Thursday, March 31, 2011

DANTE: HERE I AM!

Just in case some of you Dante fans thought he had disappeared lately -- you'd be right!  Mama has been quite busy and hasn't posted any pictures of him in almost a week.

So just to reassure you that he's still around and doing fine, here are a few recent shots.  Dante is peeking around the covered BBQ on the back deck.





































"Do you fink Daddy got my hint?", asks Dante.  "My chops sure could use some chops!  I bin hankerin' fur BBQ all wintah long."

Friday, March 25, 2011

PROFILES IN DANTE

To profile Dante is to profile a "typey" Maine Coon.  This is what the Cat Fancier's Association has to say about about them.

"Everything about the Maine Coon points to its adaptation to a harsh climate. Its glossy coat, heavy and water-resistant, is like that of no other breed, and must be felt to be appreciated. It is longer on the ruff, stomach and britches to protect against wet and snow, and shorter on the back and neck to guard against tangling in the underbrush. The coat falls smoothly, and is almost maintenance-free: a weekly combing is all that is usually required to keep it in top condition. The long, bushy tail which the cat wraps around himself when he curls up to sleep can protect him from cold winters. His ears are more heavily furred (both inside and on the tips) than many breeds for protection from the cold, and have a large range of movement. Big, round, tufted feet serve as 'snow shoes.' Their large eyes and ears are also survival traits, serving as they do increase sight and hearing. The relatively long, square muzzle facilitates grasping prey and lapping water from streams and puddles."



When shooting pictures of Dante in profile, his long square muzzle is especially apparent. His strong jaw is so very mancatly, don't you think?


Dante is quite lynx-like from the tips of his ears, to the extra-long fur around his face.


Here you can see Dante's lovely long ruff which forms part of his floofy undercoat. 


And here's the shorter fur on his back that acts like a raincoat.
 
 
 No profile would be complete without taking a look at that amazing tail.  Just look at the length of the fur on it!  It makes a great feather duster when totally spread out.
 
And finally, profiling Dante is more than just about his looks.  He is goofy, loving, sweet, loud, friendly, demanding of attention, and very social.  His most endearing habit is that he loves to give kisses -- on the mouth!  There's something for all those ladycats out there to dream about!
 
 

Sunday, March 20, 2011

NOT SO EASY ON SUNDAY WITH DANTE

It's Sunday, and Dante was outside on the deck bench, just minding his own business.

The temPURRatures are slightly above freezing, so the snow is beginning to melt.  There's a slight breeze, though, which is actually refreshing.  Then, suddenly ...


... CRASH!  BAM!  BOOM!  BING!  BANG!


These loud noises emanate from behind our next-door neighbour's fence!  At once Dante is on guard!


This calls for closer inspection.


Dante stretches out as far as possible and fixes his gaze to see what has happened.


If you stare long and hard enough, surely you're bound to see something!


The wind whips Dante's lynx tips, but he is undetered in his mission to discover the cause of the commotion.




Though, finally, after several minutes and no reoccurrence ...

... Dante stands down and tries to relax.  He decides to keep one eye open, though -- just in case!

Darn those noisy neighPURRS!


Thursday, March 17, 2011

DANTE: PICTURE PURRFECT ON ST. PADDY'S DAY!

For the second year in a row, Dante has won prizes in Brian's St. Patrick's Day Photo Contest.  Last year, he won in the category "Best Use of Green", which he recaptured again this year, along with first place in "Best Green Sleeping Area" and second place in "Best Green Apparel".

So, we're posting Dante's winning (and placing) pics right here, as his PURRsonal St. Paddy's Day wall of fame!























Dante wishes you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day, and a roll in the clover!  It's fun -- you'll see!



Thursday, March 3, 2011

THURSDAY IN THE GARDEN WITH DANTE: DIGGING IT!


After a few days of sun and milder temPURRatures, it snowed again.  And boy, did it snow!  The deck benches are piled up high and there's no place for cats to sit.

So, Dante did what any good gardening cat would do under these circumstances -- he went on a circle tour of the garden, and did a little digging on the way.  He wanted to test the depth of this latest snowfall.  And, in doing so, he did double dooty (if you get my drift)!

Soon, Dante hopes to be digging in the rich brown PURRmanence of the earth again -- instead of in this temPURRary blanket of white.

I didn't think that Dante's tour required commentary, as it speaks for itself.  The pictures are shown in the order in which they were actually taken.












(Look at the size of those paws!)




Dante will be back in the garden another day, but for now, he's all dug out!