#AtoZChallenge - Chuck? Collections? Critters!

Hi, Welcome to my little corner of the Interwebz!  I'm doing a pretty random theme this year - things that make me happy / are guilty pleasures / whatever makes me... ME!

Again, there are several different ways I could have gone with this letter.  Chuck is the mascot of my Halloween display - he's a 3 foot skeleton with googly eyes that wears a tuxedo onesie.  He's done a lot of travelling with me.

I have more than one collection - nutcrackers for all holidays: horse figurines, shot glasses & refrigerator magnets from places I've been to, etc, etc, etc.

But nearest & dearest to my heart are my critters!

The Spouse & I are currently crazy cat people with our 3 adorable cats. 

 We brought Maddie home in July 2012.  The Spawn & I had gone to the Humane Society and she was "the chosen one" aka Maddie was reaching thru the bars of the cage at her.   She's our informer and tells us when anything is wrong around the house.  Very loudly.  Like doors being closed, food bowls being low or it's bedtime. The Spouse is her favorite person.   She's one of those cats who won't beg for people food, but she'll sit at a distance and wait patiently until you offer her some.  

 

Daisy, aka Peep, is my baby girl.  She's going to be 4 next month.   She was born in my sister's barn and I brought her home at a couple months old.  Her meow is more of a peep and it's just so stinkin' cute.  She can be a spaz and will mostly stay hidden when I'm not home.   Pretty sure she's bi-polar.  

Rusty (with the aforementioned Chuck).  We brought him home from the same sister's barn almost 2 years ago.  We're not sure how old he is.  Since he was a barn cat, it's been tough for him to be 100% indoors, so he has learned that he can go outside if he wears the harness and leash.  And he gets excited when you happen to touch the door where his harness is hanging. 

He's the most lovable cat ever and is our welcoming committee when anyone comes in the house. He loves everyone, even dogs. 

Rusty & Daisy like to snuggle.  And they'll groom each other until Daisy gets emotional and starts to growl & hiss.  Bi-polar. 

Maddie is more aloof, so I was surprised to see her so close to the other two. 

Our Beagle, Jack, just crossed the Rainbow Bridge in early February.  He was close to 15 years old.   This picture was clearly taken in his heyday since at the end, his face & ears were gray.   Heart disease finally got the best of him. 

 Jack & Rusty are judging you!

It just so happens that these are all of our angel babies now. 

I got Skeeter (top photo) as a kitten in I think 2000 and he was my shadow for 11 years.  The best cat ever!  He always had to be touching me if I was sitting or laying. 

Chester came from the Humane Society, in 2002.  He chose me over all the other people in the cat room that day.  We don't know how old he was when I adopted him, but we had 14 awesome years with him before we passed in his sleep.  Orange cats must be lovies since he also loved everyone. 

Maggie came from my sister's barn  in 2006.  She was less than 8 lbs but had popped out 5 or 6 litters of 6+ kittens before we got her spayed.  She took to being an indoor cat very easily & quickly claimed the Spouse as her own.  She had the loudest purr for such a tiny thing. 

Then there's my Jack-a-Poo.  My walking buddy, destroyer of tennis balls, dining room vacuum cleaner / dinner plate pre-rinse. 

Also, part of my life are these guys - they obviously belong to Sister 1 (I have 2 sisters & 2 brothers -sisters are local, but one brother lives way up north and the other out of state so I don't get to see them often) 

 Remington & Kisses. 

My sister has had horses since I was like 2 years old, so I've had the benefit of riding / spending time with them as much as I want without all the hassle of caring for them (unless I horse-sit)

Kisses is "my" horse.  Sister & I are part of a search & rescue team and she's the one I use.

She's such a pretty girl!  And tall!  I hate to admit that I need a mounting block, but I have a bum left knee and lack the strength in it to get into the saddle without help.  It sucks, but that's life.  

I love my critters!