Who took the February Full Moon??

Because the full moon cycle is 29 1/2 days, there are times that February doesn't have a full moon; this is one of those times.  The next full moon will happen late tomorrow night/early Friday morning, depending on where you are.  If there had been a full moon in February, it would have been called The Full Snow Moon.  It doesn't take a lot of imagination to figure out that name.

That said, it was still a lovely moon this evening, when we were driving home from Steph and Dan's house...

The full moon that will happen tomorrow night will be The Worm Moon.  Any guesses why?  Nothing mysterious or symbolic - March generally brings about spring thaws, and the ground that has been frozen for the last few months, begins to soften; roots start to push their way up, the soil loosens up, and... the earthworms once again start to appear.

It is also the last full moon of the winter season.  Once the earthworms start to appear, the robins come back, and (as we all know) that signifies the start of spring!  Not matter what that big rodent said on February 2nd.  ;-)

Twenty-one days to the Vernal Equinox.

Like new parents...

You know how new parents overdo it with photos... “Here’s one of him eating peas.  Oh, and this is one where the sun is in his eyes.  This one is really cute: he crapped in his diaper.  See - here’s the close up of the poop!”

Yeah, cat parents are the same way.  I got this photo from Joan...

He’s so cute when he’s asleep.  Yeah, I shot this one...

He’s cute when he’s awake, too...

OK, this is more that just a post about Rufus - I am working with a new app on the iPad, to be able to post multiple photos... seems to be working.

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On edit: learning how to edit with this app.  If you saw this before the edit, the photos were too big.  Seem OK now.

Last night in bed, Rufus was laying by me for a while.  Being sweet.  I had one hand on him, petting his neck (he likes that).  He rolled over and squirmed forward, putting my hand on his belly.  “Rub.  Now!”  The boy does like his belly rubs.

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Editing again:  I took Rufus for some leash practice (haven't done that for a couple days), then the 3 of us went for a car ride.  Not going anywhere particular, just making sure he stays comfortable with driving.  We brought him home, then went out to do a little shopping.

He isn't so much like a little kid that he asks, "What'd ya bring me?" when we get home.  Although, we do seem to pick up something for him on each outing.  Today, it was another scratching pad, more food, and a mint snack stick... it is supposed to be similar to catnip, with the added plus of giving him fresh breath.  ;-)

Rufus time after school...

The little furry boy was happy to see us when we got back from school.  Joan was working on a quilt project (the pink bag is full of fabric) - Rufus and I tried to stay out of the way...

I took that photo because of the cat on the blanket in the background; not as good looking as Rufus, but I enjoyed the juxtaposition.

A Jim & Rufus selfie...

Joan said, "I can do better than that."

Yep, he's a snuggle boy.

A couple days ago, there was some mention about he and I being cute when napping.  Today...

Must be the angle (Joan shot this) - it looks like he has some bulldog in him.  ;-)

Speaking of sleeping: he was a good boy last night.  I put a feeder out, with just a bit of hard food in it.  It was enough.  He got up, munched on the food and came back to bed.  Twice.  I know he wasn't hungry, but this was enough to give him security that there will always be food available.  He didn't even head-butt me this morning... in an unusual turn, Joan was up before me, and Rufus waited patiently for me to get up to serve him his breakfast.  Good boy!

Almost done...

No, not with our time in Arizona - we are at the half-way point, though.  Back to Steph's school again for our last time with her class with the Gravity Cruisers.  Today was what I would be calling: the semi-finals.  We work with two different classes, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers get to move on to the finals on Thursday, where they will compete for distance against all the semi-finalists in the grade.  In all, there will be 12 teams vying for the coveted "Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals" furnished by General Motors.

It was more fun today, since we were no longer working with their cruiser builds - they were ready to go... or not.  The top finishers today topped 6 meters.  A few barely made it a meter.  One imploded at the start line.  The top finisher in the first class beat the second place finisher by 2 centimeters.  The real race in each class those was for 3rd place - that's the cut-off.

In the excitement, several of them got their lines wound backwards on the axle... I said, "Turn your car around and run it backwards!"

"Huh?"

"It's about the distance, not which way the car is facing."

