Murphy's Morning Chores

Murphy, the youngest Outdoor Farm Supervisor, is beginning to feel a bit more secure in their role.

In other words, Murphy has decided what role Murphy is going to play. She's a cat, so that's typically how it works.

Murphy is unlikely to grow much more than she has up to this point, so it is fair to say that she is a small cat.  You can get an idea as to size by looking at how big she is as compared to my size 12 foot.  Yes... my foot is a foot long.  

No, it's not a joke.  But, I suppose if you must...

One of the important tasks Murphy feels needs to be done is making sure that at least one of the farmers provides food and water for the Farm Supervisory Crew.  In her zeal to do just that thing, it is not uncommon for her to forget the fact that this task has already been completed.  But, that's what happens when you really love your job.  You enjoy it so much that you just can't wait to do it again!

Once the sun comes up, Murphy will station herself somewhere near the back porch of the farm house.  That's the door the farmers typically emerge from and it is very important that she be RIGHT THERE at the moment the door is opened.  To do this job right, there must be some conversation as the door opens.  In Murphy's case, she opts for a bright and cheery tone, salted lightly with implied urgency and the tiniest dash of reprimand for slow service.

The next step is to trot lightly down the stairs of the back steps and make a route that goes over the picnic table and on to the garage where the food is stored.  If one of the other Farm Supervisors happens to be in the path, there is usually an exchange of mild aggression - usually a clawless bat at each other.  It's Murphy's way of reminding everyone of the importance of her task.

Outta my way, Soup!  Ima gonna get us some food!  Watch it there Inspector!  Comin' thru!  You'll thank me later!

If the farmers are unusually slow on a frosty morning, we might be greeted with a message from Murphy on the back steps.  An impatient little dance leaves impatient looking foot prints for the farmer to read as they open the door.  

On days like this, Murphy often does not show up right away to escort us to the food.  Instead, there is only this message that spells out frustration and maybe even disdain for the farmers' lack of consideration for the Farm Supervisory Crew.

But, I actually got outside recently before Murphy was ready for me and I left a message for her.  There it was, a single set of foot-long foot prints leaving the farm house and heading straight for the garage.  From the garage, the footprints led to the granary and then to the Poultry Pavilion.  

And, sure enough, as I opened the hen room door to exit their room, I found Murphy waiting there for me.

You see, on a typical morning, all three cats will eat a little bit as soon as the food is placed by the garage for them.  Like many outdoor cats, they'll eat their first few morsels as if they are starving.  But, these cats do fine and they often do not eat much more than a few bites at this time.  (hunting time is often prior to sunrise and they do manage to catch some rodents on a semi-regular basis)

Once the food has been tasted and found to be sufficient, I often get some supervision as I perform the poultry chores.  And, of course, there are skritches to be doled out the the Farm Supervisory Crew.  

Murphy is often a bit too wound up to get much more than a little bit of attention most mornings.  But, on this particular morning, she insisted, in her own way, that I should pick her up.  So, I did - after giving Soup and Inspector their greetings.  And, Murphy let me know she got my message by snuggling in and providing me with a good purr.

Allies and Adversaries

The world of the Genuine Faux Farm has a wide range of  organisms that interact with each other and with the farm on a regular basis.  Some of these critters are invited.  Others interpret some of our actions as invitations.  But most are simply going about living their lives and probably try to ignore the fact that Tammy and I are here and we are still trying to do some farming on the land we steward.

Murphy, the kitten, now catten, was not invited to the farm.  And yet, we consider Murphy to be pretty much one of our welcomed allies.  She keeps us company when we walk the rounds to do the chores.  She knows how to be cute and will play with us every so often.  She will hunt and catch some unwanted rodents.  She helps with tray seeding....

Ok.  Maybe not that last one.  

But then, she also catches and kills young songbirds that have not yet learned to be wary of felines on the farm.  She annoys the other cats (the Inspector and Soup). She likes to try and run past us to get into the house and she isn't always to get out of the way when she is in the way.

An ally, yes.  But one that can sometimes be adversarial to our preferences by her very nature.

We count Barn Swallows among our allies on the farm.  They keep down some of the flying insects that can make being outside difficult for us.  They put on amazing shows of flight gymnastics and they often sit on the power line and chatter to us about their days, the eggs in their nests and anything else that comes to mind.

