Friday, July 24, 2026

Perfect, next!

In my last post, I mentioned I was using my Thursdays at the library makerspace to learn how to draw. The first picture was directly from the tutorial, which is supposed to be a dragon hatching from the egg but somehow looks more like a dragon in a hot tub. (Note: I'm okay with this vibe. My version is cuter than the original, though I couldn't say exactly what mistakes made this possible.)


After that, I followed the tutorial for this dragon. There were early signs that the proportions weren't quite right when the head didn't end up in the right place with respect to the body but... it's a mythical creature. Who am I to say it's wrong? That's like complaining that the casting of a non-white woman in a role for a character who hatched from an egg isn't historically accurate. (The movie is doing well, so suck it, Space Karen!)


All that is to say that clearly I had mastered this whole drawing thing and it was time to ignore the tutorial and draw things on my own without leaning on a tutorial to show limb placement!

It was at this point that I realized I don't actually understand perspective. But I still think it turned out just fine! (Yes, the book is far wonkier than the dragon. That is objectively funny.)


It probably would have turned out better if I'd found my thin black pens to do the outlining, but I was in a hurry to get out the door.

Foster Updates (lacking pictures because I am too lazy to take them)

Francis Noodle and Kitty Tuna are in my office and they get along really well. Francis Noodle still flops around like a fish on land (neurological issues probably due to FIP), but he seems happy enough.

Francis Noodle and Kitty Tuna

They will soon be joined by The Kitten Formerly Known As Prince, who came to the shelter with a string wrapped around his very swollen leg. We weren't sure how much function he would regain in that leg, but it's healing well and he's using it almost normally.

In the spare room we have Nimbus and his four minions (Pickleball Joe, Sammy Slim, Omaha Jake, and Big Bob). The boys seem to be on the mend after some vague vomiting illness was superseded by a little bit of limping and then high temperatures. They've been eating and playing throughout all of this, so it hasn't been too concerning.

And finally, we have a mom and three babies in the bedroom. Mom is not friendly, though I was able to handle her enough to give her oral meds for the first five days. Then she started feeling better or more comfortable or something and now she tries to kill me every time I reach into the large dog crate where she is staying. But she's a good mom and her babies are thriving. They've reached the age where they are playing, so I lure them out to socialize them a couple times every day.

Week-old picture — he is bigger now

So that's the foster situation at the moment. And now it's time to get back to the cozy edits...

Thursday, July 2, 2026

2026 Chugs Along

I (generally a non-drinker) have purchased a bottle of champagne. It is chilling in my fridge waiting for an appropriate occasion. Chilled champagne (technically sparkling wine since it's from Korbel, a winery I have personally toured) would be great in July.

In the meantime, life goes on. Thursday afternoons are reserved for time at the library's makerspace. Today I made this image (pencil + watercolor), based on a tutorial in a book I've owned for 30 years.


I was happy with how it turned out.

Foster Updates

Nimbus and Francis Noodle, my FIP boys, are currently living in my office. They both love kittens and they tolerate each other.

(The crate door was open.)

Pickleball Joe has finished his quarantine, so he comes into the office at times to play with the big kids. (He can't move in here permanently because the big kids use clumping litter and weaning kittens can't be around the stuff or they end up looking like a giant block of cement.)



The three (still unnamed) engine kittens are doing okay, but they are stressing me out with their lack of weight gain. For a while they were having occasional bouts of vomiting, but that seems to have stopped. (This is why we quarantine litters for two weeks.) Assuming they are healthy next week, they'll be merged with PJ to create a super litter.



And then tonight I was asked to pick up this girl:


She has an upper respiratory infection and isn't eating, which is why it's best if she is monitored more closely during the long weekend. I'll probably end up syringe-feeding her. Her breathing isn't the greatest, but I'm hoping that will improve quickly with meds.

Off to be Adopted

These guys left earlier in the week to be fixed and adopted. (Three are still available.)


Cloudberry

Mistbow

Skylark

Foghorn

Raindrop

And I don't think I ever posted the previous litter (named after the colors on their velcro collars) that went off last week and have all been adopted:
Colonel Mustard

Black Bart

Green Goblin

Blue Velvet

Red Sonja

And the week before that, these three went off and were immediately adopted:

Moonshine


Stardew

Sunburst

(I ran into Sunburst's adopter at the shelter a couple days ago, and she says Sunburst is doing great at home. It's always nice to hear good updates.)

So, yes, I currently have four groups of fosters in three rooms, but really, it feels almost empty!