Buried Treasure

As many of the readers here know, Rancho Juvat is an animal friendly location. Unless you're a member of the mephiditae family, anyways.  We have 2 horses, 4 dogs, 3 indoor cats and 3 or 4 outdoor cats depending on who shows for dinner.

So, this just about sums it up.

But not always.

Cooper and Mushka settling in for a nap

However, a few weeks ago, on the gentle "suggestion" of my wife, I added a row of shelves above the existing shelves in our closet with a ramp too steep for the dogs to climb but very suited to the feline climbers in the family.  This serves two purposes, first and foremost, it's a place for the felines to get away from it all and chill whilst pondering the world outside through the window.  Second, it keeps them from climbing the clothes hanging from the clothes rods.

As Sarge might say "T'was getting a wee bit expensive."

To improve the airflow throughout the house, the closet has open spaces on the opposite wall from the cat perch.  The cats have discovered that, if they leap very hard, they can land on the opposite shelf, then climb out onto the headboard of the bed and then....

Mrs J have come to learn to listen for that tiny whistle the air makes as they leap onto the bed from on high.  Achieving the fetal position within 1 microsecond is essential to being able to return to sleep without considerable crush damage and/or puncture wounds.

However, this ability is not without its unexpected rewards.

A week or so ago, Schmedly attempted the first leap, but failed to achieve launch velocity.  I believe the naval aviators in the readership call it a cold cat launch.  Seems applicable, so we'll use it here.

Schmedly seen here in the Alert 5 position (requires Cat Launch within 5 microseconds)

In any case, Schmedly's cold cat launch failed to provide enough lift to reach the opposite top shelf, and as she began to claw for altitude, rear drive motors in full grunt, tried to find purchase on a box on the second shelf.

Said box had been assigned there for the también!

No, I don't mean "Also", I mean "Tam Bein", you know when you put something in place for a short while expecting to do something with it shortly, then forget about it.  Usually, that is how priceless artifacts are found by archeologists millenia later.  "Honey, what should I do with this bag of coins Caesar Agustus gave us?"  "Put it in the closet for the Tam Bein."

In any case, Schmedly must be studying to be an archaeologist, for, as she clawed for purchase on the box, it fell to the earth (followed shortly by the cat) and burst opened.

Relieved, in a strange way, that the cat had not made it across and thus necessitating my remaining vigilant for the expected Kamikaze attack on the bed, I fell back asleep.

The following morning, failing to be able to open the closet door, I walked around to Mrs J's side and entered.

What to my wondering eyes should appear, but a box of old photos and a couple of VHS tapes.

I think the Naval Aviators would call them "Cruise Tapes".

However, this was back in the day, when Men were Men and VHS cameras weighed 20Lbs (at 1 G, effective weight is 20 * X where X is number of G's pulled).  No GoPro camera's here.

Guys, who had children in the '80's spent most of the decade viewing life like this.  You can figure out whether they are left or right handed by which shoulder slumps.
Source

So, not a lot of dogfighting, a nice burner formation takeoff, some formation flying and a very nice demonstration why Air Superiority Gray isn't all that spiffy when penetrating weather on recovery back at Kadena.

Enjoy. Yes, I'm in it, anytime you see the back of a helmet, that's me, and I might be briefing the mission out on the veranda.