Joan and I worked together to keep the process moving... the more runs any team could get through in the time allotted could make the difference.  Some of them didn't get my reasoning.  "Oh, sure, you're in 3rd place now, but if someone comes after you and beats your distance, you might have time to get another run in... if you keep things moving."

"Ohhhhhhh..."

Good luck!  See you on Thursday!

(No photos - I didn't have time.)

Poor little guy - he's exhausted...

After his breakfast, Rufus has taken to laying on the dash for his morning nap.  With the front of the coach facing east, I am sure that is a warm spot, with soft diffused light from the white windshield cover.  I understand why he needs a nap.

The evening crazies kicked in just after midnight.  It takes a lot of effort to get a good workout in this confined space.  The activity can raise the ire in you, until he snuggles up against you when he's done.  "OK, let's all get some sleep."

Shortly before 5:00 am, he decided it was time to be up.  He hinted that he was ready for breakfast by standing on my throat and screaming, "Time to get up - Rufus is hungry!"  Fortunately, he is faster and more alert than I am (in my newly wakened state), and managed to dodge the pillow I swung at him.  "Oh, fun!  Let's play the pillow game!  Try to get me again!"

I was almost back to sleep when he came up with a new game called "Pop Up!"  It is based on the game Whack-a-Mole, but you aren't allowed to hit him with a sledge hammer... he "pops up" in different places on my side of the bed.  I grabbed him, pulled him close to me, and tried to soothe him by softly whispering, "Settle down or I will smother you with a pillow."  When I released the wrestling hold I had on him, he moved crossways on the bed between us, his head on Joan and pushing me with his back legs.  I think in the animal kingdom, this is a sign of affection.

When I did get up (a couple hours later), he was SO excited... "Food!"  Apparently, I forgot to feed him for the past week?  Kidding, of course - he eats his own weight in food every 24 hours.  Being a responsible Cat-Daddy, I am always on schedule with his food.  Last night, I have him extra hard food before bed instead of putting out a timer-feeder, thinking he would be able to snack on that at will.  Apparently, he thought Will might try to take the food, so he gobbled it all down before coming to bed.  I now know the evening crazies can go past midnight when he has a full belly.

He is very grateful for his morning meal, and sings for his breakfast.  Enthusiastically.  Eventually, that food high wanes and he heads to the dash for the aforementioned morning nap...

And he just looks so darn sweet in the process.  Darn shame Joan won't let me stand on his throat and holler, "Time to get up!"  I think he would enjoy that.  As much as I do.

;-)

What's with all the guitar stuff?

Yeah, I know: where's the cat stuff? 

It's has been two weeks and two days now, since we adopted Rufus.  We know we can trust him to leave him in the coach without us for a while.  No litter box "misses" - he is a clean boy.  Speaking of the litter box, no one told me about this with a boy: he eats big and he poops big.  Without getting too graphic, when Isabella pooped, it was like the little Tootsie-Roll...

Like the one at the bottom.  Rufus, on the other hand... yeah, the dollar size.  Bigger than the one at the top.  In multiples.  TMI?

We haven't been doing any walking on the leash for a couple days.  Not because of time - something scared him last time we were out, and he hasn't come to sit by me when I hold up the leash... I'm not pushing things.  All in due time.

He sleeps through most of the night.  Until it is time for breakfast - well, when he thinks it's time for breakfast... at which point he rubs his face on mine.  Enthusiastically.  Usually, it makes me chuckle; it didn't take him long to figure out the routine.

He still isn't too interested in toys, other than the orange ball track - which he whacks the hell out of.  In spite of the ruckus, it makes us smile.

So does this face...

Or, this face...

He has assumed the throne: "I am the king of all I survey..."

Still very lovey.  I hope that never changes.

:-)

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On edit: more cat stuff!

We had dinner at Steph and Dan's house today.  Joan did the prep work, and made some dishes that the "kids" can take for lunches this week.  Dan grilled corn and veggies.  I grilled the steaks.  Steph was busy with work from school.

Chow was good, and nice to visit.  And, get some GrandCat time in.

Joan with Tasha...

 

Yes, that is a large cat.  And, she and Joan bonded when Tasha first came into the family, and that bond continues.

Dan and Alfie...

Yes, an even bigger cat.  Those two are Siberian Forest Cats.

That leaves Torrie doing a selfie with me...

