[Athenaeus]

Today according the Christian calendar (Orthodox and Catholic) we commemorate the Saints that protect Animals.

Since it is tres a la mode to publish photos I send you the photo of Titika, my cat, in my Jungle wondering, “What this dog is doing in my garden”? J
Titika is the Greek translation of the name Cozette, who is the heroine of “Les Miserables” of Victor Hugo!
This orphan arrived in our garden after surviving the fierce dogs of the neighborhood especially those of the Israeli ambassador in Athens who lives next door and I have serious suspicions that they eat humans!!
Titika has a very good character; she detests behaving like the majority of the cats. She doesn’t belong to the masses! She is a cat she doesn’t play the cat!!
She is not snobbish but she keeps her distances and she likes to discuss things out, she votes for the Liberals. I have no doubts that she would vote for Nader if she were a USA citizen.
She doesn’t like mushy expressions like “ my little, tiny, sweetie, bunny, honey, cutie, cat” You have to be more innovative and original to attract her interest! And of course she never, but never, rubs herself on your feet!! She despises such habits because she may not be a cat with a pedigree but she has pride!
Titika is resting on a traditional Greek oven that bakes the best bread and the best food because it cooks with woods! I cannot describe you a baby lamp with potatoes roasted in this oven!
“The area of the oven” is the hospital of my garden, I do not know why but whenever a plant is feeling sick all I have to do to make it feel better is to place it there! It recovers immediately. BTW do you have any idea why this is happening? Miracle?
The tree behind is my fig tree that makes so many figs that drives me crazy and below you see part of my basil forest :-)
This photo is the proof of what Winston Churchill has said about pets:
“ Cats always look down at you from above. Dogs are looking upwards from a level below, only pigs stare at humans, from the same level, straight in the eyes”

[Athenaeus]

Sorry, I am a novice in photos .

Click on "Null" and then my pets and ...there she is! My beautiful Titika

[Papa]

Dear Athenaeus:

Titika is beautiful! I love her name too. It reminded me of when I first read "Les Miserables" in Greek translation when I was twelve years old. I believe that I have read that beautiful book more than thirty times since then.

I cannot answer your question by looking at the picture. Are the climatic conditions such as sun exposure, wind exposure, etc... , and soil conditions such as drainage, the same in this part of your garden as they are in the rest of it?

If everything is exactly the same, then you might have a little leprechan with a green thumb living somewhere in this part of your garden.

[nancya]

Wonderful photo Athenaeus! Your garden looks like a well loved place. Titika is indeed a noble animal.

[Athenaeus]

I am glad that both of you liked Titika!

Papa, do you think that we can can work a bit on this leprechan story?

[Papa]

Dear Athenaeus:

I am already working on a second story! This will have to be Number 3!

[cape chef]

Very nice picture of your cat Titika.

It does sound to me that you may have a little green leprachan in your garden.

It is told in fables of the respect cats and leprechans have for eachother.

Or,If thats not it..perhapes by elevating your plates to the sun and having a dry surface under them for a short time the get happy.

But I like the Leprechon story better
cc

[Athenaeus]

Oh my God!

Poor Nick! He will lock me in this appartment of his in NY for good!



CAN'T WAIT FOR YOUR STORY!

Nice photo , interesting garden.

Why don't you post a photo of yours?

Greece must be a strange country. Leprechans in the gardens.Cats that vote for the Liberals.
Models that work as lawyers...(did you read that Cape Chef?)

[Isa]

Beautiful cat Athenaeus. I’m glad you rescued her. Like you I can not resist an abandoned or sick animals. I always take them in and try to find them new home. This I must say is not always agreeable to my own cat.

[Athenaeus]

http://photos.yahoo.com/viv353

Dear friends, especially Cape Chef and Papa (since you are the moderators)

When Sotiris , my dog, read what I have written about my cat Titika , he really gave me a hard time, so since I know that you wouldn’t like me to have a family crisis, I think that you wouldn’t object to my presenting my Sotiris to you.(click on the link above)

Sotiris appeared to my garden one night. Just like this! I was returning home after a long day , being in such bad mood that I was even singing a tune of Tom Waits…
When I entered my garden I heard to a goof . Strange, because I can recognize the voices of all the dogs in the neighborhood. There was no doubt that this goof belonged to a foreigner. Indeed, behind my huge gardenia, I saw two round, black eyes smiling at me , and a tail waving as if we knew each other for years.

To make along story short, Sotiris DECIDED to stay in our house for my husband great disappointment.
Sotiris is jealous; he is stingy (he doesn’t share the slightest bite of food) but picky in food.
He has learned the noise of a refrigerator door opening but he doesn’t come in the kitchen to beg in vain. He comes to ask for food only when he listens to the box of the feta cheese, to the distinctive noise of a removing cup of yogurt, and when he realizes that I am going to prepare some Moon cookies (Nancy’s recipe).

His favorite game is to come and sit between my husband and me on the couch growling to my husband until the later decides to change place!

If he was a guy and I was single I would have fallen in love with him by first sight. He is my type! He is determined to take what he wants!

The photo was taken two days ago. As you can see my flowers are behaving as if we are in middle June.
The “big tree” behind is my beloved gardenia that last year almost died when I had the stupid idea to place next to her another one, a bit taller. The poor plant must have though that I was criticizing it! When I removed the second one she recovered completely!

Since I am moving in NYC and I won’t have a garden anymore, I am offering to look after your gardens wherever this garden may be in the State of NYork.
Is there any possibility to hire me without a salary to look after the public gardens?

[Papa]

Dear Athenaeus:

Sotiris stole my heart! He looks adorable!

[Zorba the Greek]

I have a dear friend who is called Sotiris also.

This name in Greek means "saviour". He was my saviour without knowing it! He saved me from melancholy!

Very nice dog and very beautiful! And very clean...I don't dare to post the photo of my dog... Worse than my car!

As for the gardenia, have in mind that it's not a good idea to change places of the flower pots!
I also beleive that flowers have souls!


Zorba

[nancya]

I am in love with your Sotoris. He can come visit anytime....
My cat may not care for him, but she is capable of sitting on tall things.

Nancy