First off purrs to all who need them, and sorry I wasn't around for so
long. RL has been interfering with my group reading, and I'm about a
month behind. Over 5,000 messages even after brutally trimming out all
marked OT, which I of hated doing since a lot of the flavor of the
group is found OT. Not sure when I'll get got up. I'm having monitor
problems and am now looking at the group from an antique model dragged
out  of the closet and pressed into temporary service. I remember
years ago thinking this monitor was the greatest, so clear, so many
colors, etc. After using a bigger monitor for the past three or four
years I find it's a real pain - literally as I find myself hunched
over the keyboard and having to lean forward to read rather than
lounging back in the chair. (maybe I just need new glass LOL)

Anyway, to bring this back on topic, the girls and I are all doing
fine (except for my sore back, of course). After almost a year of
watching Little Bit and Sammy go OUT for supervised vists, Spotty
finally decided to try going back into the OUT. She is NOT HAPPY about
wearing a leash and spends the first part of each journey slinking
along with her belly almost touching the ground. But she soon forgets
the leash and enjoys herself. The only real problem I have is that I
now have two cats who require a leash. Little Bit is happy with just a
quick sniff around the the patio and then a bit of sunbathing while
napping on the patio. But Sammy and Spot, once Spotty is over her fear
of dragging around an extra long tail, want to go exploring. Of course
their explorations just HAVE to be in opposite directions.  So I
usually have those two on long leads tied to the bird feeder pole in
the middle of the yard. The end result is that anyone who came to
visit would find Little Bit laughing at the rest of us as Sam and
Spotty try to stretch the lead just one more inch so they can sniff
that clump of grass just out of their reach, and the hoomin can't
spend more than a minute in the lawn chair without having to get up
and go untangle a lead which has somehow become wrapped around
something.

The Touchstone Neighborhood Cat Cafe is still in business, and has had
a recent influx of new customers. A new neighbor moved in across the
street, and her five cats make the ocassional visit. We also get
nightly visits from the two newcomers I mentioned last fall/early
winter - an orange intact tom, Citrus, and a beatuful white guy,
Frank. I don't know where they call home, but it must be nearby as
they visit at least a couple times a day. Frank has beautiful blue
eyes and a touch of orange on his ears, but is a bit of a bully and
tries to chase everyone else away, Not that he's hungry, he obviously
is getting enough to eat, it's just that he's claimed my patio as part
of his territory. The stinker will lay halfway between two full bowls
and try to keep others away. He's learning that he can't make too much
of a fuss. He knows what the water squirt bottle is and if he makes
too much of a fuss I come and and chase him away to let others eat.
We've also got at least one unwelcome frequent guest - an opposum. I
wouldn't mind, except they're greedy little b*st*rds and will eat up
everything.

Well, guess I should post this and get to reading the many messages.
Again, purrs to all those in need,