The lovely milkweed plant is currently sending forth its delicate parachute-like seeds, drifting effortlessly through the air. Milkweeds are the prime feeding ground for the noble monarch caterpillar which then creates a chrysalis on the underside of a milkweed leaf in early fall. Milkweeds are wonderful, and in some places encouraged due to the rapidly declining Monarch butterfly population. Notice how the late afternoon sun highlights the ethereal beauty of this stately plant.
And then there's this. Bloody burdock.
And this. Freakin' goldenrod.
When you have a happy little idiot cat who spends his days and nights exploring the nether reaches of our property and beyond and looks like this:
you spend a lot of time pulling vegetation out of his fur. I actually took this picture in between sessions trying to dislodge some long grass-like seed head thing with a very Velcro-y texture. He is asleep for crying out loud. You can actually see something stuck under his little cat armpit. There is currently so much embedded in his fur that I am contemplating shaving him. I'm just waiting for him to come home with something like this stuck in his fur:
Jenn, I probably would just shave that cat. LOL. Can't those kinds of thing bother the cat's skin eventually. I hope you can pluck him clean. I admire your patience. Blessings, xoxo, Susie
ReplyDeleteMy long hair outdoor cat collected every piece of vegetation available. It used to be a two or three person job brushing or cutting it out. The current long hair (and they pick us, not vice versa!) is an indoor cat, but makes mats nevertheless. I think he wills them.
ReplyDeleteI planted milkweed this year, and they are sending seeds everywhere. Into other folk's long hair cats.
LOL- Yep- Been there, done that-got the scratches to prove I plucked the boy clean. He is gone now and I sure would love to be able to pluck a few more burrs off him. You kitty is just so cute!!! xo Diana
ReplyDeleteI don't have a cat, but my dog is like velcro. Burrs and ticks.
ReplyDeleteHAHAHA! I can picture you giving you a good shave :) I used to have long haired cats in the past. And learned my lesson. LOL... Now it's short-haired for me. Well, I'll admit that I could be persuaded to get another long-haired kitty. Never say never.
ReplyDelete*him* Sheesh...these typos!
DeleteI've shaved Boo before - or they did at the vet - but with winter coming I doubt it would be a good time. Looks like a burr under there.
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying these comments. It is nice to know I'm not alone. I managed to get a few more things out of him while he was purring and eating his cat food. Then he got ahold of "druggy bunny" (a blue rattle bunny with long legs that is enfused with catnip) and then he just wanted to grab me, the brush, the scissors, so I had to stop. Then he wanted out... and the cycle continues.
ReplyDeleteMy poor dog gets them in hwer beard and can't get them out. She gets frustrated when I try, because I don't do it right.
ReplyDeleteloved the description of your surroundings .
ReplyDeleteyou live in a beautiful village dear and see how resemble the villages to each other as gorgeous unique plants in your photos also exist in here Asia too .
your first pic is truly amazing
Long hair or Short hair...there is nothing more precious than a CAT! What a sweet pink nose....just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYour kitty is adorable -- looks a lot like Lizzie! But oh, I can see why you spend a lot of time grooming her (him?) at this time of year, especially when wandering! I do love the milkweed (the others aren't quite as charming!) but I'd rather see them on plants than the cat! Still, your area sounds so very beautiful. Maybe your next cat should be named Veggie!
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful there are no burdocks growing around my place. When I had an outdoor cat, there were occasions when we had to clip her pretty short in places to get rid of the rubble she carried around.
ReplyDeleteYour bottom photo is of teasel. At one time they used that to comb fleece in preparation for spinning!
Oh, yes, I am well acquainted with teasel, it's all around our property. Fun little side note - when we went to England and toured an old manor house, a teasel was placed on all the chairs as a subtle reminder for people to not sit on them!
DeleteWhen my dog was still alive, we luckily hadn't to pull anything bad out of her fur. The problem with her fur was her shedding all day, all month, all year long
ReplyDeleteSorry, it sounds like you no longer have your dog. Yes, shedding is another problem, isn't it?
DeleteHahaha! Love this post! The milkweed at the cottage are not dry enough yet...
ReplyDeleteYour pic is fantastic!
Cheers!
Linda :o)
I moved from the country a couple years ago and still miss all the plants, even when they were a nuisance. I love your pictures and descriptions!
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel, welcome to my blog, and thanks for dropping by!
DeleteOur long-haried cat is the same. OK, haried work, too!
ReplyDeleteShe is nuts ans shed great amoutn but hates being brushed.
(ăƒ„) from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!
Hi Jill, thanks for stopping by my blog. I just clipped out a few more plant pieces yesterday out of our long haired cat. Fun, fun.
DeleteMe again, I left comments on your newer post. I have a long hair cat who brings in half the garden on and in his fur, but he's become used to me finger combing him while he gets his nightly belly rub and I reach for the scissors when I find something I can't comb out and unless it's in a "delicate" area, he lets me cut away prickly bits of seeds etc.
ReplyDeleteReading here about the milkweed, burdock and goldenrod, I'm not surprised you have sinus issues.