Skull & Other Bones

One of the things they don't tell you when you buy a house is that — at some point — you will have to deal with dead animals. For example, JoJo the Enforcer (who lives in Long Island) had to drag a dead deer from behind her house out to the street. 

We don't have deer where I live, but a very large opossum died in my garage last week. (No, really, it was dead. I know everyone always thinks they've found a dead opossum because they flop over when they get scared, but this one was in rigor and the fleas were jumping off.)

I could have put it in the green waste bin (or even the trash, I guess), but the next trash pickup was five days away and I didn't really want something rotting in this heat three feet from my house.

Burying the body was also an option, but my soil is like cement unless you leave water soaking in for a day.

So I did what I usually do, and put it in one of my "decaying animals" planters and then covered it in potting soil. But to do so, I had to make some room, so I ended up pulling out some nicely cleaned bones from a feral cat that died in the alley a few years ago. I could have spent more time and pulled out the rest of the vertebrae and long bones, but I just wanted to get the opossum buried before the fleas found me.

(A friend is going to take these bones.) Is it weird to have planters of decaying animals? Maybe. But skeletons are interesting and what else am I supposed to do with these things? In a few years, there will be a lovely opossum skull for somebody to have.

Foster Updates

I currently have the house of ringworm and rabies quarantine.

(l-r) Kitty Tuna, Francis Noodle, Prince

Today was lime sulfur bath day, so these guys are disgruntled. So are the five (Bubbles, Lebron, Choco, Anakin, and Isa — not pictured) in the spare room. Hey, it's no fun for me either — I have to dip eight cats and then clean and bleach two entire rooms. It takes 3+ hours and my back is killing me.

On the other side of the hall, these two are just being cute. (They don't have ringworm yet.)

front: Amina; back: Tinbu

Amina is technically on rabies quarantine for one more day since she bit the person who brought her to the shelter hard enough to draw blood. I am more likely to have rabies than a five-week-old kitten, but rules are rules. Anyhow, her upper respiratory infection has cleared up and she has a new buddy in Tinbu.

Nimbus (not pictured) has moved into my bedroom. He's enjoying the opportunity to attack my feet every morning.

That's the eleven current fosters!

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...

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!

Got You!

The major news in my life is that after months of attempting to trap this little scamp, I finally succeeded!

Probably already pregnant again...

I'm glad I got her when I did because it's no fun sitting around for hours in this heat. (It was over 100 F today.)

She has a spay appointment on Wednesday. Until then, she is staying in a huge dog crate in my bedroom.

I've kept other feral cats using this arrangement. Normally, I can clean the litter box and swap in fresh food and water while the cat stays as far away from me as possible. This girl ran toward me and almost made it out the cage door this evening. I might have to work on adding a mid-cage barrier so I can safely block her in the back while I clean.

Six more days. I can handle six more days.

Other Foster Stuff

Rooster, the black kitten I trapped in the alley a couple weeks ago (and the feral girl's son), has gone back to the shelter to get neutered and adopted. He's a good boy.

Rooster, the alarm clock with no snooze button

Eight of the remaining 13 kittens should be going back next week. Theoretically, that should mean the bathroom will be free, but the shelter is overflowing with kittens who need fostered at the moment, so I'll probably end up coming home with a new bunch. The other five kittens have a date two weeks after that. But plans often shift

Nimbus is technically done with his FIP treatment, but he's going to be a difficult adoption and — as mentioned previously — there's no space at the shelter. So he'll stay here and babysit kittens for a while.

Francis Noodle has figured out how to get into the recording booth, which I'm not super happy about since he poops involuntarily and that closet has a yoga mat to keep the floor from echoing. But if I lock him in the big dog crate when he's not being watched, he has a tantrum and spills his food and water. It's a good thing he's so cute. (As I write this, he's trying to catch a fly in the office and I'm probably going to hell for laughing at the cat who can't walk very well throwing himself around the room.)

Writing Stuff

I have finished the initial draft of the starfish-shifter murder mystery short story ("Sleeping with the Fishes") that will be going out to my Patreon supporters in the next day or two. I have written the plan for revisions for the next Penelope Standing book, and I'll set up the pre-order this week so I can put a link in the next newsletter. And then I'll get back to writing the next Floodmouth book.

BUT ALSO! The 2026 Mysterious Murders Contest is open for submissions! This year, they are looking for locked room murder mysteries. Stories need to be in English, under 3k words, and not produced by AI. There's no entry fee and the prize amounts are huge. Seriously. I won first prize last year. It's an amazing event.

Writing to Market... or Not

Okay, so one of my critique partners is writing a wolf-shifter romance series (under a pen name) and all that marketing advice just... works... when you're writing in a popular genre. I am happy for her and I can't wait for her income to skyrocket.

I'll probably never see that kind of monetary success. I like the books I write and there are more than a few people who buy every book the second I release it, but I'm unlikely to ever make it onto the bestseller lists. That's because the Venn diagram of books the majority of people want to read and books that I want to write are two separate circles. Even when I try, things go completely off the rails.

