Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Darn Ground Hogs!

Here in America,  on February 2, we celebrate Ground Hog day.  It is based on a bit of folklore which says when a ground hog awakes, and leaves his burrow, what he does next can predict how long winter will be.  
Well, both Punxsutawney Phil, and Buckeye Chuck have predicted six more weeks of winter.  Really, guys?  Oh, well.  Time will, as always, show if they are right.

In the meanwhile, things are going along here at Manor Dellroy.  Earl (remember Earl? We named the kitten Earl Grey) is growing like a bad weed.  All indications are that he is a Nebelung, a rare breed of cat.
Now, what the heck is a rare cat doing in the middle of Ohio, USA?  Darned if I know.  I searched for Nebelung breeders, but there are none here.  So Earl's past remains shrouded in mystery.
Earl is extremely shy around strangers.  Not vicious at all - if he does not know you, he just wants to leave, right now.  But once he gets to know you - it took two months before my son and I could approach Earl - he is very affectionate.  He has acclimated well to all of the other critters here.  He has also made friends with Mrs. Dellroy, to her delight.
Earl is now about a year and a half old.  The literature on Nebelungs say that he will be a kitten, and continue growing, until he is about two years old.  He can be as large as 7 Kg (15.4 Lbs)!  He has really sharp claws.  He has been learning to not extend them when we play with him.  One careless swipe, and he can really lay your skin open.  His reflexes are getting better and better.  He hunts for small game, sometimes.  He brings in moles, chipmunks, mice, and the occasional bird.

Meanwhile, on the SPOCS front, my totalizer add-on has a problem.  The problem is not within SPOCS; it has to do with the flow of water around here.  I may just ignore the problem, or add something to indicate when water flow is abnormal.  More on that later.

Good Night, Dad, Mom, and Ma and Pa Wolfe, wherever you are.