Clever Electronic Toys

You can never tell with humans!  You work hard on them for years, you think you've got them well trained, and then they start having silly ideas of their own and almost forget you entirely.

As you must know, we traditional toys live in special fear of clever electronic toys (as Woody was with Buzz).  My humans have been really full of their electronic toys lately.  First came a "capsule" computer (or was it "tablet", I don't like learning all this human electronic jargon either).  The big advantage of these (or as I see it, big disadvantage) is that they are very portable.  So the humans started carrying it about the house with them.  Worst of all, they sat playing with it in the bed when they woke up in the morning.  That's what I'm for.  Next it was something to help them use the "tablet" away from home.  This ended up with Mikki getting a new telephone - which she now plays with constantly.  Today, we went on a car ride and they even played with both.  They used the telephone as a mobile (let me get this right) "hot spot" and "tethered" the capsule to it.  I often go with them in the car and whoever is not driving is supposed to play with me!

I was getting a little depressed, so I thought of Walt Disney World. This is a nice picture from when we were there during one of the "Flower and Garden Festival" events.  We all like the flowers and it's a lovely time of year (May) when it's not too hot or too crowded.  More recently, they have done more and more topiary type arrangements - although I fear very few are "true" topiary in the sense of being grown as bushes and shaped just by clipping.

So I have this picture of me with my "stunt kitten" and a topiary.  It reminds me that there are some people who get permanently depressed - and I don't want to be like them.

And for the next few days, Mikki is taking all the new electronic gadgetry away when she goes to watch tennis in her home town of Eastbourne.  She will also be visiting old family friends.  This means that I will have Andrew completely to myself.

It also means, Mikki, that you won't be able to cuddle me for several days - so what about now?

Prrrr Prrrr.

  

Our Jubilee Celebrations

It's high time I told you about our celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The village held a street party on the Monday of the Jubilee weekend (4th June). For the weather, it turned out to be the best day of the weekend to hold an outdoor party and I was able to inspect the preparations in sunshine.

The day started with a large group of the humans from the village getting together to sing "God Save the Queen" and have an official picture taken.  They then went to the village playing field where a tree was planted and a plaque unveiled before games were played.  Then they processed back to the village for the party at the tables behind me.  There was lots of food and drink and everyone seemed to have fun.

Adults were encouraged to dress up the way humans did in the 1950s and children as kings or queens.  A "king" and "queen" for the day were chosen.  Some of the outfits were very impressive.

In the evening, the local pub put on a barbecue and there was lots more fun and relaxation for the humans.  I had gone home by then.  Ah, yes, here are my bodyguards to escort me.  And if you think that style of dress is not very "1950s", they will say that uniform is as accurate for then as it is for now (or any of hundreds of other years).

Do you really want to argue?  Now take me home for a cuddle.

Prrrr.

My Humans' Silver Wedding

As promised, here are a couple of pictures of my humans at and after their Silver Wedding anniversary party.

The first one was taken at the party (quite early on!) where they enjoyed the company of many friends from the village and beyond.

This one was taken in the house a couple of days later and shows some of the many cards friends and family sent.  They were really delighted with all the cards, gifts and messages they received.

A special day for them..  I'll give them a cuddle.

Prrrr.

The Big Party

The whole of Britain (and a lot of the rest of the world) is celebrating this weekend, including our village.  However, our big personal party was last weekend to mark my humans' silver wedding anniversary.  It was a lovely weekend for weather and I enjoyed supervising as the humans set up tables chairs and bunting on their decking.  There were even a couple of gazebos for shade.

You can't see it in this picture, but the river Witham is just beyond the decking.  One purpose of the bunting was to remind guests they were close to the edge of the deck and the risk of an unwelcome way of cooling off from the hot sun.

Lots of very nice people came to the party.  Most were from our village but quite a few were from other nearby villages and some from even further.  Some very good friends came from London and Andrew's brother and his wife came from Northumberland.

I think the humans say, "a good time was had by all".  I suppose they must have because everyone seemed to stay and lots of empty bottles and food trays were taken away at the end.  All the humans look to be enjoying themselves in this picture.

I think you may be able to make out my Mikki in this photo.  Andrew must be hidden somewhere among the trees.  There were also some other pictures just of them   They say I should put one or two of those up in another post.