On the other hand, they love to put their nests in our buildings so that they are over something we don't want them to be over.  For those who do not understand, let me just remind you that when birds poop, they just poop.  And it seems they really like to let it go most often as they land or take off from the nest.

Most of the time we just deal with it if the nest is in the granary or the Poultry Pavilion.  But we find ourselves keeping the doors to certain buildings closed during the week or so that Barn Swallows are scouting for new nests.  It can be very inconvenient for us - but not as convenient as finding a swallow nest over an area where your cleaned harvest containers are stored or your garlic is curing.

We do have a fair amount of milkweed (a few different types) on the farm.  But the Common Milkweed is the most... um... common of them.  We don't mind having milkweed on the farm because we know they support some of the invertebrates we have decided we care about - especially the Monarch butterfly.  And when milkweed is in certain areas, they add an interesting texture and diversity to the plant life that we appreciate.

But, of course, Common Milkweed loves to invade cultivated spaces and they keep popping up where they aren't wanted by using their runners that spread out underground.  They can certainly stress out the crops we hope to grow and reduce their productivity.  While I don't find them all that hard to remove with our farming systems, I do get annoyed by the sticky, milky sap if it gets on my skin and clothing.

And so it goes.  Most of the plants and critters on our farm that we say we like have some sort of downside from our perspective.  And, I guess that's just the way it is.  None of them are entirely on our side, just as we are not entirely on theirs.  There will be moments where we clash and our interests fail to align.  Sometimes, we are adversaries more than we are allies.

Take deer, for example.

No.  Really.  Take the deer.  Take them very far from here.

As we have promoted a bit more "wildspace" on our farm and as we've scaled back production, we have set out the welcome mat for creatures like the Northern Bobwhite and encouraged a visit from a Wood Thrush.  We have also encouraged a healthy population of rabbits - and now some deer think this is a great place to raise their young.

Let's say we are less than pleased.  All you have to do is look at the lettuce and see how they like to eat the hearts out those plants when they are about half-grown.  Or you can look at our cauliflower crop.

Ok, you can't look at the cauliflower crop.  Because it's gone.  I think you can guess why that might be.

It's all part of the dance between the Genuine Faux Farm and the natural world.  If we say we want to work with nature, it means we have to accept that nature is not going to agree with us during every moment of our stewardship of this land.

Is this frustrating?  Yes.  But it makes you think harder about finding balances and reconsidering priorities.  I find myself admiring the grace of a fawn once it grows out of the early awkward phase - and I still consider them, raccoons, buffalo gnats and rabbits to be GFF adversaries in the first degree.  Each of these can rapidly reduce our goodwill and challenge our ideas like few things can.

What makes it worse is that many of our "allies" often seem to show little interest in supporting our interests.  I mean - if our interest happens to align with theirs - that's great and we're all going to work together just fine.  But the cats are still going to yowl at that moment you are about to fall asleep.  The Black Swallowtail larvae will eat some of your parsley.  And, the oak tree will drop a branch in your drive when it wants to.

In the end, we're the ones that have to exhibit the flexibility in our agreements.  The cat is going to be a cat.  The Barn Swallows will be Barn Swallows and the milkweed was only ever milkweed.  None of them professed to be anything else.  We do most of the choosing of our allies by working on our own attitudes and actions.

Over time, I've learned to find more allies than adversaries on our farm...  or at least I've accorded more of the things "neutral status."  But there's still a "dirty dozen" I fear will remain adversaries.  At least until I can get the deer to sign a contract that they'll eat things in areas we designate and the rabbits and woodchucks leave the seedlings alone so they can grow the food we can eat - and might be willing to share with them later on.

Sadly, none of them appear to be interested in learning to read or write and the idea of a contract might not get much traction.

A Different "Bowling" for Kittens

Murphy the Nibster is still growing, but she is still a small cat.  And, she is showing us that there are apparently just some things a cat knows without being taught.  For example, if there is an opportunity to sit in a box or a bowl, you should just do it.

This yellow bowl was used by Tammy to mix up some top-dressing for plants that were still in trays.  Essentially, we get the top dressing uniformly damp so it won't just shed water when we try to water the plants later.  The bowl was sitting in the lawn awaiting the rinsing that was to come later in the day, but that was not to be...

Because Murphy felt the cat's obligation to sit in, or on, things that don't seem to be intended for sitting in... or on.

