Almost missed International Cat Day...

Bob was not a happy camper. Somehow, Bob got a look at the column which yours truly had written for this week. I did not know he had computer skills, but it did not surprise me.

Honestly, I do not know how or when he found the original column for this week. Cats are like that, though. Just when you think you’ve figured out what they might be up to...surprise...

Anyway, after scanning the column, he left a message...

“I am not sure how you managed to miss it, but Monday, August 8, was International Cat Day.”

He was absolutely right. International Cat Day was indeed on Monday, August 8. In recognition of the special day, USA TODAY had an article online which highlighted some Guinness World Records held by cats.

For example, Grumpy Cat set a record for being the most popular cat on Facebook with 8,759,819 likes, as of early May in 2017. Bob is not on Facebook. Well, technically he is not on Facebook. But I think The Other Half posts pictures of Bob on Facebook fairly often.

Bob may hold the record for the most naps taken by one cat in a single day. He also may hold the record for the shortest amount of time it takes to use a litter box after it has been cleaned.

 While working on the new and Bob-approved masterpiece for this week, I decided to do a little bit of research on other days that might be set aside for critters...especially the critters I encountered while wandering around Union County during the past week or so...

January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day. I like squirrels. They are fun to photograph. Bob likes to watch them out the back window. I do not know if he thinks Squirrel Appreciation Day is actually necessary.

February 2 is Groundhog Day. In the United States. And Canada, too. At least that’s what I saw on the internet. I saw a groundhog one day last week. It was hiding in a pipe, and did not appear to have a shadow. I don’t know if that means we can look forward to six more weeks of summer. 

March 20 is World Frog Day. However, American Frog Day is October 21. I do not know why there are two different days for frogs. (Actually, I think there might be several days set aside for cats, too. Cats would expect such a thing. Frogs, I do not know about.)

 I saw one frog last Sunday afternoon during a visit to the Trail of Tears State Forest. I also saw tadpoles at the state forest. One tadpoles had legs, which made it a froglet. Or so I saw online.

While driving through the country last Friday afternoon, I spotted some turkeys. Looked like six or seven of them. Turkey Day, as we all know, is on the fourth Thursday of November each year. I do not know if there is an “official” Turkey Day, though. Maybe somebody ought to work on that.

One last special day for this week... March 19...which is Let’s Laugh Day (good idea)...National Corndog Day...and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Day. Really.

I bring up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Day because I saw one of them during a visit to the Lincoln Memorial Picnic Grounds in Jonesboro one hot afternoon last week. 

I often see turtles at the pond at the picnic grounds. However, until last week, I had never seen a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle there. From what I able to determine the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle I saw was Donatello, who was just chilling in the Southern Illinois heat and humidity. I wished him well. He just laid there. 

I hope Bob is satisfied with this column. That is not likely, though. I’m not sure a cat is ever completely satisified...