Andy’s “Hunting Face”. Miller hunting’s still on the agenda.

His “Greenies Hunchover” look.

You have hunch over to get at those Greenies when you have a Persian face!!

I don’t know why it took me so long to “discover” the portrait effect on my smartphone camera, but it did. Andy is, of course, a natural for portraits.

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Two days ago, the UPS delivery guy brought a surprise package to my door. I opened the package and found a very special single malt Scotch whiskey. The full bottle! There was an invoice that verified it was friend Chris who’d ordered and had it sent to me.

“Surely this is a mistake,” I thought since this wasn’t some generic Scotch, but a very rare and special one. I sent Chris an e-mail about the Scotch and noted I’d re-send it to him as soon as he told me his address, which had been on my old laptop, lost, then, when the laptop got wiped out in a ceiling flood at the repair shop.

Chris called me the next day to reassure was no mistake and that he intended the Scotch to be a gift to me. We’ve reviewed single malt Scotches in past, me using small samples Chris sent. This new one is part of a series from this distiller, one we anticipate will be a treat since we both enjoy the works of Islay distillers best.

“This bottle will last you for years,” Chris noted, as it will since I don’t drink alcoholic drinks, especially strong ones, when I am alone with my cat. LOL! I do have one friend who enjoys a great Scotch, though, and I’ll have to share some with him one of these days.

I used to get together with Casey when our mutual friend Ralph returned from Paris for his summer visit with his parents. Sadly, Ralph and his parents all are dead, so no more summer visits! Or get togethers with Casey since we both get into our routines, rarely have paths cross these days. The Scotch may be the catalyst for a get together!

Sad, isn’t it, that in a town the size of Alliance – just short of 9000 people – two friends can go over a year, maybe two, between get togethers! A simple phone call to his office and we could have lunch together at a restaurant across the street from his office. 

Andy lets me know he wants something by putting his front paws of the glide rocker arm – or my arm if handy . His performance gets enhanced, then, with really sad kitten sounds – mew! mew!

I can’t always figure out what he wants, but he’s so cute/annoying when he does this I had to shoot this as a portrait. 

Andy marched in…

…and…

…gave me a message. Hint! Hint!

(A bit inscrutable, though. No idea what he wants.)

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June already! Half the year gone or half to go when this month’s over. On the other hand, July 1st is the big day here because it’s Andy’s 12th birthday – and Canada’s 156th! Not to rush tthe year but that’s what’s on my mind this morning.

“John Garfield (the cat?) and Maureen O’Hara…I just want to see the sparrow!”

“What does this ‘canary‘ have to do with sparrows? Wish she’d stop that caterwauling!”

“This movie is a bust. No sparrows, no kitty!”

Andy checks out.

Of course, he comes back a short time later for a catnap.

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“The Fallen Sparrow” isn’t about sparrows, of course, except metaphorically. Andy got it wrong.

Garfield was intense, probably acting at the best I ever recall him acting. Too bad he died of a heart attack at 39 because he easily was one of the top actors of his time.

As for Maureen O’Hara…whew!.. she was very good in this film, too, and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen! She almost stole the scenes she was in, as long as she wasn’t acting against Garfield. The two were intense, easily as matched as Bergman and Bogart in “Casablanca” or Bogart and Bacall in any film. [“If you want me, just whistle. You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.” – my favorite scene from “To Have and Have Not”!]

The film was shown as part of a film noir series on TCM Channel, though it had a spy aspect, noting the Garfield character fought Franco’s fascist nationalists as a member of the Lincoln Brigade. Captured, tortured by a Nazi who flew in from Berlin to Spain once a month, he escapes to America, suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. He gets – mostly – over PTSD at a rest ranch in Arizona, returns east to spend the rest of the film trying to unravel the murder of a friend… and to find and kill the torturer he can identify only by the fact he drags one foot when he walks.

But no sparrows! Andy got that much right. On the other hand, it was very entertaining. I always enjoy a Garfield film and will remember Mauree O’Hara for being her most beautiful in this film.

The Fallen Sparrow – Wikipedia

Andy’s on the alert again!

See it?

Andy does and he’s prepared to go on a RAWR!

Andy’s losing interest in the miller invasion.

Mostly…wait! There goes another one!

Andy’s got one more hunt in him.

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I don’t recall Andy catching many millers. They are good practice and exercise for him, though, so I guess I am ok with the dang insects showing up each year. Naw! Not really, They are nasty.

What cheek!

A miller circumnavigating the lampshade…right above Andy!

A miller’s gotta do what a miller’s gotta do.

Yeah, fly over to the wall to taunt the cat even more!

“Nyah! Nyah, kitty boy!”

Everyone knows millers are nasty. This just adds to that sense of it.

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Andy never did wake up to swat that bug!

The miller sits there, tantalizing, yummy, RAWR-able!

A strategically poor move on the miller’s part!

Andy missed; the miller survives for another hour! 

Of course, maybe this is a stupid one, relatively speaking. Yeah! “Stoopid-duh” stupid.

Uh….

…or not.

Andy pretends he wasn’t moth-hunting.

Better yet, he pampers his precious!

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Andy’s kill total stands at zero. He’s had lots of fun trying, though, and it sure beats artificial bugs!