And we leave you with that image on this Saturday.  A cat in a bowl.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Kittenlympics

Having a kitten on the farm is one way to teach you to look for fun in unexpected places.  Murphy has been encouraging the farmers to participate in several sports that we have either forgotten (since the last kitten was on the farm) or we have never known.  I think it is possible Murphy is making some of these up as we go, but she's not confirming nor is she deny anything.

Here are a few of the games we have been involved in thus far:

Falling Leaf Snatch

I was pruning some lower leaves off of some of the pepper plants that are still in pots (but looking very good) and tossing them to the side.  Murphy was nearby (and she almost always IS nearby when we are outside) and decided this had the potential for a competition.  How quickly could she pounce on a leaf after it had hit the ground.

Please note, it is illegal (apparently) to touch the leaf before it gets to the ground.  I found that out when I tried tossing a leaf or two ONTO the kitten.  That earned me a foul and the momentary disdain of the participating kitten.  If you have never been on the receiving end of a kitten's disdain, it is something to behold.  But, behold it quickly, because they'll soon forget it was a thing.

Especially if you just toss another leaf.

Capture the Flag

I think we may have shared this video (or one like it) before.  Let's just say that there is nothing quite like a tile flag to get Murphy in the move for some of her own gymnastics.  At the very least, she'll exercise those neck muscles just trying to follow the flag as it bounces around.

Thus far, Murphy has never captured the flag.  That probably has more to do with the humans than the kitten.  A tile flag is actually on a fairly sturdy wire and if we got it too close it could do a little damage if kitten and tile flag collided.  The purpose here is to go through the motions of trying to follow the path of the flag successfully - something Murphy is a natural at.

Bowling for Kittens

Some of you might remember the snowball version of bowling for kittens.  The hard part was trying to pack snowballs one-handed so you can record a video with a (mostly) broken phone in the other.  Of course, it is June now, so snowballs are not available.  But, the driveway is full of small rocks.

Yes, Murphy will chase rocks.

Sometimes, when she wants to play, I will distract her by tossing a rock further down the drive and she'll dash after it.  She won't grab it and only rarely will touch the rock.  It's more of a chase and then watch to be sure the rock's temporary animation is completed.

Our graveled drive runs to the garage and out to the granary.  We often walk back on the drive after doing some of our chicken chores and Murphy, of course, is often "helping" with said chores.  Tammy was returning from doing some task and decided she wanted to encourage the kitten to stop walking exactly where Tammy wanted to walk.

The solution?  Toss a rock forward and get the kitten to chase.  Once you catch up to the kitten, pick up another rock and repeat the process.

Worked like a charm.

Murphy Learns to Farm

Murphy is still a "nibster" as far as we are concerned.  And if you don' t know what a nibster is, try to type the word "monster" and shift your right hand one spot to the left on the keyboard when you type it.  Yes, you get nibster.

At least she is still a cute nibster.  Or, as our good friend Jill would say, "she's stinkin' cute!"  And, of course, Murphy knows it.

We have had other kittens on the farm in prior years.  The Inspector was born here.  The Sandman and Mrranda were both quite young when they made their debuts here.  So, we've been through the process of integrating a new Farm Supervisor more than once.  The downside is that we sometimes forget that EVERYTHING that has been happening this Spring are ENTIRELY NEW to Murphy.

The entire process of prepping beds and planting in them is exciting and worthy of her attention and, of course, "help."  Remember, "help" from Farm Supervisors (aka cats) must always have quotes around it.  Any cat worth its salt would never admit to actually being helpful.  Also, any cat will seek out the praise it deserves for the help it most surely did not give.  Hence... "help."

Murphy has already learned to perch on the back of a farmer who is crawling on the ground for as long as it is convenient (for the cat, not the farmer).  She has also learned to roll NEXT TO, but not ON the row of new plants.  That's actually an excellent skill to have if you don't want the farmers to respond in unfavorable ways.

But, most important, Murphy has found that she likes to hang out with the farmers when they are doing things that do not include running engines.  Tillers and tractors are non-starters with Murphy, and that's the way we like it.

Now, we need to get Murphy to write a blog.  Then she'll be a true Genuine Faux Farm cat.

Murphy Tours the Farm

Murphy made sure that the farmers provided breakfast first, as Murphy always does - each and every morning.  She has learned that an effective Farm Supervisor (cat) must keep their energy up if they are going to keep the farmers on their toes.  