Prrrr.

25 Years Ago - First Visit

My humans were married on 23rd May 1987 - so they celebrated their silver anniversary a couple of days ago.  They are having a party for lots of friends and family tomorrow (Saturday).  Fortunately, it looks like the weather in England will be kind for once and they will have the party on the decking by the river that flows past our house.

River? . . water?   You guessed, I'll just be staying in bed.  I may get to know what happens so I can tell you in a later post.

Meanwhile, it is a time to look back.  My humans first visit to Walt Disney World was their honeymoon so they were there 25 years ago today.  Here's my Mikki with their Mickey.

Walt Disney World has changed a lot over the years (I am told).  For one thing, there were only two theme parks (MK and Epcot Center - although the studios park was being built) and one water park (River Country).

Another difference is that my humans were staying off property at a hotel on International Drive.  They had a limited number of shuttle buses they could use and had to fit everything into a 3 day ticket.  There was none of the relaxed fun you get when you can jump on a bus when you like and say as short a time as you like using your annual pass.

And the biggest problem was that they had no toy kitten either for them to cuddle or for Mckey to cuddle.  I may have been around for some time but not that long!!.. So here's another picture from our latest visit (January this year) where Mickey Mouse is able to give me some more attention.

I have been forbidden to make any comment on any changes to Mikki or Mickey over the years.  I think they both look super in both pictures.

Oh, and I'm sure Mikki did take Andrew on her honeymoon.  I guess he isn't in the picture because he was taking it.  There was no Photopass then.

Prrrr.

Ullswater

Time to catch up on the trip I took to the English Lake District with my humans last month.

Across most of Britain, the weather was very wet and the forecast was that the Lake District would be one of the wetter places (where do you think all those lakes come from?).  In fact, we were very lucky.  We had scarcely any rain during the day while we were out, although Mikki could see it rain around us several times.  We had one day of lovely sunshine.

Early in the week, we went to Cockermouth, a town that had some terrible floods a couple of years ago.  We saw the birthplace of the poet Wordsworth there.  During the flood, the cellar of that house was full of water.  The humans were very impressed at how well the house and the whole town had recovered.  They had lunch there - and bought themselves and their family sweeties as treats.  I don't need that sort of thing:  just cuddles.

This picture was taken on the edge of Ullswater on a day that was cloudy but dry.  As you can see, I was very brave and went out onto a rock to pose for the camera.  That day we also went to a big house which holds a marmalade festival each year.  The humans bought marmalade for family members they would be visiting later.

I think I enjoyed the trip to the Lake District.  There was a lot of driving around in the car.  I always sit in the front for long car rides so that the humans can stop me getting bored.

That water looked cold and mucky.  Wasn't I brave?

What Have They Done to the Trees?

Meeeeooww!  My human Andrew has been spending a lot of time scanning old photographs from his father and mother - and now he expects me to tell you about his little attack of nostalgia.  He's found the pictures of Walt Disney World taken in 1994 when his parents visited.  This one is of the "Hub" in the Magic Kingdom.

 

See if you can spot any differences between it and the next one - taken in 2008, but I expect not from exactly the same place..

Don't you agree the recent picture is much better in so many ways.  The colours (colors) are nicer; the sky is clearer; there is a better view of Cinderella Castle and so on.  Most important, the recent picture includes a cute black and white toy kitten in the foreground.  I admit it:  I came to live with my humans in 1992 but it took me a few years to train them properly to take me with them on all their trips to Walt Disney World.

But Andrew says he misses the trees and the topiaries of Mickey and Minnie (replaced by the "Partners" statue).  He starts talking about a time when "Empress Lilly" had several lovely restaurants; when the best Disney merchandise came from "Centorium" in Epcot; and when the waste bins in the Magic Kingdom were painted differently in each "land".

But just a minute, Andrew.  You say you remember when you found Mickey Mouse just standing around in the Exposition Hall.  Well, that's where you find him now.  Like many things, Disney have had to make things more formal and organised because there are more and more humans there.  And if you want trees, you should find enough to satisfy anyone in Animal Kingdom.

I think one thing hasn't changed.  You have to be lucky (or get up very early in the morning) to get a picture of the "Hub" with as few other people as there are in either of these.

Now stop thinking about the past and give me a cuddle.

Prrrrr.