Marsden
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marsdennz.bsky.social
Marsden
@marsdennz.bsky.social
48 followers 53 following 130 posts
He/Him, Webdev from Ōtautahi, Aotearoa (Christchurch, New Zealand). Interested in #SocialIssues, #BoardGaming and #TabletopRoleplaying.
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marsdennz.bsky.social
My timeline is overdue for a kitty update.

#CatsOfBluesky #Caturday #BlackAndWhiteCats
A young black and white cat loafing on the back of a couch. He is looking directly at the camera and the flash has made his eyes appear as almost solid orbs of gold. A small bell and a heart-shaped purple tag can be seen hanging from his collar. A young black and white cat somehow still managing to loaf small enough to fit in the hollow atop a doughnut-shaped cat tunnel. She is looking off camera to the right and the distinctive black spot on her muzzle is clearly visible.
October 9, 2025 at 7:42 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Robyn looking like a lady while actually trying to figure out where the bug that she was just chasing has escaped to.

#CatsOfBlueSky #ProofOfCat #EveryDayIsCaturday #BlackAndWhiteCats #Pets
A young black and white cat with a distinctive black spot on her muzzle sitting on a pair of pale-coloured cushions, backed on to section of red-brown couch. Her camera-right foreleg is tucked across and under her chest and the left is stretched forward, paw just obscured by the bottom of the image. Her ears are up and she is looking slightly down and to the left with a undefinable expression. Unfortunately the autofocus decided that the background was more interesting that the subject and her face is slightly blurred.
September 9, 2025 at 9:18 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Two cats and a bag, a Robyn and Corby mini-show.

#CatsOfBluesky #Caturday #BlackAndWhiteCats #CatsAndBags #Pets
1/4 A young black an white cat, Corby, has found an empty paper 10kg potato sack on the kitchen floor, and settled himself in it. The photo is taken looking directly in the open mouth of the bag with Corby looking out but fixed on something slightly to the right of the camera. His pupils are at about half-expansion and the photo has captured the deep yellow/gold of his irises. 2/4 Corby's sister Robyn, another young black and white cat, has come up beside the sack from behind and slapped her paw and foreleg down on the opening, right above Corby's head. Corby has turned his head to that side (camera left), but can't actually see her due to the wall of the sack. His expression is not visible dure to the photo being taken from a higher angle, but you can see the distinctive black spot on the side of Robyn's muzzle and the way her ears are perked forward inquisitively. 3/4 Robyn has removed her paw and come forward a little to look in at Corby. He however is looking directly up at the camera with what appears to be an offended expression. As before his yellow/gold irises stand out between his black "mask" and half-open pupils. 4/4 Both cat's attention (eyes and ears) has now ben captured by something off to camera-right. Corby's head has dropped slightly but Robyn's has lifted and you can see that she has the same yellow/gold pupils as her brother.
August 24, 2025 at 1:11 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
#CatsOfBluesky #Caturday #ProofOfCat #BlackAndWhiteCats
Two young black and white cats curled next to each other on a bed. From this angle one is in the foreground, head lifted but eyes closed, distinctive black spot on her nose and a bone-shaped tag on her collar visible. One fore paw and one hind paw are touching each other in front of her and her tail runs beneath the hind leg and over the front leg. Her brother is sitting "behind" her as if curled around her raised head, looking over her shoulder at the photographer. Mostly all that can be seen of him is his head and tail. Two young black and white cats curled next to each other on a bed. the on in the right is curled anti-clockwise into herself, a pink collar showing around her neck. The one on the right is curled clockwise into himself, but not so much that he can't keep an eye on the photographer, resting his head against his sister's back just behind her shoulders.
August 2, 2025 at 8:51 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Overdue photos of Corby (whiter) and Robyn (blacker).

#CatsOfBlueSky #ProofOfCat #BlackAndWhiteCats #Caturday #Pets
A small black and white cat sitting on her haunches in a circular blue plastic laundry basket and looking directly up at the camera with wide eyes. Her head turned slightly to one side clearly showing distinguishing black spot on her muzzle. A young black and white cat sitting on a doughnut-shaped cat tunnel. He is now too large to fit in the centre so this is occupied by his hindquarters while his forequarters rest on the outer, front paws hanging over the edge. His head is up looking at the camera and showing a completely white frontage and forepaws except for the black spot on his chin. A young black and white cat sitting on top of a doughnut shaped cat tunnel. She is now a bit too big to fit neatly in the middle but she is doing her best. Her front paws are tucked under her on the outer and she is giving the camera a leave-me-alone look. A young black-and-white cat sprawled sound asleep on a sofa, white underside up. His rear legs are stuck up in the air and as he is turned to lie on one shoulder his forepaws are curled into the air in front of him. Black is visible around his ears and his tail, which stretches out away from the viewer.
July 11, 2025 at 12:13 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Corby and and Robyn mid scuffle, a serendipitous photo.

