Mass Exodus

Today was a funny day as far as blogging platforms were concerned. I had been in Multiply for about a month now, busily copying all my 100 or so blogs to as a saving programme. After all we knew that 360 was slowly going downhill and had to be resuscitated now and again. Even Iwith my first aid experience could not help. He was just coughing and spluttering and now and again even shed a tear when he saw that the monster Mash was slowly moving in. 360 was very disappointed after all Mash couldn't even blog, he had to have assistance from rss feeds.

I decided it was time to see who else had escaped to Multiply and to invite a few friends. It seemed that today was the day to get to know everyone and meet old acquaintences. One of my blogging colleagues even invited me at the same time as when I invited him. Great blogging minds think alike. I think with time Multiply will be fun, just a matter of getting to know the system. And old 360, what will happen to him. Will he retire and go to the happy blogging grounds or will he strike back and come with something new, spontaneous, original and bugless as all good blogging sites should be. As time is running short, I would be surprised if anyone had heard of 360° Yahoo by the time the new, superior and fantastic version appears on the market. Another sad result could be that Yahoo blogging system goes bankrupt as the dollars will not be flowing any more. Even Mash had an attack of blogging flu yesterday and it took him a whole day to recover. Mash is the progressional form of blogging. You don''t even have to blog in Mash, just blurt and you can even have stuff. Multiply I will stay with you at the moment. I am beginning to even like you.

What else did we do today. I managed to escape again this afternoon and found my way in town. Unfortunately there were no two empty parking spaces in the parking house today, but as I only had to fit myself between a post and another car I decided to risk it, aiming mainly at the post to make sure I would not annoy the car owner. The car guardian angel must have been looking after me today, as I managed to fit my car into the small space with no damage, although it was at a sort of 45° angle which didn't bother me. It might have bothered the Swiss, however, they like things to be neat and in place.

What did I do in town - I went on a shopping spree and thoroughly enjoyed it. Just for I, me and myself. I actually only saw the inside of one clothing shop, the one that specialises for women with larger sizes (funny that I saw no-one of the younger generation in the shop). I managed to find my car again and manoevered out of the parking space. As I drove towards our underground car park where I live, I noticed the local farmer had put his cows onto the small field around the corner. My camera hand started twitching, so I arrived home, dumped the 3 carrier bags full of my tropies and said hi to Mr Swiss and goodbye, just have to deal with something round the corner and off I was. I left my handbag at home and just had the camera with me. There were a few cows munching grass and scratching and doing other cow-like things, so the result was a small video. The cows did not appreciate this as they started walking away - silly cows. The noise in the background towards the end of the film is our local "road train".

Reservoir Cats - 7

Tabby: It seems you taught Grey a lesson he won’t forget so soon, but you didn’t have to give him all the catnip. There is nothing left for me.
Nera: Tabby, you can forget the catnip for the next few weeks and months. I am putting you on cold turkey.
Tabby: I love cold turkey, especially the white meat.
Bobinette: Tabby I sink you ‘ave not undersood what Nera is saying. Cold turkey is when you ‘ave to stop taking drugs, like sniffing catnip.
Nera: Tabby I have had enough of your addiction. You sleep 23 hours a day and spend an hour in the catnip beds. The other cats will start talking about you, and I don’t want to be known as the cat with the catnip junky sister. There will be no catnip anymore for you, understand?
Tabby: There is no more catnip, I had a sniff around, but Grey seems have got it all.
Bobinette: That cannot be. We ‘ad some left in the gardens.
Tabby: I saw Grey just after midnight collecting it in his fur and then he walked off in the direction of the town.
Nera: I wonder what he is up to, probably some mischief. I just don’t trust that Grey. Big Tom is such a good gatto di tutti gatti, so I suppose that Grey is just the black sheep of the famly.