It is becoming clear to us that Murphy is going to be a smaller cat once she is fully grown.  While she is still a kitten there are signs that there might not be lots of physical size to be gained.  We've noted for some time that the tail and the head are a bit small for the rest of the body.  Now her proportions are... well... proportionate.  In other words, she has graduated to the status of "mini-cat."

The weather has become suddenly - and almost startlingly - pleasant, encouraging us to head outside to do chores and other farm tasks without jackets and coats.  We were even able to move onion,lettuce and other hardier seedlings out to the high tunnel over the weekend.  

On our farm, this is actually a momentous occasion that is met with gladness and resignation.  The positive vibes have to do with a growing season that is beginning to look truly possible.  And it's so much easier to care for the plants in the high tunnel than it is when they must be in our basement growing area.   The resignation comes with expanded responsibilities for the humans...  we won't speak for the Farm Supervisors.

Actually, our Farm Supervisors, going all the way back to Doughboy and Cubbie, have always seemed to like having the farmers out and about more often.  It might be the fact that they get more attention.  It might be that they, too, are also appreciating nicer weather.  I think it isn't hard to see how Spring weather might also be appreciated by our feline contingent at the Genuine Faux Farm.

Murphy, on the other hand, is finally getting the license to explore the farm in more detail.  Up until recently, she has resided closer to the farm house - bouncing back and forth between the Poultry Pavilion and the house.  During the worst weather, she's been in the basement of the house, of course.  Otherwise, she pretty much sticks close to our highest traffic areas, which are the paths that lead to and from anything that has to do with the hens. 

Even during those moments when I have taken a walk around the outside of the farm, Murphy has had some self-imposed limits as to how far out she would go.  This Monday was different.  She followed me out to Valhalla when I watered the seedlings that were there.  Then, she went with me to visit Crazy Maurice, the Weeping Willow (you can see her by the base of the pole in the picture above).

Maurice is awake and was actually pleased to meet Murphy.  You can see some evidence that Crazy Maurice is breaking his slumber by the nice yellow color we see from a distance.  But, if that is not enough, we found the buds swelling on his branches too.

According to the Old Oaks on the south side of the farm, Crazy Maurice is a positively hasty tree that is too willing to speak to non-trees - including farmers and, apparently, Farm Supervisors.  Although, there has been evidence that the Oaks are probably more fond of Maurice than they let on - but that's a story for another day.  After all, this post is supposed to be about Murphy - as she just reminded me a few minutes ago.

Crazy Maurice was actually pretty impressed with our littlest and newest Farm Supervisor.  There seems to be a gentle soul inside the body of this zippy, pouncy, little fur ball.  We've noticed it, and so did Maurice. 

Yes, she does take running leaps at Inspector and Soup.  Neither of the other cats like that much.  But, when she does make contact, it is actually pretty tame.  It's the difference between flag football or touch football versus tackle football.  She'll pounce and "tag" the other cat and then bound away.  She'll also back off if either Soup or Inspector turn and tell her with a hiss or grumble that this is not the time for it.

Probably the most humorous interaction thus far has been Murphy waving both paws in the air in front of the Inspector while he put a single paw up and waved it at her once.  Murphy then spun and bounded happily away.  It was almost as if she was celebrating getting the big lug to "play" a little bit.

Murphy is learning to test soil temperature and to determine if soil is workable.  The picture above shows her testing out an area in the plot we call "Middle Earth."  By my test, the soil temperature is still pretty chilly, but the soil moisture is about right to work it if we wanted to.  Murphy's conclusion on the other hand was that this process was interesting for only a moment.  

Then it was time to bound back to me and try to dart between my feet as I walked to the next location on the farm.

Murphy was also involved in this morning's farm tool inspections.  She's still a kitten, so her attention span wasn't really sufficient to complete any individual task.  But, I was pretty surprised by her willingness to involved in the entire farm walkabout.  Perhaps in the future, she'll decide she won't need to accompany the farmer everywhere he goes on these walking tours.  Or maybe, she will.

There's still plenty of cat to grow into.  It will be interesting to see how it all turns out.

Bowling for Kittens

Murphy the Nibster is still very much a kitten.  Just a couple of days ago, she got me to laugh by doing this thing where she would run a couple of steps and then do a "Superman" leap with her front legs extended as if she expected the wind to lift her up and carry her around.  There was no apparent reason other than she wanted to do this thing.

We had a very packable snow,  so I wanted to see what would happen if I rolled a few snowballs her way.  Here is the result.

