Merry Christmas to Cat and Garden Lovers Everywhere!

A bonus photo collage from Stephanie Brock of gardening kitten Lizzie in a Christmas tree. More of Lizzie on this previous post. Enjoy the rest of 2013!

The Trowel Hunter

 

Stephanie Brock submitted this darling kitten: 

"The kitty's name is Elizabeth (we call her Lizzie) and she is a 5 month old true DC native. My boyfriend, Eric, found her abandoned by mama while landscaping St. Elizabeth's hospital (converting to DHS) this summer.  He had seen the family and mama moving the nest, each kitten one by one, but the next day he found little Lizzie all alone in the old nest, crying and hungry.  She was about 3 weeks old.  He waited for a while and decided that if mama didn't take her by the time he was done for the day that he would bring her home. We bottle fed her for the next few weeks and gradually switched her over to big girl food"

"Now she lives with us in Centreville, VA, with two older kitty brothers - Lucky (the oldest) and Shadow (the middle), who were both also rescues from abandonment (Lucky, who's whole family was hit by a car and he was the only survivor at about 4 or 5 weeks old - with a shattered hind leg, broken in 9 places - but is as good as new with the surgery we were able to get him, and Shadow who was a stray kitten). Lizzie loves to run around the house, torture her brothers and get into anything and everything that she's not supposed to!  She is a total ham, always making us laugh!"

Stephanie Brock works at Merrifield Garden Center, Fair Oaks, VA location, and  blogs at www.petalpushin.wordpress.com. She can also be found on Twitter, IG, FB and Pinterest @Stephieb478.

Deep in the woods...

Source: unknown

William the Conqueror

 

The staff of the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Alexandria, VA, submitted this little cutie. Arcadia Farm is located on the historic grounds of Woodlawn Estate. 

"Behold, William, the Mighty Arcadia Barn Cat. 

Born and raised at Mount Vernon, William joined the Arcadia staff this spring and has absolutely failed at killing anything worthwhile. William, it turns out, is a lover. Folks who have visited the farm have taken classes with him sitting on the bench next to them. He runs up the brick path in the middle of the farm and leaps into your arms when you arrive. He has a weird meow.

For the winter, he has been ordered to guard the homestead of a brave Army officer on the grounds of Fort Belvoir"

William himself also wrote to say: 

"I shall miss the volunteers, groundhogs, and mice whom I befriended during my assignment at Arcadia, but the blow of separation is lessened by the fact that the family under my care is in desperate need of a fluffy kitty with extremely large paws who prefers cuddles to doing violence. On this front I shall not disappoint.

I am doubly pleased that my duties keep me on Mr. Washington’s original property. I do not like to stray too far from my birthplace, Mount Vernon.

I am told I had a benefactor cover the doctor bill, and that she is a great admirer. I blush. Kat, I thank you and look forward to renewing our acquaintance when I resume my former duties.

My post continues to surprise me with ever more sybaritic pleasures. There is this thing they call 'sofa' that envelopes me in lavish warmth. I must be careful around it as its temptations threaten to dull my wits. My duties require me to be ever sharp, so I am exercising a wholesome discipline and rise from it several times a day.

Salutations,
Willam the Barn Cat"