Grand Rounds! Balthazar Update! Fun Meme!

This week's Grand Rounds is up, in creative poetic format! Thanks for including me, Kerri.

And for all of you who've been jonesing for Balthazar updates, here's a new photo. He's been difficult to photograph lately, because he doesn't hold still long enough!

Yesterday we let him out of the study to meet the big cats. Now I'm wondering if we did that too soon, since he's started sneezing again; I hope the big guys don't get sick! But so far, the introductions have gone well. He keeps trying to intimidate Harley and Figaro, but they're very patient and haven't sent him flying with one swat of a paw (which they could easily do). Bali's been chasing Figaro all over the house; when Figgy was a kitten, he did the same thing to Harley. Must be a rite of passage.

Here are Bali and Harley sniffing each other (and not trading cold germs, let us pray). That big white thing to the right is the Lightbox of Doom. The futon couch to the left normally has a quilt on it, but Gary washed the quilt yesterday, to try to get some of the cat hair off. Harley's a very placid cat, much less athletic than Figaro, so there hasn't been much chasing going on there. Yesterday afternoon, Harley snoozed on my study couch while Bali napped in his nest on my rocking chair.

And in the fun world of blogging, Nickie tagged me for a meme: writing six-word stories. Mine aren't brilliant, but I tried. The last one actually happened on a disastrous family boating vacation when I was a kid; the boat was storm-tossed rather than becalmed, but I couldn't fit that into six words.

Couple quarrels. He chokes. Heimlich reconcilation.

Treed cat. Two worried strangers. Romance.

Becalmed sailboat. Worrisome screeching. Stowaway katydid!

I hereby tag Lee, DisappearingJohn, jsd, Maggie, TC, and Bohemian Road Nurse.

Have fun, kids. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Here's another photo of Balthazar to inspire you! He has a piece of lint stuck to his chin in this one. Because of his long fur, he's like a little lambswool duster, collecting dust and grit wherever he goes. Sometimes he looks kinda like Pigpen from Peanuts. But of course we love him anyway!