She is a little girl, but the Alfa Female.  No, I didn't get a photo of Steph with a cat.  She doesn't think so, but they all do like her.  ;-)

Keeping track of the date...

On the carbon fiber guitar forum, there have been participants there who have received a photo calendar from Emerald Guitars - sent to buyers of 2017 Select Series Custom guitars.  My lovely X20 is from the February Select Series.

IF I were to get a calendar, I assumed it would go to our home in Texas, then hopefully get forwarded to our daughter's address here in the Phoenix area.  It was just over a year ago that my X20 was sent to me here.  And today when I went to check mail - yep, there it was...

Of course, I looked for the February Series right away... I'm especially fond of that guitar second from the right in the group shot.  ;-)

Very nice of Alistair, the owner and designer, to send this out to his Select Series owners.  Emerald has continued doing the Select Series for 2018, making more unique guitars.  They are a classy operation.

Gathering...

I am excited for this afternoon - we are getting together with some other folks who are carbon fiber guitar enthusiasts; looks to be about 10 or 12 of us who will be bringing our CF guitars (all brands) for some "show and tell" and the opportunity to swap for a while.

Earl, who visited us two days ago, was instrumental in making this happen.  One of the participants (who has a pretty extensive CF collection) is letting us gather at his condo.  Should be quite a few models of carbon fiber guitars to check out; and, getting the opportunity to put faces with names that I see on the carbon fiber sub-forum.

It won't be happening until mid-afternoon, but I'm hoping to have some photos to show when we get back.

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On edit: a very interesting gathering.  Traffic was backed up on I-10, so we had to take surface roads across much of Phoenix to get there... we arrived right at 3:00.  I knew this wasn't going to be a public gathering, more like some friends getting together... there were 7 of us: Kramster (the guy that hosted it) and 3 couples (us included in that).  It turns out that, besides the guitars that each of us brought, Kramster has dozens of carbon fiber guitars!

On the carbon fiber forum, I've seen Kramster reply, "Yeah, I think I have one of those around here somewhere..." when almost any particular CF guitar is discussed.  I thought he was just kidding around; he wasn't.

It was a lot of fun trying a bunch of guitars that you won't find in the typical guitar shop.  We played some songs together, and spent time trying different guitars individually.  A look around...

Kramster, who hosted the gathering...

Guitars on stands, guitars on the piano, guitars on the bed, guitars in cases...

This was interesting: getting to play an original Emerald X10 woody...

It is sized between my X7 and the X20.  No idea why I'm not smiling, because it was a treat to play that guitar.  That size isn't offered by Emerald these days, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it brought back in a more modern design sometime in the future.  A couple other guitars that I haven't had a chance to play previously: Blackbird Lucky 13 and Savoy, and a Journey OF660.  That is me playing the Savoy in the first photo in this post.  The Journey OF660 is the guitar on the right in the photo above with the guitars sitting on the white furry rug - the neck detaches from the body so you can put the whole thing in a small backpack that is a legal carry-on size.

A couple ukuleles got passed around.  They are fun to play (I have one at home), but not something I'd want as my only stringed instrument.  Also once again, Alice got out her flute to accompany on a couple songs.  It was a fun three hours.  It was interesting to hear your own guitar, played by others.  Mark (in the peach colored shirt) brought his X7 and his Shorty (I guess we have similar tastes), but strung with different strings from what I use - that makes for a different tone, as well.

Before heading out, a couple group shots...

Yes, Joan was there - she was taking these photos for me.

More bumper-to-bumper traffic on the way home, but we weren't on a schedule.  Life in the big city.

Rufus was happy to see us when we got home!


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On edit again: a few more photos courtesy of Kramster...

Alice playing my X7 and her flute...

Me playing Kramster's X20...

That is my X7 camera left, and the Blackbird Lucky 13 camera right.  Lots of variety.

Proof that Joan was there and taking it all in...

In case of an actual emergency...

Joan and I were in Steph's class again today.  Time for the distance competition for their Gravity Cruisers is getting short... and there are still teams in her two science classes that have not had a successful test run of their cars.  The final competition is in one week.  Joan and I offered to come in another day next week, before the competition, to get their test runs done.

I am remembering that the kids were further ahead last year at this time, but Steph says this has been a better learning experience this year.  And that, truly, is the goal.

