Breaking Cat News by Georgia Dunn for March 25, 2023

Lupin! For shame! You actually got Ora Zella to hiss at you!

(Not to mention trying to freak out Puck after he finally got settled down!)

And, in a spectacular reversal of roles, Ora is being protective of Puck.

Few things in life are so weird or stressful that they can’t be solved by, or at least ignored with the help of, a cozy (sunny) window seat!

Well, a cat’s life, anyway.

Aw, OZ is protecting Pucky. That’s sweet. And it’s good to see Pucky facing his fears with the help of his family and finally looking calm and content

Ora Z with the NOPE, NOPE, DENIAL! In other words, Ora Z is now the Black Knight. NONE SHALL TAP! Except she can actually fight.

OZ! You go gurl!

Somehow that hiss seems less threatening when paired with a tiny tail and an itty-bitty kitty caboose …

Now we can ALL rest easy knowing sweet Pucky is snuggled up, happy in the window seat. Protected by his little protégé

That Uncertain Mew? is just PRECIOUS! And Ora Zella is such a good little sister!

OT: Question for people in So Cal, W Va., UK, Ireland, Australia and NZ or anyone else who has an interest or concern about greyhounds:

I gotta admit I’ve been on the fence about OZ. But after seeing her protect Puck from any “stressful surprises,” I’m now firmly on team OZ! She was even respectful enough to call Lupin sir as she hissed at him.

Well, she knows Cat Shakespeare. Human Shakespeare would ‘bite my thumb at thee’.

The giant anaconda has been silenced! No longer will she raid the panther clan, or prey on the weak. The panther fought bravely, but in the end, the humans helped him.

They opened up this part of the jungle, exposing the serpent.

Without the cover of darkness, and the invisibility offered by the angelim vermelho tree, and the lightly packed Epiphytes the giant reptile has grown weak. No longer able to sustain that massive frame, as all prey have become aware of her presence. They have avoided her black death long enough for the serpent herself to succumb to hunger and weakness. The anaconda has shrunk back into the jungle, passing the Split leaf philodendrons , ( Monstera leaves ); past the Monkey Brush Vines , ( Combretum rotundifolium ),the Heliconia , Heliconia latispatha and the ever beautiful Giant Water Lily , Victoria Amazonica and to the great Amazon herself. The snake knowing, she has been bested, departs this corner of the jungle surrendering it to the new master of the day, the great black panther.

The only reminder of the serpents passing is the shed skin left hanging in the tree, the light shimmering off iridescent scales, it appears as a beacon to remind all who live in the Panther’s Jungle, that he is the Apex Predator, but he is a benevolent one. He only takes what he needs, and he instills this on his clan. The little ones have taken this to heart, and revere him, and protect him, as he takes a well-deserved sleep, exhausted from the battles of the day.

He sleeps, thinking that later he will travel back to his other tree, the Euterpe Precatoria and take in some sweet berries. Our story is ended for now…but the panther will have many more adventures.

NOTE: all flora in these tales are real and indigenous to the Amazon Rain Forest.

Oh, Woman. “No stressful surprises there”? Thank Cat for young Ora Z.

Whispered hiss!

That has to be a cool old house with all the decorations from probably the 1930s through the 1970s judging by what I have seen so far and the posts from the orbsters. Here in FL we have 3 or 4 base types of architecture due to the fact not much was constructed pre 1930 or so: 1) Art Deco of the ’30s and ’40s: ultra cool and found in many spots of Central South FL. 2) Mid 20th century Modern: these are mega cool houses from the ’50s and early ’60s with sharp cutting lines, open areas and lots of glass, often made to look futuristic. Sarasota FL has a lot of great examples as does the Florida Southern College in Lakeland where many buildings were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright who was decades ahead of his time. 3) Typical contemporary ranch house design of the ’60s to the ’80s: simple design with a split floor plan: 3 bed 2 bath with a double garage and quite often a big blue swimming pool. Finally 4) Cookie cutter subdivisions and McMansions: these are being built everywhere, and they look identical whether you are in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, Vegas, LA or San Diego. No imagination and everyone is exactly the same except if you have the “left” or “Right” hand floor plan. Your HOA will make sure you cannot change stuff either. I personally love the mid modern design though I live in a circa 1980 ranch design house with wood accents.

The Woman understands his trepidation.

The brave kitten, fought the fluffy white pillow dragon, to protect her sleeping friend! She spit forth a warning, in a loud whisper, ’"Yee shall not pat, foul slapping dragon!

A Squeee for RSOILTB [Rare Sighting of Invisible Lupin Toe Beans]

… And from that day henceforth, she used her astounding Tortie Powers for Good, and not Mischievousness! … … (usually)! … :)

Uncertain mew. ❤

The inquisitive meows are my favorite!

Meanwhile, Back on the Nile

Puckmosis: This scroll is all about a new place where scrolls are stored and protected from anyone reading them.

Ora Zed: But why would anyone want to keep them from others?

Puck: Let’s read further on.