The Town
Long Tail Al: Hey slimy, bring me some mice, I feel ‘ungry.
Slimy: Al, there ain’t none left. Charlie ‘ad the rest for supper.
Long Tail Al: Charlie ain’t got no business eating my mice. Wait till I get ‘old of him, I’ll wring ‘is scrawny neck for ‘im. Ain’t there nuffing left to ‘ave a nosh at Slimy.
Slimy: No boss, it’s all gone. Perhaps there might be the odd rat around, but they’re getting a bit sly these days, since they started cleaning the sewers out in the town.
Long Tail Al: Gordon Bennett, you don’t get nuffing for free these days wiv those umans around ya. Who’s that scratching at the door. Go and ‘ave a butchers Slimy.
Slimy: Boss it’s a scrawny grey cat but ‘e stinks of catnip.
Long Tail Al: What cha don’t say Slimy. Let’s ‘ave a sniff at im
Mr. Grey: Good evening gentlemen, I do hope I am not disturbing you.
Slimy: Oh dear we ain’t ‘alf posh ain’t we. No, you ‘ain’t disturbing us is ‘e Boss.
Long Tail Al: Well, that depends on what ‘is business is, don’t it.
Mr. Grey: As a token of my respect I would like to present you with some catnip, just shake it out of my fur, there should be enough to go round.
Long Tail Al: Well ain’t that nice, ain’t got any mice wiv ya, ‘ave ya?
Mr. Grey: Where I come from we have plenty of mice running around in the fields, but I am afraid I couldn’t bring any.
Slimy: ‘ear that boss, lots of mice in the fields. What part of the woods do you come from, the way you talk, don’t sound like one of us.
Mr. Grey: I live out in the country, just one village down the road.
Long Tail Al: You don’t appen to mean that place where Big Tom is in charge do ya?
Mr. Grey: Well, it just so happens that I am Big Tom’s son.
Slimy: Then ‘ow comes that you’re bringing catnip from Big Tom’s reviere. ‘Him being gatto di tutti gatti, wouldn’t fink ‘e would allow that n’all.
Long Tail Al: Yea, sounds a bit suspicious to me. ‘Ad a bit of bovver with ya dad, ‘ave ya?
Mr. Grey: Let’s just say we don’t always see eye to eye on various problems. That’s why I’m here, I have a proposition to make. I heard that mice and rats are getting fairly scarce in town at the moment since the humans have started cleaning out the sewers.
Slimy: What ya don’t say, yea, the mice ‘ave all moved out.
Mr. Grey: Well that’s what I wanted to explain. Where I come from we have more than enough mice to go round.
Long Tail Al: Do ya mean enough for us lot as well.
Mr. Grey: At the moment Big Tom has the monopoly over the mice population and decides who gets what. That’s why you don’t see so many mice around any more. As soon as they go to the country he keeps them happy during the Summer when there is plenty for them to eat, so they stay and multiply.
Slimy: Multiply. ‘ear that boss, blimy he talks right posh don’t ‘’e.
Long Tail Al: Belt up Slimy and let the gent talk, ‘ave a feeling we might be onto something good. I’ve always fancied a bit of life in the country. Call in one eye Fred and ‘is moll Gladys. They ‘ave a growing family, ‘ad another 6 kittens a couple of weeks back, so I’m sure they would be ‘elping to take over a bit of mice country.
Slimy: Fred, Gladys, come ‘ere. Boss wants to ‘ave a few words.
Fred: Mean about the mice out in the country.
Long Tail Al: Been listening at the door again Fred.
Fred: Well one of me eyes might be missing, but me ears are ok.
Gladys: Sounds good, you know it’s not easy bringing up a family these days. Always so many mouths to feed.
Long Tail Al: And by the look of fings, the family will be growing a bit more in the next month.Well, meet Mr. Grey, ‘e ‘as a good idea ‘ow to keep your family ‘appy and well fed through the Winter.
Mr. Grey: I would just like to mention that Big Tom will not give his mice monopoly voluntarily. He will have to be persuaded and he has a few cats protecting his rights and territory. You will have to force them to make room first of all, but that shouldn’t be too difficult for such a brave cat like yourself Mr. Long Tail Al.
Fred: Oh my gawd, did ya ‘ear that Gladys.
Gladys: Oh yeah, but ‘es a gent Fred, you could learn a few fings from ‘im. You know life isn’t just dustbins and kittens, there’s more to it if you know where to find it.
Long Tail Al: Ok Mr. Grey I fink we got a deal. I wouldn’t mind moving in on Big Tom. That bloke ‘as been getting on me nerves for a long while. ‘im and ‘is snobby cat gang living a life of Riley.
Mr. Grey: I will need a couple of nights to spy out the lay of the land, but will come back in a few days with a plan.
Long Tai Al: Fine, Slimy see the gent out and stop scratching all the time, anyone would fink you ‘ad fleas.