Near the end of the first science class, the fire alarm went off.  Steph went right into "remember what we have practiced" mode.  The kids were pretty much being kids... all of the adults clearly remembered what happened in Florida last week.  Perhaps I am being a protective Daddy, but I went out the door first to look around - as the kids filed out, I checked every house, rooftop, concrete block fence, and passing vehicle.

I am not paranoid, but I do try to be more situationally aware these days.  When driving, when parking, when going to or from the car, when coming to the door of the coach, when shopping in the mall.  I do not have my face buried in my phone.  I make eye-contact.  As the kids filed out to the perimeter of the school grounds, I stayed on a high point to look around.

They practice these drills, so the kids know where to go; in a mostly orderly fashion.  They line up so each teacher can make sure everyone in their class is out.

It turned out to be a drill today.  Being an adult amongst all these kids, we take this pretty serious.

Back into the school, and the next science class rolled in.  Due to the fire alarm, they will have a bit less time to get their cars and test runs completed today.  On the bright side, some of those who did get test runs done turned in some decent distances.  Others perhaps learned what changes they need to make to their cars to be more competitive.  Time is getting short.

When we were done at school, Joan and I went out for a late lunch, then to the mall... with the cooler than normal weather predicted to last for another week or more, I picked up a couple hot deals (after Presidents' Day) on some long sleeve shirts.

Yes, I looked around as we went from and to our car in each parking spot.

Didn't your Momma warn you about meeting people from the internet?

We had the opportunity to meet some friends today from the carbon fiber guitar forum where I spend (probably too much) time.  Earl and Alice are from Idaho and are here in the Phoenix area visiting Alice's Mother.  They took the time to come to our RV park so we could visit, make some music, and get to meet Rufus.

We spent the first hour or so getting to know each other.  Alice got to put Rufus on her lap, but he wasn't his usual social self.  Earl and Alice have cats in their family, so they understand.  Kinda like meeting someone's kids and instead of "performing," the kids get all shy.

Out for lunch to a Hawaiian BBQ place, then back to the motorhome for some guitar "show & tell" and playing the "What songs do you want to play?" game.  Fortunately, while I am older than Earl, he knows a lot of songs from my era.  And Alice plays flute, which adds a whole new dimension to the acoustic music.

Earl brought his Emerald X20 12-string, and (of course) we swapped for a while.  Very nice guitar - makes me really miss my X20.

We traded songs most of the afternoon, until the sun got low... and things cool off pretty fast here in the desert.  We said our good-byes, but we will see them again on Friday, when we're getting together with some other carbon fiber enthusiasts.

As with other folks we've met from the internet, Earl and Alice are a delight... and he is the way he writes.  The carbon fiber forum is not huge, so you get a feel for the regulars there.  I'm looking forward to more guitar fun on Friday.

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Didja read the part about Rufus being "shy" above?  Joan has been laying out a quilt project (on the bed) this evening, and Rufus is laying there being sweet.  When no one else is looking.  Of course.

Stylin'...

This morning, Joan was feeling like Chick-fil-a for breakfast; they have little chicken bites that are quite tasty.  It was a cold start to the morning: 36º when I got up at 6:30.  Don't believe all that "hot in the desert" stuff you hear.  Bright and sunny, and only up to 40º when we went out.  In the car, Joan said, "We'll need the heat seaters this morning."  I knew what she meant: we had warm coats on, and the heated seats felt good on our backsides.  I'm good with the fact that we rarely have a need for the seat heaters.

Breakfast was good, and we made a stop at the Post Office to pick up mail on the way back.  Joan had received delivery confirmation on a package.  Inside that package...

If you can't tell what that is from the above photo... a hooded sweatshirt/harness for cats.  Seems that friend MJ didn't think Rufus's teal and black harness was "manly" enough.  For the record, he and I are secure in our masculinity.  ;-)  But, when Joan showed me this kitty-skull and cross bones, I was onboard.  It will be good for him on these chilly mornings.

Check it out...

The boy is stylin'!  I have a plain black hoodie that I'll need to wear when he and I are struttin' around the neighborhood.

;-)

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On edit:  We did a few walks today, wearing his new hoodie.  Still "carry and walk," but he is definitely getting a feel for the whole premise.  After the second set of walks, he needed a rest...

