WCB

Weekend Cat Blogging #170

We’re in the middle of (yet another) busy weekend here at CatSynth. In addition to the show this evening, there have been other music events and art openings to attend. We’ll have reviews on Monday.

Meanwhile, we’re still out and about enjoying the warm weather here in San Francisco, where summer officially began on Labor Day weekend.

With so much going on, it can be hard to find time to rest. But it’s important to curl up and take a nap now and then:

This might be one of my favorite pictures to date of Luna napping.

Weekend Cat Blogging #170 is being hosted by Othello and Astrid at Paulchens FoodBlog – looks like the cat boys are taking turns at hosting now.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is being hosted by our friends at The House of the (Mostly) Black Cats.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted by a new site, Counting Cats in Zanzibar.

Meanwhile, the the Friday Ark is where it always is, at the modulator.


Weekend Cat Blogging: Outside!

We have been having a gorgeous week here in San Francisco. September is our real “summer” season, the warmest, clearest and driest month of the year.

Luna is an indoor cat, but today she was given a special opportunity to venture outside. It all begins with an open door:

All these new sounds and smells from the open portal pique her curiosity. Of course, they’re not entirely new, as she has experienced them through open windows. But this is different, and even a bit scary.

But curiosity wins out, and Luna steps over the threshold into this strange world.

Tentatively at first, she begins to stroll out onto the patio, taking in all the new sights, sounds, smells and textures.

Just as with our indoor habit, Luna’s natural beauty shines outdoors as well, against the plants and artwork.

The way she strolls about seems even more “panther-like” than usual.

Of course, this excursion only lasted a few minutes, as Luna made a hasty retreat indoors for a “shelter within a shelter.”

We are fortunate to have a large private patio with high walls here at CatSynth HQ, an usual feature in this section of the city. Part of the motivation for this outing is simply to share the experience of a sunny day on the patio with Luna, but also to give her a chance to become familiar with it, less frightened and more confident, in case she does get out accidentally; and to let her see how easy it is to find the door and come back inside. The walls are probably too high for her to scale, but one should never underestimate the athletic abilities of cats. I would not allow her out on her own. And I am sure some will question with wisdom of letting her out at all.

Nonetheless, it is a reminder that in life we do sometimes need to venture out and take risks. Not stupid, reckless ones, but at least some. Certainly, our move her was one such move, but it was worth it. And perhaps it is time to start taking more…

We at CatSynth are also thinking about our human and animal friends along the Gulf Coast, Cuba, and the Caribbean, whose weather will be anything but clear and sunny in the next few days and who may be facing evacuation exactly three years after Hurricane Katrina. Stay safe and dry, friends.

Puddy is definitely more confident outdoors than Luna, but this weekend they had even more in common than usual strolling on their respective patios. Puddy and Katie host Weekend Cat Blogging at A Byootaful Life.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is being hosted by Pet and the Bengal Brats.

The Carnival of Cats will be hosted by Mom Robyn at a crystal and jewelry adventure.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.


Weekend Cat Blogging 168: Simplicity

A simple photo of Luna for a quiet day.

Sometimes she just strikes a perfect pose.

We received “hugs” from a couple of our friends. So we reciprocate:

Mr Hendrix ,the only cat brave enough to read are Carnival of Mathematics posts.

Kashim, Othello and Salome. They had a bit of a scare when Salome got lost the other night, but fortunately she’s back home safe.

And also:

Our favorite Luna look-alike Puddy.

Mickey, Tillie and Georgia

Samantha and Tigger, who are still a little “damp” from tropical storm Faye in Florida. We hope all our friends in Florida were safe during the prolonged storm.

Our “neighbor” Sophia, the “Diva Kitty”.

Weekend Cat Blogging 168 is at a new site As the Squillion World Spins.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is at its new headquarters.

The Carnival of the Cats is being hosted by Kashim, Othello, Salome and Astrid.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator


Weekend Cat Blogging: In memoriam

It has been a sad week for many of our friends in the Cat Blogosphere. We have decided to go on with hosting Weekend Cat Blogging and dedicate it to those who have gone and to their families.

We start by joining Tesla in lighting a candle in memoriam:

Violets in memory of Violet Noelle “Sprout”.

Our thoughts are with her family at Monty Q. Many are posting tributes this weekend in her honor around the theme of the color “violet.”

We also give our thoughts to the families of Felix, Frieda:

And Max, Neelix and Zeppy.

The Cat Realm remembers those who left us this week.

The Criz Cats Sanctuary offers a serenity prayer for Violet.

It’s “a cat’s life” with Breadchick and LB, with photos of LB’s morning routine. They also have a tribute to Violet.