An Evening Out

I just had to post this video. It is one of the funniest I have ever seen and almost true. At the moment in the cold weather the cats don't go out so much in the evening. We have a cat flap but the problem is that one of our cats is blind through an accident he had a couple of years ago. He gets around quite well, but I wouldn't like to let him out on his own. He would find the way back, I am sure, but he just doesn't notice danger any more. That means that if our cats are out when we go to bed, that is ok, as they can come in again, but the cat flap is locked, so if they want to go out again (usually around 4 in the morning) they start scratching on the bedroom door. In the case of our fat black cat, she doesn't scratch, but pounds upon it and it sounds like a sledge hammer is at work.

My blind cat, Fluffy, usually sleeps through the night. He is awake about 5.30 in the morning and acts as my alarm clock. As he is a tom cat he makes the most noise when he miaws. The situation in the film above is almost realistic. If they do happen to get in the bedroom early in the morning it is one big pawing session until you take notice of them. I remember before we had the cats we decided they would not: be in the bedroom, climb on the table in the kitchen, not be fed from the table etc. etc. These ideas lasted about 2 hours after my sweet little kittens arrived and now they have taken over.

They are letting me out this evening. I have an evening with our local 1st aid group and the last evening for completing the first aid help course. I don't even know what the topic is this evening, but will will probably be dealing with someone that has had an accident. Lots of blood and broken bones (naturally all artificial) I sometimes wonder if I would be any good if anything happened. In any case I am on the list for people to help if their is a mass accident somewhere in the area. Being the only person in the groups that knows what a computer is about, I will be armed with my camera this evening to take a few photos to update our small web site. When I asked if they wanted a web site, one of the members asked "is that a www" so I told her Yes. A week later she asked if it was already working. I sort of explained that a web site is not born in a day, at least the ones I make, and until I have all the information and photo material it would take a time. I spent a year on it, but I wasn't really in a hurry. I had to wait a bit for the text as I cannot write German very well, just speak it. Anyhow one way or the other it exists and everyone seems to be happy with it. I am also in charge of the financial side of our group, again because I am the only one that knows how excel works.

The weather is very cold at the moment, but no snow yet. Our car is ready to go, equipped with its Winter tyres. I just don't know if I am ready to go if it snows.

