Awwwww.... Doesn't that look on the kitten's face just melt your hard heart? Not to mention the "Please don't hurt me!" body language.

Oftentimes the native intelligence displayed in our pets, causes us to think and react to them as if they are like us and have motives for their behavior similar to ours. (Which may be saying more about us than about them.)

We oftentimes think and react the same way with our little children.

Yes, they are natively intelligent. And, yes, they need to be taught correct behavior. What they need most, of course, is our love and gentle persuasion. And careful teaching.

The older we get (and thus the farther away we are from our own childhood), and the more hassled we feel, the easier it is to become impatient. And perhaps unnecessarily harsh.

This is today's Astronomy Picture of the Day. When I saw it this morning, I was filled with awe. Wow! Stunningly beautiful!

Part of the caption:
"Pillars of gas, dust, and young, hot stars fill the center of NGC 7822. At the edge of a giant molecular cloud toward the northern constellation Cepheus, the glowing star forming region lies about 3,000 light-years away. Within the nebula, bright edges and tantalizing shapes are highlighted in this colorful skyscape. "

PS: click on the picture to get a larger view for the full effect!

Looking for Space?

I woke up this morning with a pain in the neck.

(No. That is NOT code for The Knight. LOL)

In my pain-wracked condition, I glanced at the calendar hanging in the bathroom. I've been looking at this particular picture every day, now, since August 1. It's a Gary Patterson cat calendar. He draws crazy cartoon cats. August's cat is a Siamese who has OD'd on catnip. The cat is lying on his back with his eyes crossed and his tongue hanging out the side. The caption is "Space Cat-Det."

Did I mention that I was in pain? I tried to remember what the caption meant. I had figured it out a few days ago. But now, I had to think about it again.

Really think.

Cat Detective?

No, that couldn't be it.

I repeated it silently to myself: Space Cat-Det.

... Ahhhh, yes.

I guess that makes two of us! LOL