For example: Instead of a wolf-shifter romance, I'm writing a murder mystery involving a starfish-shifter. Because the idea of chopping up a starfish shifter and throwing the pieces overboard only to have multiple clones of the shifter come out of the ocean later is hilarious! But it's not really what the wolf-shifter romance crowd is looking for.

It's okay. I may have to find a day job at some point, but at least I keep myself amused.

In other writing/marketing news, Jeanne over on the Necromancy Never Pays blog (great name!) wrote a lovely review of The Portal Storms series.

Foster Updates

I finally trapped the black kitten in the alley over the weekend. Yay! His mom remains at large, but I have plans... Anyhow, I have named the little boy Rooster because he is an alarm clock with no snooze button. He starts crying about being alone the minute the sky lightens. He has another week of quarantine, so apparently I'm getting up at 5:30 AM every day now.

The eight elemental kittens moved into the room with Nimbus (who loves the kittens), and they are all on the kitten cam. So now I have a new office cat, Francis Noodle. He, like Nimbus and Lulu, has presumptive FIP and has difficulty walking. Hopefully he will improve during his stay here.

Isn't he a gorgeous boy?

Another Battalion in the Kitten Army

Before I forget!

I uploaded the final segment of season one of the Witches Advice Column that Maria Schneider and I did. Enjoy!

(I'll update the graphics when I start working on season two.)

Bursting at the Seams

There's one more reason the shelter calls me directly to take kittens — I only live a few miles away. There are foster homes all over the county, but for some that means a 45 minute drive.

Anyhow, that explains why I picked up kittens #9-13 on Saturday. They came in right before the shelter closed for a holiday weekend, and I was nearby. Luckily, these guys are easy. They're weaned, and their upper respiratory gunk is mild. The biggest issue is going to be socialization — three of the five run and hide when I appear — but my secret weapon (Elisabeth) is making extra trips to my house to help.

The other problem is that I need to come up with five more names. I really need to start making lists when it's not kitten season. Sleep deprivation makes it hard to be creative.

Also present in the house:

Little blind kitten Sunburst, who is almost finished with quarantine. She is now eating solid food with the aid of the emotional support spoon, so maybe she'll be completely weaned in the next week.

The seven elementals who are eating some food but also going through eight bottles of formula every day. They might also be weaned within a week.

Raindrop and Foghorn

Skylark, Cloudberry, Stardew, Moonshine, and Mistbow

And finally, Nimbus. He's sad because Lulu went back to the shelter for adoption last week. I may let him hang out with the elementals because he shouldn't be infectious and he loves being around other cats.

And now? 

With a house full of foster kittens, what am I doing at this very moment in time?

Yes, that's right, I'm trying to get MORE kittens. Or rather, one kitten and its mom.

After not seeing any kittens for five weeks, I'd come to the conclusion that none of the babies had survived. But then last night I saw a little black kitten when I was returning from a walk. And this morning mom and that black kitten walked by while I was sitting here. So it's back to hanging out in the alley watching the trap. At least the weather is nice enough.

"Sleep is for the Weak"

(The title is a direct quote from fellow foster mom Jennifer. Yes, it was sarcasm.)

Life stuff

What's better than two tiny kittens? Seven tiny kittens!

(Note: this does not actually scale.)

Here are the other five. They all still need names.

Yes, after a sleep-deprived weekend with the previously mentioned duo (code names: Stardew and Moonshine), I picked up another five who are just a couple days younger. Everyone is now about two weeks old, so feedings have moved from every two hours to every three hours, which is a huge improvement.

Would I still kill someone to get an uninterrupted night's sleep? On the advice of my lawyer, I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that it might incriminate me.

Writing stuff

I have a new book coming out on the 16th! Woohoo!

The Dragon's Librarian and Other Stories is a collection of short stories that I've written for my Patreon supporters over the last few years. What kind of stories, you ask?

• A Treasure of Stars (retired space pirates save the day!)
• Watching Blue Skies with the Parcheesi Gang (be careful of the Fae)
• Gestures (a Cupid murder mystery)
• The Dragon's Librarian (it's not wise to steal anything from a dragon)
• Butterflies (sometimes bad luck is just a clue there's a problem)
• Ten Clues Your Rice Cooker is Haunted by Your Great-Grandmother's Ghost
• Mayday (paranormal plants!)
• Guerrilla Gardening with the Ancient Oak Protection Society (fighting back against the HOA)
• Seeking Pemberley (Perhaps Pride & Prejudice might save your life)
• Game of Crones: an Advice Column for Spellcasters
• Preparing for Winter with Special Guest Baba Yaga
• Aunt Hazel’s Notes to the Bride on the Occasion of the First Hydran-Human Wedding
• Working the Night Shift at Lucky Eddie's 24-Hour Laundromat (Knitting and aliens!)
• and a whole bunch more!

It's in Kobo Plus and should also be available from libraries. Or, you can order it here: https://books.tmbaumgartner.com/DragonsLibrarian

More Fun Writing Stuff

Maria Schneider and I did an audio collaboration of the Witches Advice Column recently, and I've chopped things up and made them into YouTube shorts. I'll add more to the playlist as I have time, but here is the first one:

These columns are a lot of fun — give it a listen!