Reservoir Cats - 6

Nera: So, Grey it’s time to go back home.
Mr. Grey: I told you not to address me as Grey. I am Mr. Grey.
Nera: Your Mr. Grey days are over, Big Tom was not so happy with your performance.
Mr. Grey: I am afraid I don’t remember very much, seemed to be sleeping most of the time.
Bobinette: If I remember rightly you were singing songs and cat nipping all the time. I don’t think you made such a good impression on the gatto di tutti gatti.
Mr. Grey: Well I didn’t have much choice did I? What would you two cats do if someone left a kilo of catnip in front of your cat door. You try it out to see if it’s good stuff.
Nera: But not when you are getting prepared for a meeting with Big Tom. It seems you have now fallen into disgrace and your boss days are over in our territory.
Mr. Grey: Oh yes, and who says so?
Bobinette: Big Tom ‘as ordered that in a month Romeo will take over the organisation in our part of the village, and will move in with me of course.
Mr. Grey: Romeo? The Italian cat, the one that’s always hanging around the kitchen entrance of the pizzeria down the road.
Bobinette: Romeo is a very well educated cat, ‘e always knows what to say at the right time, and ‘ad a very good training in Italy. We went on many ‘appy mouse catching expeditions. I remember the fun we ‘ad in Venice around the canals.
Nera: Bobinette, I sometimes have a feeling that you and Romeo were more than just friends.
Bobinette: Let’s just say we were a good team and enjoyed life. But we were then much younger.
Mr. Grey: Can we stop reminiscing over life with the Italian gigolo and talk about how things are now to be. You don’t really expect me to clear my own mice away, someone of my high rank.
Nera: Forget it, Grey, your high rank collapsed in a pile of cat nip. From now on, Bobinette and I are taking over until Romeo arrives. Daddy Big Tom said that you are now the official cleaner, if we need one, together with Tabby.
Mr. Grey: Together with Tabby, that catnip junkie. She doesn’t like me and I don’t like her. Do you really think I am going to accept all this. Big Tom might be powerful around here, but there are other cats that have had their eye on his job for some time.
Nera: And since when does big mouth Mr. Grey know other cats.
Mr. Grey: You will see. Just down the road we have the town. Those town cats don’t live on mice and vitamin pellets from humans, they go out hunting for their meals. They don’t catch mice, but rats, almost as big as your stupid little brother Fluffy. I am not staying much longer around here to be insulted by two stupid sisters, a funny cat with curly fur and one that miaows with a French accent. And if that Romeo turns up here on my patch, just tell him to be careful. Mr. Grey will be back sooner than you think.
Nera: Big deal.
Bobinette: Let ‘im go Nera. I am sure this place will be much better without ‘im.
Mr. Grey: I will be here during the day, can’t let my humans down, they would be disappointed if I disappeared, but my night life is my own thing. I will go and see Long tail Al, he is in charge in town. I just have to take the rest of the cat nip with me as a sign of my respect and I will be high in his favour.
Nera: Long tail Al? You must be joking, he can’t walk four steps without tripping over his tail and his gang are a real weird bunch.
Bobinette: We are nearly ‘ome, I can smell my ‘ouse already. Let’s all go ‘ome and sleep over things.
Nera: Good idea Bobinette, I can see Tabby and Fluffy waiting in the garden.
Mr. Grey: I still feel a bit groggy, so will go to my humans for the day for a sleep. They really appreciate me and my good looks.
Nera: Some humans do have funny tastes – never could understand what they see in a grey haired cat.
Tabby: Hi Nera, how did things go, did our plan work?
Mr. Grey: What plan? Did I miss something?
Nera: Tabby, go home and sleep, you are still hallucinating from your catnip trip.
Tabby: I mean the plan to get Grey discredited with Big Tom.
Mr. Grey: What do I hear? This was all a plan.
Bobinette: Grey, you know it is only the clever cats that win a fight.
Nera: Tabby remind me to give you a hiss and a paw push when we are indoors. Grey, you have been had, I will be quite honest, but it was worth it. Now you go down to your town cat friends and tell them all about how the country cats made a fool of you in front of Big Tom, gatto di tutti gatti. They might have a laugh as well.
Mr. Grey: hisssssss. Just wait, my revenge will come.

St. Urs Cathedral in Solothurn

If Solothurn might be famous for something, then it would be their cathedral. Switzerland has two main religions, Swiss Reform church (founded by Zwingli and Calvin to name the two I know) and Roman Catholic. We also have "Christ catholic" which could be compared to Anglo catholic in England, and of course the ethnic minorities of other races.