On our last walk, a lady out for a walk of her own, said, "You are the second person I've ever seen with a cat on a leash."  I explained that we are still in the learning process and she said, "Well, it looks like he is doing good with it."  Yep; while the lady and I visited, he sat by my feet, taking it all in.  No fuss, not afraid of new people.

Being sick sucks...

Not Joan, not me.  Rufus is fine, too.  But, our sweet daughter has the flu... maybe the plague... and has been down for the count since after we had lunch on Saturday.  If it is, indeed, the flu, it is recommended that the infected person stay away from public contact until they are feeling better.  Which means: we haven't gotten to see or hug our little girl in the past two days... and that sucks.

She sounds pretty miserable when we talk on the phone - I feel so bad for her.

The weather has turned here in the desert - the "warmer than normal" temperatures have been replaced by a strong cold wind, and temps colder than usual.  I took Rufus out for an attempted walk today, but he did not like that cold wind one bit!  He isn't a fan of the new noises that come with being in an RV in the wind.  Another of the many new things he has been exposed to since being adopted.

He seems pretty adaptable.

Cute when he's asleep...

Rufus?  Yeah, him, too.  Down for a nap this afternoon, Joan thought "her guys" were pretty cute...

Looking pretty comfortable.  And cute...

Yes, Rufus, too.

;-)

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After the nap and supper for Rufus, I decided to take him out for one more walking "practice" as the sun was setting.  It was another beautiful sunset, but I didn't have my camera or phone with me.  But, the big news: Rufus walked on his leash!

When I say we have been "practicing," I mean I have been carrying him a ways from the coach, and we walk back to the door.  He realized right away that the door was his key to being home.  He hasn't made a run for it, and hasn't been too bothered by noisy traffic or people.  But, until this evening, each "walk" has started with a carry, then a walk back.  The goal was to get him used to being on the leash; no pulling on it, and no bolting - he has been doing great with that.

So, this evening, after a "carry and walk," we stopped well short of the door.  He seemed ready to walk away from the coach, and I encouraged him.  After 30 or 40 yards, he was behind the concrete block enclosure for the dumpster, and out of sight of the coach.  He looked around a bit, and I encouraged him to go back the way he came... he did it like a champ!  When we got to where he could see our motorhome, he knew where to go.  This is a big step in his walking progress.

The weather here in the Valley of the Sun is supposed to turn chilly over the next few days, so we may not get a lot of walking practice in.  But, he is well ahead of where I thought we'd be at this time.

:-)

A Saturday favorite...

There is a sports bar here that has the best deep fried cheese curds I think I've ever had: Tailgaters.  We discovered this place a few years ago after we ordered cheese curds at a different restaurant, and the waitress said, "If you think these are good, you should try Tailgaters..."  Yes, really.

Man does not live by cheese curds alone - Tailgaters also has $2 off on baked sandwiches on Saturdays.  They are delicious at any price; even better at $2 off.  ;-)

Before going north to Tailgaters, we spent some time with Rufus outside - walking and enjoying the patio with the awning out and sunscreen attached.  And, you know what that means... yep, it's photo time!

Rufus on Joan's lap...

Some chair time...

After more leash practice, Rufus went to the door of the coach...

A bit more leash practice, then inside...

His tag up close...

He got to stay by himself again when Steph and Dan met us here, then off to Tailgaters (after Steph got some Rufus rubbing in).  Yep, he has proven than he can be trusted.

Cloudy with a chance of popcorn...

The last couple days in the desert have been cloudy with light rain.  Today: mostly cloudy, no precip.  We decided to go to a movie.  Besides being able to pick your seats on-line, you can order your movie snacks ahead of time, with some "on-line specials."  We were able to get an extra large popcorn and drink and some licorice for about the same price as a medium popcorn and drink.  I didn't realize the extra large popcorn has to be wheeled to your seat, since it is the size of a 55 gallon barrel.  Of course, I am exaggerating: it is the size of a 30 gallon barrel.

OK, whatever measurement system you use, it is more popcorn than two normal size people can eat... especially if they intend to stay normal size.  Bonus: you get to put your own butter on the popcorn; they also have little containers with lids - I think they are for pickles or some other condiment.  I put some butter (or whatever that greasy yellow liquid is) in one and put a lid on it... yep, we were able to add butter to the huge container half way through.  American ingenuity.

