Approaching summer solstice and Venus transit

It's that great time of year in Wisconsin when we are closing in on solstice.  Every day the sky is a little lighter when I rise at 4:44 a.m. 

Darkness, on the other end of the day, is delayed so it's now possible to take a bike ride or do other outdoors things after dinner. 

On the way to summer solstice, most North Americans will be able to view the transit of Venus across the Sun on June 5.  Viewers will need eye protection or should visit a local astronomy club.  For more information about the transit, http://www.transitofvenus.org. 

"Seconds" now available

Seconds are posts that have more blemishes, flaws, and sometimes gray areas due to weathering than is usual for the white cedar we use.

These are just as effective with cats and kittens, but I sell them for less than the standard Natural Scratch cedar post. You can read all about them at http://www.naturalscratch.com/buysecond.html.

Goal is to use the resource better.

Coyotes In The 'Burbs

Going out just now to put a letter in our curbside mailbox, I encountered a thickly coated, gray coyote.  It was trotting through our front yard at a good pace and didn't bother to look my way.  Probably it saw me--or more likely smelled me--coming and knew I was no threat.

It continued across our driveway and soon disappeared into the trees at the northeast corner of our neighbor's yard.

With deer, geese, turkeys, rabbits, and other creatures abundant in Brookfield, these guys don't have much trouble finding a meal. 

I'm happy to say I haven't seen any dead along with roads here.  The same cannot be said about deer. 

Like any companion, cats may do things we don't like and that get on our nerves.

Scratching something they shouldn't is a major irritation for just about everyone. Thing not to do is get angry--this won't help. Instead, you should immediately understand that the cat is scratching something it shouldn't for one of two reasons or combination of the two: 1. The absence of an approved scratching target in its environment; and 2. It hasn't been trained properly.

The solution is to purchase or build a good scratching post and then train your cat or cats to use it. The first part of this is pretty easy.  (Naturally I highly recommend Natural Scratch.)

Part Two--training--might seem a daunting challenge but truly isn't that hard if you have a sensible method and follow it.

Check outhttp://www.naturalscratch.com/nstraining.html to learn more about the easy-to-use training guide that comes with Natural Scratch.

It has worked well for many humans and cats.

Cat Scratching Products That Work

Please visit naturalscratch.com for an array of products designed to help you redirect your cat's or cats' natural need to exercise and sharpen their claws.

These posts, planks, and slabs have helped many cat lovers and they can you, too.

My website features more than 100 testimonial comments from happy customers and each one makes my heart "soar like a hawk" to borrow a line from the Dustin Hoffman movie Little Big Man.

Litter Changing Made Easier

Most people with cats have had a receiving bag tip over when trying to dump old litter into it.  Not good.

After many decades of changing litter, I came up with a simple device that makes this feline chore much easier.

It's called the Cat Litter Change Helper and is a wood framework that hold an empty litter bag or grocery bag open so it's easy to deposit soiled litter into it.

Works great, is inexpensive, and available at http://www.catlitterhelper.com/.  Please have a look.

The Amazing Web

My primary occupation is freelance writing, which I have been hard at since 1984.  Prior to that I worked for two major corporations as a writer.  The Internet has made what I do much easier.  A great example of what I mean occurred yesterday.

I'm working on a story about a quarry lake in Brookfield, Wisconsin, that once was run by a sand and gravel company.  I put the name of the company into  Google which took me to an obituary section from 1976 that appeared in a Madison, Wisconsin, newspaper. 

Amazingly, there was an obituary listed for the owner of the sand and gravel company who had died at age 54.  A number of relatives were listed so I did an online search and came up with the phone number for a sister (actually, it turned out, a half sister) who lived in the Madison area.  I called and reached her; she was friendly and gave me the number of the man's wife, who now lives in Florida.

Wow.

Soon I was speaking with her, and she was friendly, too.

I don't know how or even why this obituary page from 36 years ago was indexed, but it saved me countless hours of work.