#CatsOfBlueSky #Caturday #BlackAndWhiteCats #Pets
Two young black and white cats, mid (friendly) scuffle on a grey chair. Corby, lying towards the back of the chair and facing the camera so showing mostly white, has just paused to lift his head and look straight up at the camera with a "what are you doing human?" expression on his face, his eyes golden with mid-size black pupils. His sister Robyn (who initiated the proceedings), back-to-the camera so showing mostly black, is curled around Corby's midsection and rear with one forepaw pressed into his hip and chewing on the mid-joint of his back leg. Just a glimpse of pink tongue and white teeth are visible if you look closely. Robyn's tail runs back along the chair and under her brother's raised head.
June 15, 2025 at 12:50 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Intensely focused on the Splendor board game.

#CatsOfBlueSky #ProofOfCat #BlackAndWhiteCats
A young black and white cat being firmly held to a teenager's shoulder, with his head twisted around to observe the table mostly out of frame. The teenager's features are obscured by the cat.
June 2, 2025 at 4:19 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
I've been meaning to take and post a photo of this mural down the road from my work in #Ōtautahi for some time. Today I had the time and the light.

"Be Kind, Always"

More by this artist at www.planetyikes.com

#Art #Artist #BigArt #Murals #StreetArt #BeKind
A mural covering the wall of a two-story building, slightly wider than the building is high. The words "Be Kind, Always" are scribed at the top left. The subject is a dark-haired, dusky skinned, ruddy cheeked young woman smiling out at the camera, her hands cupped up before her, and the lower edge of the mural is just below her shoulders and above her wrists. She is wearing a deep blue top which has a stars or galaxy pattern on its left shoulder (viewer's right). Blue and white speckles her cheekbones, runs down the bridge of her nose, peeks up above her eyebrows and radiates from her forehead just below the part in her long dark wavy hair. It's not clear if this is makeup, an inner glow or reflected light. Her hair also contains blue-white motes and a blue-and-yellow flower is tucked in above her left ear. A thin gold band is on the fourth finger of her left hand. Her hair also contains blue-white motes and a blue-and-yellow flower (or maybe a sixth butterfly) is tucked slightly above her left ear (viewer's right). A thin gold band is on the fourth finger of her left hand. Five butterflies are in mid-air in front of the woman. From the viewers left, the first and largest is clearly a monarch butterfly. (The others are probably identifiable if you know more about butterflies than I). The second, smaller with blue and purple wings, hovers between the cupped hands and is lit up like a firefly, this light clearly reflecting off chin and neck. Third and fourth are two small butterlies (purple-and blue and blue) are in front of the woman's shoulder, finally one larger, brightly coloured orange and blue is positioned above the shoulder and into the foreground. The background is magenta, fading out to the centre to give a glow to the woman. Solid ribbon-like shapes in darked red and orange give the impression of hearts or clouds. At the bottom left the artist has signed as JacobYikes (see image 2) The signature identifying a mural (see image 1) as being by "JacobYikes". A stylised lowercase "j" is at the top, followed by "Jacob Yikes" in all caps with no space separating the words. Below this, almost unreadable against the magenta background is the website address www.planetyikes.com and finally the Instagram handle @jacobyikes.
June 1, 2025 at 7:57 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Timeline cleanser

#CatsOfBlueSky #Caturday #ProofOfCat #BleckAndWhiteCats #Pets
Two young black and white cats curled up asleep on a brown sofa, their paws are overlapping so that between them they form a rough sideways figure 8. The photo is from above, showing that the one on the left is in a near purrfect clockwise circle, nose tucked in to the centre. The one at the right has rolled onto their back a little and has one hind elbow out and their head rolled around so that their chin points toward the camera.
May 17, 2025 at 11:36 PM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Sitting kitties.

