Spring finally made it to Alaska and we've been busy, busy, busy. Of course, I help with everything ... especially the supervising part. I think I have a talent for that. It's true that mundane chores ... like changing bed sheets and folding laundry ... may take a little longer when I help. However, with my bouncing and pouncing ... and taking time out to play Catch and Fetch with my catnip mouse ... boring household chores are made vastly more entertaining.

Now that the gardening season has arrived, I've been helping outdoors, too. First, we cleaned out the tool shed and all the flower beds. I thought that was great. I'm only allowed outdoors on my leash or on a tether when I'm not in the pouch, but I make my own fun. When Miss Jerrianne got down on all fours to clean the old fronds out of the ferns, I hopped up on her back and looked over her shoulder. A lady actually stopped her car and said she wished she had brought her camera, because she thought that was so cute.

Miss Jerrianne spends a lot of time digging dandelions out of the lawn and I have mixed emotions about that ... they're kind of pretty with their fuzzy little yellow heads ... and, well, aren't lions actually some type of cats? Anyway, while she was digging up the dandelions, I was digging up the lettuce bed. I really got into that project ... with all four feet. I was just having the best time ... and then I looked up and saw this ... this ... monster coming right down the driveway toward me!

I made a beeline out of the flower box, down the front steps and around the corner where the monster wouldn't step on me, nearly mowing off the buttercups in my haste ... until I hit the end of my tether and snapped back like a bungee jumper. Miss Jerrianne looked up from her digging, expecting to see someone walking a dog down the street, and saw a monster moose traipsing right through our front yard! She peeled me off the foundation and hustled us both indoors until the moose jumped over the fence and went away. Then she noticed that the harness snap she could hardly squeeze open when she tied me up was completely sprung.

Later that day, we heard about a big black bear roaming around the other end of our subdivision, half a mile away, searching out garbage cans and bird feeders stuffed with tasty bear snacks. We haven't seen any bears here yet, though that might happen if people aren't very careful with their garbage cans. The next kind of wildlife we encountered wasn't much to look at, but it had a nasty whine and a vicious bite. It's no wonder they call those monster mosquitoes Alaska's state bird.

I've been out and about in the pouch, shopping for gardening supplies like hose fittings, plant food, clover seeds for the lawn and lettuce seeds for a salad garden. I suppose bedding plants for the flower pots and hanging baskets will be next on our list. Miss Jerrianne is quite fond of Joker pansies with funny faces. She is always looking for new variations for her photographic project, Pansies With An Attitude. I'm sure she'll post examples on her web site soon.

At one store, Humane Society representatives were microchipping pets. They asked if I had come for a microchip but Miss Jerrianne told them I already had mine. I got to watch them giving microchip shots to dogs while I got off scot free. They liked my Celltei pouch and they were pretty impressed that I had gone from lost kitten to blogging and writing regular columns for The Bulletin in a few short months. They said I was a very lucky cat and tried to interest Miss Jerrianne in a kitty companion for me. We declined their kind offer and I was glad they didn't say I was spoiled.

In addition to our own yard and garden, Miss Jerrianne has been working on an annual neighborhood beautification project for Chugach Foothills Park. She made a new web page to help coordinate the efforts of volunteers who plant and water and weed the flowers. It's a big job and help from the surrounding community is very welcome.