In previous times these scrolls were borrowed by all and sundry. They were sometimes damaged, and some took them for their own possessions. Therefore, we have gathered up all the scrolls we can find, and will keep them safe from all who would take them.

Ora Z: But what is the use of having them if no one can use them?

Puck: Very true. And who is the “we” they talk about? Maybe one of the other scrolls explains that.

Enter Lupinium

Lupinium: Here I am!

Ora Z: Lupinium, there is a time and place to thwump. This is neither.

Lupinium: Not even just one tiny thwump?

Puck: We have all these precious scrolls. Please thwump outside.

Beatrixia: No worries. Thomios and Sue Chef are here to serve lunch.

Thomios: Ham and bacon rolls with honey, anyone?

Lupinium: Let’s go!

And though she be but little, she is fierce.

Sun shining bright above you

Soft hisses seem to whisper “I love you”

Birds singin’ in the sycamore trees

Dream a little dream, Pucky

Sweet dreams as warmth unwinds you

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you

Ignore Lupin, wherever he be

Dream a little dream, Pucky ❤️

- Gus Kahn / Wilbur Schwandt / Fabian Andre – Dream A Little Dream Of Me

“Sir, I hiss at thee”…I so plan to use that line some time today.

Where’s Elvis?

Ora Zella being Puck’s body guard is both fitting and incredibly cool. Let Puck sleep, invisible Lupin!

LUPIN!!! Do you HAVE to! (Of course. I’m Lupin!) And sweet Ora Zella trying to protect Puck. Love the formal and old fashioned “Sir, I hiss at thee!)

All the familiar sounds of family and love, Puck will be fine.

The look on Lupin’s face in panel 3 says it all. Apparently the woman didn’t see him there. Glad OZ is there to defend Puck.

A spirited game of Whack the Kitten.

uncertain mew <3 awe

Biohazard suit, or the armor of a chivalrous knight? To Ora Zella, it’s both!

Thankfully, Ora is there to defend him. She’s a real sweetheart.

I have always wondered, and the ORB may know, is Puck named for Shakespeare’s Puck of Midsomer Night’s Dream? Or because he looks like a hockey puck when curled up asleep? Either are great reasons.

Awwww. The Woman is so sweet to her Pucky. Kindness to the rescue!

Ora Zella—a possible antidote to Lupin?

This morning Holly hissed at 8-ball for no reason. That’s going to fly like a neutronium brick. The Ancient and Venerable One shall not be hassled. I wonder if we can borrow Ora Zella for a week.

Love those little clenched paws in panel 2! So worried! So tiny!

Breaking BCN News! Reruns are coming up! Here’s Georgia with why:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CqOABVPN82d/

March has been one heck of a month for me this year. Newspapers are always up and down, but I lost a few papers in the beginning of the year and that’s been a bit stressful. (Some longtime readers have suggested creating a Patreon for years, and I am finally seriously considering it… We shall see! But that is another post altogether…) I’m dealing with some personal stuff, and then on top of all of that a few weeks ago my left hand began giving me trouble.

In 2008, I had a bout of trigger finger. My middle and ring fingers locked up on my left hand. One brutally painful cortisone shot later, it was fixed and I was on my way! …Until a few weeks ago. The pain and tightness returned, and soon enough I could feel the same BB pellet lump on the tendon I’d felt all those years ago.

Thinking the trigger finger had returned, I went to a hand specialist this week. It turns out, it’s not trigger finger and likely never was! It is a reoccurring cyst. The cortisone shot in 2008 was so painful because it likely broke up the original cyst! (Ouch!)

I deal with cysts and benign tumors a fair amount (just lucky, I guess!), and this was actually great news for me. I had been privately concerned that I had a more serious problem with my tendons or some damage in that hand. This is the hand I draw, ink, paint, and edit the comic with, so it used a lot and sorely (literally this month) needed!

On April 11th I’m having minor surgery on that hand to have the cyst removed from the tendon hopefully once and for all. I’ll go under quick and hopefully be home that day! …And then I will need to rest that hand for a while. I am cleared for drawing after two weeks, but for those two weeks this hand will be out of commission.

My editor suggested two weeks of BCN reruns for that time. We’ll see reruns sometime in May or June (since I work a little ahead.)

“uncertain mew”…..Lupin trying to swat (Just one little tap) the now sleeping Pucky and little Ora, “no, no, hiss!, Sir I hiss at thee!” I hope we don’t lose Patch at the colony, something is wrong with his right front paw.

From Hell’s dark heart I hiss at thee!

I’m wondering if the swaying lamp didn’t remind Puck of his awful experience with a predator (bird?) when he was a kitten.

I. So. Very. MUCH. Want. To. Hold. Puck.!!!

I love how Ora Z is being so protective of Puck.

i love Ora Zella

Tortitude on display! Lupin better watch out; Ora may indeed be little, but she is fierce – and will whap Lupin a good one if he bothers her sweet Puck.

And Pucky . . . that little mew. Heart go melty!

Uncertain mew. SO CUTE!!!!!!!