Cricket and Camel

Andrew has been trying to get his computer working more how he likes it and to understand the mysteries of "Windows 7".  His latest project has been to try out putting family pictures as the background to his desktop.  I thought I would show you two.

First, of course, one with me in it!  This is me with Jiminy Cricket in Epcot.  He doesn't appear much in the parks.  Personally, I'm not surprised.  There can't be that many people who want to cuddle an insect and even I find it a bit disconcerting to come across an insect quite a big as this.

It could be said that Jiminy isn't really an insect, any more than Mickey is really a mouse.  My humans have a lovely video clip about Jiminy.  This was part of a television show, "The South Bank Show", marking the release of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit".  In the clip, Ward Kimball, one of Walt Disney's "Nine Old Men", explains how he created the character.  What it came down to was that it's darn difficult to make a loveable Disney character from an insect (cats are a lot easier).  So what we ended up with was not a cricket at all - but a "Jiminy Cricket".

But he was more "insect size" in "Pinocchio".  

My other picture this time is of my human, Mikki, on a camel in Petra, Jordan.  That was nearly 20 years ago, which is a long time.  In fact it's so long ago it was quite soon after I came to live with the humans and long before I persuaded them to take me with them on holidays (vacations).  My humans have been looking for this picture because Mikki also wanted a print to replace one she had of her riding a horse (horses are lovely but the camel is more unusual).

The humans' trip to Jordan was interesting for many reasons.  They say they learned a lot from both the history and the current life in the country - but those are other stories that are a bit profound for a toy cat.  Andrew also picked up an ear fungus - but that's definitely a different story.  My humans were invited to join a tour by Andrew's parents.  Andrew's father was then in his 70s.  It turned out that my humans were the youngest people in the group - and his parents were the second youngest!!  The rest were hardened veterans of touring historic places.  Many knew each other and several skipped up mountainsides with ease.  Well, after descending a particularly precipitous path  from the "High Place" at Petra, Mikki realised she was both a long way from where she started and wasn't sure how to get back.  So it was wonderful luck to see a local man hiring the camel to ride.

The picture was taken by one of her hardy companions, who were content to walk (but glad of directions!).  The print has just replaced the horse on our "rogues' gallery" - a wall of the downstairs cloakroom covered in family pictures and other prints with special meaning.

And the photo isn't just of a tourist sitting on a camel (of course it was that too).  It was of Mikki using local  transport she really needed.

And Andrew has got both photos on his computer.  Both have had to be "cropped" seriously because both are in a vertical format while his computer screen needs a horizontal one.  I don't mind losing the insect's legs.

On reflection, I'm glad I wasn't with my humans in Jordan.  Mikki wouldn't have had any free arms to cuddle me - and I certainly didn't want to pick up any fungus (in my ears or elsewhere).

Much better to be back here, where anyone can cuddle me any time.  I said any time.  Or NOW.

Prrrrrr.