Of course, I did not think to video this at first, so the best kitten action happened prior to the video.  But, you get an idea.  Also, my phone suffered an unfortunate beating and the camera lens no longer takes clear images.  Add to that the difficulty of trying to pack snowballs one-handed and you get...  whatever it is you can view above.

And if that is not enough Murphy for you, here is evidence that kitten heads are attached by springs.. or ball bearings... or something...

There you are.  A Tuesday with kitten time on the blog.  What could be better?

The Tile Flag Dance

Murphy the Nibster is still very much a kitten.  But even accounting for her kittenhood, she is quite the dynamo.  Both Soup and (especially) the Inspector have registered complaints regarding her zippy, pouncy self.  I tried reminding the Inspector that he had been the annoying kitten not so long ago and he gave me a look.  What did that look say?

"You know full well that I was NEVER like that."

And Inspector is correct.  He certainly WAS a kitten that had some energy.  He did annoy his elders sometimes.  But he was never quite like this.

I have yet to actually catch Murphy sleeping.  Not once.  But, every time I go outside, she shows up.  She runs around.  She pounces.  She darts.  

She kittens.

Her head is still a bit small for the rest of her body, but that has evened out a little.  Her eyes match her fur and she has a very nice engine when she purrs.  

And we're still not sure what role she will adopt on the farm as she grows.

Right now, we're thinking she's an entertainer.  I mean, who knew that a tile flag could result in this sort of choreography?

Sense of Purpose

 

Murphy the Nibster has yet to find a blogging voice - after all, she is still very young and most of her thoughts involve making sure the humans provide food... constantly.  It's not because Murphy isn't willing to speak their mind because that happens almost constantly.  I can't even take a decent picture of this kitten because Murphy is either darting around, squirming or... meowing.

So, other  than eating and irritating Soup and Inspector by pouncing on them, Murphy hasn't really settled into a sense of purpose.  That might explain the somewhat erratic dashing about and the tendency to not fully commit to anything other than that food thing.  Or maybe I am wrong and Murphy is just entirely and fully committed to being a kitten right now?

It's also possible that I just have not been able to ascertain exactly what Murphy is committed to at this time.  Maybe I am not paying enough attention or perhaps Murphy is far more complex than I might believe.  But this did get me to thinking about what others must see when they visit the GFF blog.  

I think it is safe to say that the only person who has read every single blog (sometimes more than once) is the person who is doing the writing (me).  It's probably also a good assumption that most people who do read what I write do so in periodic bursts.  They get reminded that the blog is out there via social media post or chance encounter, they visit the blog, and they read one blog that leads to reading a few more entries.  So, it is possible what they see might seem every bit as scattered and erratic as Murphy often appears to be to me.

A (really) quick history

The Genuine Faux Farm blog actually has been around since December of 2008 and it was created primarily as a way to get information about our farm out to others in a fashion that was a bit easier than using publishing software to make newsletters.  It also allowed us to just share life on the farm a bit in the hopes that we could get more people to support small-scale, diversified farms that supply local food - why else would we tell the story about a duck in the kitchen?  Other than the fact that it was just a bit odd to begin with.

Content was about weather, recipes, crops, farm events and farming in general.  When we would occasionally leave the farm, we might include a post or two about it, but raising food and our farm was never far from the center of it all.  As I got more comfortable with blogging, I began allowing departures that included April Fools posts, Thanksgiving posts and even a few that mentioned postal history.  Then the Sandman found a voice and other, more creative things started happening.

In addition to creativity, I started to allow myself to speak a bit more freely, without the muzzle that a person with a business often wears.  You don't want to offend a potential customer, you know.  Some of that came after our struggle with pesticide drift became more extreme.  

In January of 2019, I actually gave daily blog writing a try when we took an extended break from the farm and school.  I enjoyed that exercise, but it was pretty obvious at that time that the blog (and the farm) were trending downward.  I was hard-pressed to produce three to five blogs a month and the farm (as it was) had worn us to a nub.

And then the pandemic happened.  People who were very much NOT used to isolation were struggling.  I decided that one thing I had to give was the gift of writing.  So, on March 30, 2020, I started a string of blogging that hasn't really stopped since.

What about the present day?

Well, the pandemic isn't a thing anymore.  People don't need daily writings from a farmer on a small-scale, diversified farm.  And the methods for letting people know that a new blog post is out have changed.  It is harder than ever to reach out to let people know there is something new to read - if you want to read it.