At last I was able to take some photos in the cathedrale. Over the last two weeks it was booked up with weddings on Saturday afternoons, but I think the wedding weather is now slowly disappearing and the church is left to itself on Saturday afternoon. I hadn't been in the cathedral for a few years, and actually only really went in on a family occasion, or when my son was singing at the service in the St. Urs boys choir. The choir would sing every second Christmas, and as he was then still a boy I would go along as I didn't like the idea of him walking through the streets of Solothurn on his own in the early morning hours. The midnight mass in Solothurn at Christmas is quite an occasion, but unfortunately standing room only if you get there a bit late, which I did.

There were few people in the church on Saturday, mostly late tourists so I didn't feel completely alone, although I was the only one taking photos everywhere. They didn't spare with the money and everything seems to be in gold and silver, here is a bit of history. I did a rough translation as I couldn't find anything in English.

"In 1763 the architect Gaetano Matteo Pisoni (1713-1782) from Ascona took over the organisation of the building of the St. Urs cathedral according to his own plans. However the Tessiner (inhabitant of the Italian part of Switzerland) was a bit too original in the way he took things over, which actually led to his dismissal. His nephew, Paolo Antonio Pisoni (1738-1804) took over from 1772. On 26th September 1773 the new cathedral was inaugurated by the bishop of Lausanne - Josef Niklaus von Montenach. The church further maintained the function as collegiate church for the choir as well as the parish church.

After the confusion caused by the French revolution, the circumstances of the diocese in Switzerland had to be newly organised. In the 1828 concordat the governments of the cantons Solothurn, Lucerne, Zug and Bern as well as the holy see set the seal on the new borders of the diocese and made Solothurn the bishop's see.

The parish church became a cathedral. As Bishop's church she is the clerical centre of the diocese. The bishop celebrates with the faithful the church services of the high days in the church year. "

As I was taking my walk around the church, the organ started playing. It is quite high up, and seems to be played from an invisable hand, but I decided it was worth a short film with sound.

What impresses me in the church is the ceiling with its white stone and ornaments.

I must have spent an hour in the cathedral, but eventually made my way out into the town again. It seemed to be another world. It was worth the visit, but I don't think I will be going again this year.

Not a very succesful day

It all started this evening on the way home from work. I switched on the lights on the car and noticed I had an extra light showing on the dashboard, meaning that one or some of the lights on the car are not working. When I got home, I had a look and noticed that the big light on the left at the front had given up the ghost. I gave it a short sharp tap and it was alive again, but only for a minute. I told hubby, but he has to get the winter tyres put on the car in any case, so will take it to the garage tomorrow.

That was the first problem. The second was when I switched on the computer and wanted to visit Yahoo 360° to see if it was still working, my Kaspersky antivirus programme had decided not to allow any visits to Yahoo 360. Perhaps that was correct, but Kaspersky had been annoying me for some time now as it seems to have started to block everything I want to see. We then eventually got rid of Kaspersky and loaded up another anti virus programme from hubby's computer. All was working well, but all of my animated gifs, moving pictures and above all my blinkies were not showing. I just love my blinkies - little things please little minds.

We then removed the second choice and loaded a third anti virus programme, which now seems to be working. I just ask where it is all leading to. Eventually you probably can only switch the computer on and off and every site you visit will have to be noticed somewhere or the other. Oh, and guess what, this is the second time I am writing this blog - I wanted to have a preview and it disappeared - probably to the Yahoo side of the country.

Reservoir Cats 5

Mr. Grey: Hi, dad, how’s things going
Big Tom: I don’t think I am hearing well. “Hi dad”, what’s that supposed to be. I brought you up to show respect and not to talk to me as “dad” – I am Sir. And you smell of catnip.
Mr. Grey: Yeah, it’s great – want some too, I have some stuck in my fur
Big Tom: Nera will you perhaps explain why my No. 1 son has turned into a cat junkie overnight.
Nera: Well, not quite overnight – it’s been going on for some time. We had to keep hiding the catnip to make sure that he stayed with all paws on the ground.
Bobinette: Yes, and he even started exchanging it with the cats in the area for tuna fish.
Big Tom: My son a drug addict and dealer as well. If it is one thing I cannot stand it’s dealing with catnip. When I think of all the poor little kittens that have grown up as junkies. That sort of thing does not belong on the streets and fields. You just cannot rely on a cat that is high on catnip. Romeo come here, avanti, avanti.
Romeo: Si, capo
Big Tom: We will have to have a talk under 4 eyes and two noses, without witnesses. Capisci.
Romeo: Si, subito.
Big Tom: Ok, follow me to my villa. In the meanwhile, Nera and Bobinette, keep an eye on my catnipped son.
Nera: No problem, he seems to have fallen into a deep sleep.


