louiscatorze.com

Je crie, donc je suis

It’s autumn! And I swear I can actually feel Louis Catorze’s powers growing with the new season, quite possibly because it’s peak visiting time for pilgrims and his creepy kitty sixth sense knows this. He has one visitor coming all the way from the west coast of Ireland at the weekend, and two more, who have been before, are returning in October. (Cat Daddy: “Really? Most people who’ve seen him once don’t bother coming back.”)

Catorze is at peak energy at the moment, gallivanting all night, chasing squirrels, guzzling down Orijen, screaming (in his new, post-surgery voice – more about that another time) and I don’t suppose it helped that we gave him a steroid shot the night before the full moon, but it’s too late to do anything about that now. His fur is thick and shiny and, for an old boy, he seems in fine form. No doubt part of it is due to the drugs, but at least 83% of it is him being a bit unhinged anyway. I dread to think what he will be like on Hallowe’en.

Speaking of which, this year, against all the odds, our lone pumpkin plant survived. The flower that I photographed in early July was a largeish tennis ball by the time we came back from holiday. Cat Daddy was a little disappointed that it was green and not orange – neither of us realised that pumpkins changed colour – but, towards the end of August, it had begun to turn. I would have been grateful for any pumpkin at all, whatever the colour, but the fact that it’s an orange one makes me very happy indeed.

Now all we have to do between now and 31st October are to nurture it and pray for no unfortunate incidents (doable), and to get Catorze to pose beautifully next to it for this year’s Official Hallowe’en Portrait (somewhat more challenging).

Here are some pictures of its progress (with a 20p coin for scale, which was later removed when I realised it was leaving a mark), plus one of my warm-up photos with Catorze. The final masterpiece really won’t be much better.

Tennis ball.
Smallish football.
Just starting to turn.
Oranger.
Oranger still.
For goodness’ sake.
More orange than not.
Hallowe’en-ready.
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30 responses to “La saison de la citrouille”

  1. Kate Crimmins avatar

    Lovely pumpkin and gorgeous black cat! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Merci! Let’s hope his posing improves and that he can give me the right end!

      Liked by 3 people

  2. Lis avatar
    Lis

    What a beauty! I can just see a perfect portrait coming out of that!

    And….if it wasn’t for Mexico being Red….I would certainly be visiting his majesty again…..! I have very fond memories of my previous visit! How many guest books have you got now?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Haha, still only one which has been quite empty since Covid! It will start to full up again now that it’s autumn, though!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. KDKH avatar

    Beautiful pumpkin! Just don’t let it freeze – it gets pretty soft after that.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Thank you! I did bring it indoors the other day as the stem looked as if it were about to rot. Hopefully I caught it in time!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. KDKH avatar

        Good call!

        Liked by 1 person

  4. catladymac avatar
    catladymac

    Oh that pumpkin has turned beautiful There are white pumpkins now – they call them “ghost pumpkins” and alot of people decorate with them and the orange ones together.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Yes, I’ve seen the white ones! I want to try for a bigger selection next year.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. sevencatsandcounting avatar

    A homegrown pumpkin! Count me jaloux. Ronronnements, DV

    Liked by 2 people

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Darth would look magnificent next to it!

      Like

      1. sevencatsandcounting avatar

        I will have to make do with a store bought pumpkin, if my lackluster Humans remember even to procure a pumpkin 🎃 for my 2021 Official Halloween Portrait. (May I move in with you and sa maj’?) Ronronnements, DV

        Liked by 1 person

        1. iamthesunking avatar
          iamthesunking

          Oh, I would have Darth in a heartbeat! I’d have to keep him and Catorze apart so that Cat Daddy would see them separately and still only think we had one cat.

          Like

          1. sevencatsandcounting avatar

            I feel like Cat Daddy might notice the size difference, as well as Darth’s American accent.

            Liked by 1 person

            1. iamthesunking avatar
              iamthesunking

              We’d just have to make sure he only viewed Darth from far away. And he doesn’t believe cats have accents! He can’t even detect Catorze’s French accent! 🙄

              Liked by 1 person

  6. Gina avatar
    Gina

    Wow! That’s a big’un Well done Cat Daddy! Surely Catorze will be proud to pose with that beauty😼😹🎃

    Liked by 2 people

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      He won’t. We keep trying, but he’s not having it. 🙄

      Like

  7. Herman avatar
    Herman

    Wow… that looks very impressive! But I think Louis just don’t care… 😉

    Liked by 2 people

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      He most certainly doesn’t. He sits beautifully by the pumpkin when we are indoors … but when I go out to try to take a photo, he either runs away or runs towards me, screaming.

      Liked by 2 people

  8. Sally Goodman avatar
    Sally Goodman

    That looks pumpkinlicious, well done! I wish I were one of the returning pilgrims this year but life here is still unpredictable and chaotic xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Ah, don’t worry, Le Roi will probably be here forever! 🤣

      Liked by 1 person

  9. mmechapeau avatar
    mmechapeau

    It’s sounds as if taking care of the pumpkin is as challenging as taking care of Louis.
    😺

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      I sincerely hope it won’t be that bad! 🤣🤣🤣

      Liked by 1 person

  10. cat9984 avatar

    Nice job on the pumpkin!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Thanks! It’s turned out to be a beauty!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Aspasía S. Bissas avatar

    ‘Tis a fine pumpkin indeed 🙂 🎃 Around here it never would have made it to the orange stage, thanks to the squirrels and raccoons (and groundhogs, and who knows what else would want a taste). I hope you get a great photo with Catorze!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      We have squirrels! Yet somehow they managed to miss it, despite it being massive and bright orange.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Aspasía S. Bissas avatar

        Maybe your squirrels are just more polite 😀

        Liked by 1 person

        1. iamthesunking avatar
          iamthesunking

          That is not a word that springs to mind when I think of them!

          Liked by 1 person

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