I had a blog post for this date, but at some point, it disappeared from the site. I have no idea why. Now, I'm trying to recall what I wrote originally. Was there a cat photo involved? Maybe, but I'm not sure. Just assume there was an endearing cat picture here.
That's probably a safe bet.
This would seem to be an awkward contraption to use as a guard post, but Watchcat Sammy made the best of it in October 2004:
Sometimes, you can just tell from a watchcat's expression that an assigned sector is well-protected:
Want to keep intruders from eating your cake? Ask a watchcat to guard it:
For one's peace of mind, Watchcat Headquarters recommends a security triumvirate:
A watchcat has immense confidence during agility training when she maintains her grip on a dragonfly toy without even looking at it:
No trespassers in their right minds would dare make off with these pumpkins and corn--not with three witch cats, a turkey, and a bear guarding the bounty of crops:
Watchcat Sylvia's diligence paid off for me in November 2016, as her grocery inspection turned up expired food I'd missed:
I rewarded her with a long drink of faucet water:
In Summer 2009, Watchcat Nemo didn't entertain the idea of any intruder breaching his assigned sector:
In fact, the very notion of such an intrusion amused him:
One hallmark of an exemplary watchcat is her devotion to those she's guarding. It's desirable for a watchcat to have the attitude toward visitors of, "You want to get to my guardian? First, you have to go through me." Watchcat Lily demonstrated this tactic on September 17, 2021:
Some situations pose a dilemma for watchcats. When that happens, it's wise for watchcats to consider their options and consult their own reflection, if time permits:
Watchcat Lily didn't let the fact that her guard post was a box confine her on September 17, 2021:
Watchcat Collette's fighting spirit yesterday impressed me. After completing her agility training session with grocery bags, she put up her dukes and was ready to take on the world:
While on guard duty, a watchcat might look skeptical. Her expression might suggest she's thinking, "Seriously? You expect me to believe that you just wandered into my assigned sector by mistake?" Watchcat Rosie projected this attitude in 2010:
In Summer 2013, visitors knew to behave themselves. Watchcat Nemo and his backup watchbird weren't taking any guff:
I'm not sure what type of security breach Watchcats Sammy and Rosie witnessed in July 2011, but I'm sure they dealt with the offender appropriately:
Watchcats aren't required to smile during guard duty, but it's nice to see a watchcat's enjoyment of the job reflected in her expression:
It's reassuring when you know a watchcat has your back. I knew Watchcat Sylvia was looking out for me in October 2008 when she used me as her guard post and kept her eyes wide open for intruders:
In October 2013, Watchcat Sammy was resolute. Watchcat Headquarters decreed that no one was allowed past the watchcat's staircase guard post, so Sammy was determined to enforce this edict...
After granting this access, Watchcat Sammy maintained the expression of a cat with sound judgment:
During the Summer of 2001, I got into watching ABC's "World News Now." It was a pleasure to watch news delivered irreverently in the middle of the night, with less of the gravitas than you would find in a traditional network newscast.
Obviously, that approach had to be suspended temporarily after the September 11, 2001 atrocities. Prior to those horrifying events, the anchors would set up an offbeat story about a company that decided not to label its ice cream flavors, betting that shoppers would take a chance on random varieties. It was amusing to watch such stories while curled up on the couch with relatively new watchcats Rosie and Sammy.
During the first "World News Now" edition after the 9/11/01 disasters, the anchors, instead of being in the studio, were at Ground Zero, providing ongoing news coverage. Rosie, Sammy, and I watched the news, as I thought in the days and weeks following that infamous day, "Eventually, there will be a return to irreverence, but it won't be right away--nor should it be."
As I was saying about the intensity of a watchcat's eyes...
It's not easy for watchcats to turn invisible so intruders won't notice them, but certain situations warrant it. Yesterday, Watchcat Lily showed her backup watchanimals how to become less transparent. Here she is in the second stage of her visible to invisible transition:
After you've been watchcats for a while, almost nothing surprises you. Watchcats Rosie and Sammy exhibited that seen-it-all-before look in August 2011:
In November 2005, Watchcat Sammy started to fall asleep. His sister, Watchcat Rosie, saw this and took it upon herself to be extra vigilant and tough toward intruders:
Even the most passive watchcat sometimes savors the thought of admonishing a scofflaw:
Once a watchcat's guardian puts new groceries on the counter, the watchcat will inspect the foodstuffs to make sure they're safe to eat:
Watchcat Sammy wasn't heavy-handed about enforcing a Watchcat Headquarters edict in September 2009. As long as unauthorized visitors didn't go past the tiger tail, all was well:
In Spring 2016, Watchcat Sylvia's backup watchbird shared some classified information with her:
Watchcat Sylvia was concerned about the intelligence her watchbird shared, so she gave it careful thought:
Think you'll escape a watchcat's sharp glance? Don't count on it:
I've had a recurring dream in which my cat, Collette, welcomes travelers to Hawaii as they step off a plane. After presenting each traveler with a traditional garland of flowers, Collette then bites each passenger on the feet. At least once after this happens, a husband asks his wife or a wife asks her husband, "Is it a Hawaiian custom to have one's feet bitten? I've never seen that as a greeting."
A flight attendant steps in to tell the confused traveler, "Well, it's not strictly a tradition. Collette just likes to put her own spin on the welcome ritual."