Big Tom: Ok Romeo, we have got to do something about this. It just throws a bad light on my territoria when my No. 1 son starts drug peddling with catnip. Think of all the poor little kitties that will be led astray. As consigliere you can perhaps advise. Any ideas?
Romeo: Perhaps we could call Diego back. He was in charge before Mr. Grey was given the job.
Big Tom: I don’t think that will be possible. Diego was such a strong boy that I gave him to the farm where they breed cats. He has become No. 1 stud cat on the farm and is far too busy organising his women and keeping his children in order. After all, amongst his kittens one day there might be my successor, so he is doing serious work.

Romeo: The last I heard, capo, he is enjoying his work very much.
Big Tom: We should all be enjoying our work, after all it is for me and the cat clan future. No, I cannot call Diego back, he has too many responsibilities.
Romeo: Perhaps we could choose one of the other cats. Bobinette is such a fine strong lady and I am sure she would organise things well in Mr. Grey’s territory.
Big Tom: That doesn’t work. She is a lady cat, and lady cats do not take charge in my revier. I would be the laughing stock of all cats from Sicily to Marseille. No, that does not come into the question. And don’t suggest Nera, apart from being another female, she would take everything over within a few weeks. She is a sly one – I once fancied her myself, perfect moll - but that’s another story.
Romeo: Problem is down in that territoria there are 12 cats and only one tomcat, Mr. Grey. You can’t bring a cat in from outside, you know what the reaction could be. Rivalry all over the place – too many tomcats spoil the clan.
Big Tom: What about you Romeo? Interested?
Romeo: Well, I wouldn’t mind and I am sure I would get on with the other cats – bella Bobinette.
Big Tom: What was that you said.
Romeo: Sorry boss, just thinking out loud. But who is going to replace me as your consigliere.
Big Tom: I think I will have to pass on a message to Diego. He must have a few sons that are willing to learn. I think I have the solution. Diego will send one of his sons here that has the gift of legal matters and you will have a month’s time to teach. I will then have a new consigliere and then you may go down to Mr. Grey’s territoria and take over, with Nera and Bobinette as your molls.
Romeo: Bene capo, nulla problema. It would be a pleasure to take over.
Big Tom: Ok, call Nera and Bobinette.

Romeo: Nera, Bobinette, Big Tom would like a few words.
Bobinette: What shall we do with Mr. Grey, he is still sleeping.
Romeo: lascia, lascia, let him sleep. He will wake up soon enough to go back home.
Big Tom: Ok Nera and Bobinette, Romeo will take over your revier in a month’s time. In the meanwhile you will both make sure that Mr. Grey does not come near any catnip at all. Perhaps you can tell your colleague Tabby to remove all the catnip from the gardens?
Nera: Well, ….. er….. I suppose we could.
Big Tom: Any problem?
Bobinette: No, No, big Tom we will organise things.
Big Tom: Then that is settled. You are very lucky that you have such a strong, clever and capable gatto di tutti gatti like me in this area and that my decisions are always wise. As far as Mr. Grey is concerned, he no longer has any privileges, his title of No. 1 son will be removed and he will now become the cleaner of the area. OK.
Nera: Ok
Bobinette: No problem.
Big Tom: In that case you may go on your way with my blessing – and take Mr. Grey with you, I don’t want him here any longer, he has disgraced my whole family – maladetta