Yet, here is my 52nd blog post of 2023 - on the 52nd day of the year.

What's the purpose now?  Do I have one?  I suspect I must if I am willing to push out blogs this often.  And, clearly, it's not about attention seeking.  If it were, I know I would be taking a completely different approach to promote what I do instead of the "well it's there if you want it" thing.

The obvious? It's good practice. Currently, my primary employment is to be a writer.  I need to exercise my skills regularly so I can keep improving my craft.  But, I will also admit that I can (and will) cease writing for this blog if (or when) some of the other purposes go away.  After all, I can write and not offer it up for public consumption to get my practice in.

So... why do I keep offering things up?

There are things I believe in and have knowledge about that I hope I can encourage you (and others) to think about.  Things like diversified, small-scale farms and farming.  Things like local foods, skilled occupations, learning and teaching.  Things like tolerance and kindness and grace.  Things like seeking out awe and wonder in the natural world and in the arts.  And even things like postal history.

And there are things I think I can offer because I see a need for it.  Like a little laughter.  A little music. A walk in the woods. A pun or two.  And even some stories - both true and made up.

And yes, the Genuine Faux Farm is still here - even if it is not quite the center of our world like it was several years ago. 

So, I've got a sense of purpose for this blog.  The questions that remain are twofold.  The first is, what purpose, if any, do others see evidence of when they visit? 

And the second is, how much longer will the energy match the purpose to keep it going?  

I've got no idea what the answers are to those questions.  Maybe you can help me with the first.  As for the second?  We'll just keep going until we stop.

Meanwhile, have a good day!  Pass the goodness forward to someone.  Share a kind word, hold a door open or split that candy bar with someone who looks like they need it.

Murphy Makes a Mark

Apparently, the trick to getting a decent picture of Murphy the Nibster is to wait until it's time for a mid-day nap.  That's about the only time Murphy slows down enough to be better than a blurry image.

Thank goodness for digital cameras!

The other way to get Murphy to sit still long enough for Tammy to get the phone out and snap a picture?  Don't fill the water bowl right away. 

Actually, Murphy was probably sitting in the bowl because it is heated to keep the water unfrozen so our Farm Supervisory Crew can have consistent access to water.  I suspect the kitten weighed the cost of a little bit of dampness versus absorbing some warm.  Or maybe I'm giving the youngster too much credit here.  Live and learn!

As Tammy approached with water, Murphy did get out of the bowl.  So, there was no need to give that instruction - thank goodness.

As you can see, the kitten has some nice golden colored eyes to go with the fur and Murphy still has a "kitten tail" that is not yet as expressive as many adult cat's tails are.  And, you might not be able to quite see it, Murphy's head often seems a bit too small for the body.  In fact, it almost seems like this kitten grows from the back end to the front end!  First you notice a bit more belly and the hind legs seem just a little bigger than they should be - given the head and front legs.  Then the growth spurt moves to the front of the kitten.

But, the head just never quite seems to catch up.

The jury is still out on how big Murphy will be when full grown.  But, we'll treat Murphy well and do what we can to keep the kitten healthy and happy.  Murphy has even gotten used to riding on Farmer Rob's shoulders as he comes back from doing chores for the birds.  We'll see how that one plays out as Murphy grows and the weather gets warmer (and Rob isn't wearing a coat to protect against kitten claws!).

Murphy the Nibster

 

Well, it is official.  Despite the Inspector's annoyance with the zippy, little orange thing on the farm, we have decided to name the kitten that adopted the Genuine Faux Farm as its home.

Please welcome...

Murphy the Nibster.  For those who don't know, "nibster" is "monster" if you happen to shift your right hand over one spot as a touch typist.  How do I know that?  Hey, it happens sometimes.  The world shifts a little and your knowledge of the location of the "home row" goes with it.

At this point, I think both Soup and the Inspector will agree that Murphy IS a Nibster (Monster).  All you have to do is look at Inspector's face in the picture above.  Yeah.  That is not full and enthusiastic acceptance for having another feline eating out of the food bowl.

Before you get worried that Murphy will be abused by Inspector, I think you've got the worry backwards.  If anything, Murphy's zippy and erratic movements encourage Inspector to keep his distance.  We'll see what happens over time.  Maybe Murphy will join the team and graduate from Nibster status.

Stay tuned!

No, Murphy does NOT want to sit still for a picture.