The movie was good, and it was another chance for Rufus to show what a good boy he can be when by himself.

He has discovered the delight of the track-ball toy, and he whacks the heck out of it.  This boy is muscle-y and strong.

We checked in on Steph and Dan.  They have the day off today (bonus).  Good thing; seems that one of the kids breathed something on Steph and she is feeling lousy.  Dan has plenty of graphic design work to keep him busy.

Rufus got some walking-on-the-leash practice again today.  Progress continues.  He seems to enjoy being outside, but makes no effort to get out the door when it is open.  Outside on the leash, he has learned that to get back in the door, he has to allow room for the screen door to open.  Not bad for marking his first full week with us.  He is a little less needy, and is OK out of arm's (paw's reach) from us.  He knows that the next meal will always be there, and petting is available on demand.  We could not be more delighted with his temperament and how he is fitting in.

We looked at some cat towers while out today, but didn't see anything that would comfortably fit in the coach and give him more height than the dash.  If they were tall enough, they didn't seem solid.  We'll keep our eyes open when we're out and about.

While it was cloudy most of the day today, we did get a decent sunset...

Up to our armpits...

Not in quicksand.  We were in Steph's class again today.  She did not warn us until we were already there, and up to our armpits in adolescents: the day after Valentine's Day; the last day of their school week - they have Friday and Monday off this week for the President's Day Holiday.  This was the last day before a break... the kids are crazy.  We've heard Steph talk about this; if we've been through it, I don't recall.  Concentration and focus were elusive... not with the adults, but we were outnumbered.

Joan worked with them on the construction of their Gravity Cruisers in the room, I was in the hall supervising their testing, and giving them official distances.  When their Cruiser didn't work, or didn't perform up to expectations, I was supposed to ask them questions to lead them to figuring out the problem on their own.  Apparently, I was speaking a different language from most of them since there were a lot of blank stares.  To be fair, some of them understand.  To be honest, some of them don't... "Do you think it would make a difference if you pointed your car in the right direction?"  You probably think I'm kidding.

There were glorious victories when some of the cars went a decent distance; crushing blows when an ill-conceived design simply fell over.

The goal today was to get 3 consistent distance runs, then they are allowed to put bigger wheels on their cars... after logging the changes they made after each run.  "Did you log your changes?"

"Huh?"  There were a lot of "Huh"s today.  ;-)

As we were leaving school today, I said to Joan, "I fear for our future."  I'm hoping there will be better concentration after their break.

On the bright side: Steph is making them better people as well as making them smarter.  No discipline issues.  She maintains good control... and that isn't easy to do when working on group projects like this... more than once I heard her say, "No hogs and no logs - work together as a group."

We had a late lunch after getting out of the school just before their release.  A few errands, and then it was back to Rufus around 3:30 (you didn't think this would be a whole day without a Rufus mention, did you?).  That meant he was "home alone" for about 3 1/2 hours.  I held my breath when I opened the door, hoping to find everything in the coach intact.  Yep - he was a good boy.  And happy to see us when we came in.

Come to your own conclusions regarding behavior and focus of adolescents vs felines.  LOL

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No photos - we were busy the whole time we were at school, and I just didn't have a chance to capture anything for posterity.

Valentine Birthday...

Steph and Dan sent us a cute video of their three cats wishing Rufus a "Happy Birthday!" today.

It's his birthday already?  Since the vet estimated him at 3 to 4 years old, we decided to pick a close date for him... on day 1 (at the vet), we decided that February 14th would be Rufus's birthday.

I think he had a pretty good day today - it sprinkled most of the day, so there was no going out on a leash... his white paws would be a mess with the red sand around here.  He also got the day off from car rides.  No birthday cake (not good for kitties), but he got two different kinds of soft food and plenty of hard.  Lots of lovin'.  He was trusted to be by himself for an hour today, and he did great... we left some things out that would make it obvious if he had been on the counter or the table, which he did not do.

He is definitely more comfortable in his new home with us.  I wish I knew more about his background.  He understands "No!"  No fear of people.  He likes to be outside and look out through the windows, but doesn't make a fuss about going out.  He is a good boy... and he likes to be told that.

Happy Birthday, Rufus - we are happy to have you in the family!

Nap-time...