The Kashim, Othello, Salome and Astrid have turned their site violet as a tribute. The also have posts for Felix and Maxime.

Samantha and Tigger are remembering as well. We hope they stay safe with a tropical storm possibly heading towards Florida.

Mind of Mog presents a pic of Meowza and a tribute to Violet.

We invite anyone who has a tribute this weekend to share it here. You can do so by leaving a comment or contacting us.


Weekend Cat Blogging: Chat Noir et Fromage

Our friends at the House of the (Mostly) Black Cats are hosting a special food edition of Weekend Cat Blogging, in honor of Sher.

Luna inspects the new poster for our kitchen area:

What could be more appropriate for the kitchen of CatSynth HQ than a chat noir and fromage. Luna certainly bares quite a resemblance to the cat in the poster, including the green eyes. And we have some fromage for today’s post:

The hard cheese on the left from Wensleydale Dairy in the town of Hawes in Yorkshire, UK. The round is a California Crottin, an artisan goat cheese, from Redwood Hill Farm in Sonoma County, just an hour or so up the coast from us.

I did offer Luna a small piece of the Crottin, as she occasionally likes cheese, but more to sniff than to eat. She was far more interested in the wrapping paper from the poster than the fine selection of cheeses:

Check out the other cats and food at Weekend Cat Blogging. Lots of fish for the enjoyment of humans and cats alike.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is being hosted at The Tuxedo Gang Hideout.

The Carnival of Cats will be hosted this evening by Miz. Mog and Kitties.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.


Weekend Cat Blogging: Snuggle

We recently received our “snuggle” from DKM (“Diva Kitty Mom”). It is black-and-white, perfect colors for both Luna and CatSynth HQ.

In addition to being a comfy place to sit, it comes with a special “treat”. The astute observer may see the catnip scattered on the surface of the yarn.

Luna took to this right away.

and seemed to quite enjoy herself. Indeed, she is quite fond of catnip. You can watch this video of the usually dignified Luna “nipped out” on her snuggle:

Weekend Cat Blogging #165 is being hosted by Pet and the Bengal Brats.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is Sunday at Mind of Mog.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted by Samantha and Tigger (I believe Samantha just had a birthday).

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.


Weekend Cat Blogging: What Did You Eat?

Our friends Kashim, Othello and Astrid are dedicating Weekend Cat Blogging to our fellow cat blogger Sherry “Sher” Cermak of What Did You Eat?. She passed away suddenly last Sunday.

Sher was also an accomplished food blogger, and we have made some her recipes before. So in addition to Weekend Cat Blogging, we are also participating a tribute hosted by the “Bread Baking Babes” this weekend and preparing her last recipe.

So let us move to the kitchen and dining area of CatSynth HQ:

And with Luna ready to supervise, let us begin:

Angel Hair Pasta With Red Pepper Pesto

[Adapted from Food and Wine.]

3 medium red bell peppers or bottled roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 small garlic clove, smashed
1/4 cup basil leaves, plus 2 tablespoons chopped basil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound angel hair pasta
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese

Roast the red peppers over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning occasionally, until charred all over. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Peel, core and chop the peppers. (We opted for the bottled peppers here at CatSynth.)

In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat until golden, about 4 minutes. Let cool.

Transfer the peppers and pine nuts to a blender or food processor (If your food processor has been sitting in a box at the bottom of a kitchen cabinet since moving, make sure to clean it first.) Add the garlic and whole basil leaves and blend until coarsely chopped. Add the olive oil and cheese and puree to a chunky pesto. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and cool slightly under running water. Transfer the pasta to a bowl and toss with the pesto. Season the pasta with salt and pepper. Top with the chopped basil and pecorino and serve at room temperature.

Now let us raise a glass and toast…

More tributes can be found at Weekend Cat Blogging, hosted at Astrid’s food blog. I’m sure the boys won’t mind too much.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted here at CatSynth tomorrow. Click here to submit your entry.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos will be hosted this week at Pet’s Garden Blog.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.


Sad news today

Some very sad news today. Our friend sher of What Did You Eat? passed suddenly this morning.

Sher was one of the first people we met through Weekend Cat Blogging. She often left kind words on our site for Luna, whom she quite admired. And in turn we got to know her late cats Upsie and Sundance, and of course her little black kitten Laura.


We remember her sharing life with cats and squirrels. But she was also an accomplished food blogger, and we have tried several of the recipes she posted. Indeed, I was going to be making the Angel Hair Pasta With Sweet Red Pepper Pesto that she posted on Thursday, not knowing this would also be her final post.

