why two days after the end of the tour, Steve drove down to New Hampshire and came home with a young lady cat, who immediately hid in the cellar until she realized that Upstairs was where the action was.  She has spent her time since ascending attempting to Conquer this territory.

If Trooper is a little too serious, Sprite is a little too goofy.  Until she collapses in your arms, and turns on her twin-engine purr-box.  Then, she's perfect.

So -- there you have it.

Today in Cat News

Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013 10:50 am
rolanni: (greeneyes)

Emotions are settling down here at the Cat Farm.  Mozart and Trooper both managed to sleep on the bed last night, albeit on opposite sides.  Mozart has given over cursing, which is, I think, a Great Relief to us all.  Which brings us to this morning's situation.

Trooper came to work:




Trooper on the job


Trooper on the job


. . .and Mozart came in to check out his various places under the desk, and the rocker.  He observed Trooper in position, and deliberately sat down -- with his back turned, of course.  He cleaned a shoulder, to show the depth of his unconcern, and then casually strolled down the hall, with nary a curse-word to singe the air.




Mozart in SAME ROOM July 3 2013Mozart ignoring the situation


Progress, we haz it.

And now I'm for the living room office and the Rest of the Manuscript.

rolanni: (foxy)

Trooper, doing the job in the office today, while Mozart covers the living room:




Trooper, filling up the co-pilot's chair in my officeTrooper, filling up the co-pilot's chair in my office


The question has come up:  What color is Trooper?

Trooper is brown and white.  Or as it says here:  Brown (black) classic tabby/white.  Also, as you can see here, his toes are really pink.

rolanni: (Nicky)

So, we wandered down to our neighboring lovely state of New Hampster, where we were interviewed by Trooper, Nate, and Missy, Rita, Kelly, and Kim.  They decided that they would allow us to bring Trooper home, so we did that.

This is Trooper:




Trooper exploring office


Trooper exploring office


He's looking up at Mozart, who was cursing at him from on top of the file cabinet.  Mozart's not usually a curser, and the high, squeaky voice does lend a certain. . .piquancy.  Still, he got his point across.  Trooper's voice is kind of a mellow honking sound -- very charming.  Mozart was. . .nonplussed, but did not descend from the file cabinet.

Here's Mozart on top of the file cabinet:




Mozart being annoyed


Mozart being annoyed


Here's another picture of Trooper, who really likes my blue oriental rug:




Trooper on the blue rug


Trooper on the blue rug


Right now, relative peace reigns.  Trooper is on the copilot's chair and Mozart remains on the file cabinet, but has decided to ignore the fact that there is Another Cat in the room.

In a strange reversal of roles, Scrabble is perfectly OK with the fact that there is a Third! Cat! in the house, and has allowed Trooper to pass her several times, unmolested and uncommented-upon.

I'm hoping the drama will be well in the past by tomorrow this time.  I've never known Mozart to hold a grudge even half that long.

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