Our thoughts are with Sher’s family and friends this evening.


Weekend Cat Blogging #163

It’s time for the Weekend Cat Blogging #163 round-up:

Luna will supervise the festivities from one her high perches.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in to wish us a happy second anniversary of CatSynth. And with that, let us begin…

Breadchick threw out her back lifting some heavy amplifiers (another reason why we at CatSynth prefer software for our audio work). But fortunately, LB is there to look after his mom. Breadchick is in the pro-audio business, so maybe she will come visit us at CatSynth while recovering for music, audio and feline fun. Oh, and that New England breakfast is looking pretty good this morning…

We move from pro audio to Music and Cats, where Sergei is puzzled by the behavior of his siblings Sasha and Lyra. They have been fighting a bit, and Sergei doesn’t understand why he can’t curl up with them for naps. “Sergei’s a lover, not a fighter, so he gets out of Sasha’s way, and looks to his people for affection.” We at CatSynth wish more humans were like that.

Things are more peaceful at Rosa’s Yummy Yums, where Fridolin has been an angel and doesn’t even mess with Maruschka. “He can be such a loveable cuddly kitty when he is not behaving like an evil little ‘monkey’!“

More feline friendliness can be found at Sammawow, with some great “then and now” photos of China Cat and Willow napping. It is great to have some constants in life, like the setting for these naps, that one can return to for years.

Napping appears to be activity of choice this weekend (and perhaps most weekends). And there is a serious snoozefest at CorgiFeathers featuring Titania and Oberon. A Midsummer’s Night Dream, anyone?

A little more activity can be found with Chica and Pumuckl, who are pretty intent on something on their ceiling. You will have to follow the link to find out what it is…

Our friends at the House of the (Mostly) Black Cats share some pictures of the friends (or rather, pikshurs of furrends). There was a little bit of difficulty with a disposable camera, and apparently much cursing (by their mom) as a result. But they still have some great pictures to share.

Our friends Samantha and Tigger are hosting the Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos this weekend. The theme is “Christmas in July.” Now if it only it was Channukah in July…

Time for some WCB Apocrypha!

Arthur and the other cats at Gattina’s are mouse hunting. Fun all the whole feline family.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Sunday without Lectionary Readings from LOL Cat Bible.

We were happy to receive wishes from our house-panther friends, including Mickey the Black Cat.

And Mr. Hendrix.

And that concludes the round-up for now. As always, we will continue to post entries as we receive them through Monday morning, so all are still welcome to participate.


CatSynth 2nd Anniversary (and Weekend Cat Blogging)!

July 19 is the Second Anniversary of CatSynth!

And by coincidence, we are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging (really, it is a coincidence). So we invite all our friends to participate and celebrate with us. As always, please leave a comment with your link, and we’ll post it during the roundup later this weekend.

Of course, we must post the photo of Luna that started it all on July 19, 2006:


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and some fun stats for the occasion. Over two years at CatSynth, we have:

657 articles.
2,476 comments.
106,000 visitors.
298 “catsynth pics.”

The latter is using some custom analysis tools I created for the occasion, which also provide the top 33 tags/categories here at CatSynth:

cats 738
synthesizers 444
luna 280
music 169
news 136
wordless wednesday 101
weekend cat blogging 97
wcb 94
art 90
highways 85
personal 79
modernism 54
san francisco 50
stats 39
electronic music 35
experimental 34
carnival of the cats 32
mathematics 29
podcast 29
mp3 28
kitty 27
keyboard 26
friday ark 25
analog 23
photography 22
reviews 22
video 22
cotc 21
black cat 20
cats on tuesday 20
festival 19
california 18
chaos 18

Some tags, such as “photography”, should really be much higher.

Many readers may recall that last year, on our first anniversary, the site went down due to a rather annoying problem with our service provider, and we were sent into exile at the CatSynth FEMA Trailer. So we are leaving an anniversary post at the trailer as well.

A year ago, we at CatSynth had no idea what was going to be in store for us over the next year. A new job, a new home, a new life.

We traded the sun and greenery of our old home:

for our new home:

and life in the big city:

But some things remain the same. Luna, of course, is always here. And our friends and family. And CatSynth!

And we’ll still be here, continuing to do what we always do…

Some other significant milestones this weekend:

The 200th Friday Ark boards this weekend at the modulator.

Our friend Dragonheart is two years old today.

This is week also includes several birthdays for friends, whom we won’t embarrass by announcing their ages on our rather public forum…

It’s only one weekend after the Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos first anniversary, so let us include it as well. This weekend’s edition will be at Life from a Cat’s Perspective with Samantha and Tigger.