#CatsOfBlueSky #Caturday #BlackAndWhiteCats #ProofOfCat
Corby, a young black and white cat, looking up innocently with wide eyes and pricked ears from the plastic container of paper and cardboard recycling that he has curled up in. Robyn, a young black and white cat, sitting in the hollow of a doughnut shaped cat tunnel. She is looking at the camera with her ears up and the distinctive black spot on her muzzle clearly visble, one forepaw resting out in front and the other tucked into her chest. The photo is taken from close to floor level so much of the interior of the tunnel is also visible, and in the background are a lawnmower and a stack of paint buckets.
April 27, 2025 at 9:11 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Kit^H^H^H Cats are back home and alternating between thundering about and asking for pets. They have grown significantly while we were away.

#CatsOfBlueSky #BlackAndWhiteCats #Pets
Corby, a black and white cat, sitting on a desk with one leg stuck out behind him. His body is about the length of the keyboard (with num pad) that he is lying behind. Lower corners of two computer monitors and other peripherals can been seen in the background. Robyn, a black and white cat with distinguishing black patches on her muzzle and hind leg, standing on a windowsill and sniffing at a hand which is being held our to her from the left. Her tail curls up and towards the camera. The window has a green aluminium frame and the background (outside) is a wooden slat fence.
April 13, 2025 at 11:32 PM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Achievement unlocked - sat on by a meerkat.

And some other critters from today.

#meerkat #wallaby #koala #marmoset #self #ParadiseCountry #GoldCoastAustralia
A meerkat perched on the head of a white-skinned mail wearing a grey floppy sunhat. He also has spectacles and a ginger beard. The meerkat is on all fours rather than the iconic bolt upright pose, but is definitely on watch and paying attention to something forward and to the right of the photo. A watermark at the bottom right credits "Paradise Country" in large text with "Gold Coast Australia" underneath in much smaller text. A young? red wallaby sitting in profile on its haunches on shady green grass. A patch of sunshine illuminates its face which has paler fur on its chin and a dark "mask" covering the upper muzzle and eyes. Head-first view of a marmoset lying on its back in a fabric swing or round hammock, large enough to hold several of it's kind. Both hands are reached up and gripping one of the swing cables. A koala clinging to a vertical branch. Much of the koala's body is obscured by leaves, but one eye, the nose and the far ear are all clearly visible framed by the branch and leaves.
April 5, 2025 at 8:12 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
"Me and my tubes" - a Robyn series.

#CatsOfBlueSky #Caturday #BlackAndWhiteCats
A young black and white cat playing with a cardboard tube. She is looking at the camera a little wild-eyed with one end of the tube up under her chin. Her forepaws are wrapped around the middle of the tube and her rear paws are a motion blur as they scrabble against the lower tube. A young black and white cat playing with a cardboard tube. She has her muzzle buried in one end of the tube. Her forepaws are wrapped around the end of the tube with her rear paws pulled up against the underside so she is in a croissant shape with the tube sticking out in one direction and her tail in another. A young black and white cat with her head and shoulders obscured through a mid-entry in a striped run tube. Also protruding is a cardboard tube which she is partially wrapped around. A young black and white cat emerging from an entrance part-way along a striped fabric run-tube and looking up at the camera.
March 22, 2025 at 12:12 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Timeline cleanser - sleeping kittens plus bonus Corby-in-a-bag pic.

#CatsOfBlueSky, #BlackAndWhiteCats #Kittens
Two black and white kittens/young cats lying across a lap. Robyn, at the top, has her head resting on her brother's flank and Corby in turn is tucked under her forequarter. The person trapped beneath then is wearing a dark-coloured dress patterned with small stars. A black and white kitten / young cat sitting at the bottom of a large fabric bag (photo is taken from above). He looks a bit surprised to find himself there, despite just having hopped in of his own accord. The interior of the bag is blue and the outside is white with bright blue, red and green patterning obliquely visible.
March 16, 2025 at 12:45 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Old stock #roses smell as good as they look.

#BloomScrolling
A yellow rose bloom with another just opening beside it. The rose bush is in a pot and more potted roses, some of them showing small red blooms, are in the background. A yellow rose bloom with another just opening beside it. The rose bush is in a pot and another potted rose showing a small red bloom, is in the background. This photo is taken more straight-on than the previous one.
March 9, 2025 at 7:48 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Tonight in "Whose limb is whose?"

#CatsOfBlueSky #EveryDayIsCaturday #BlackAndWhiteCats #Kittens #Pets
Coby (atop) and Robyn (underneath), two black and white kittens curled around and over each other. Each has one hind leg stuck out above the other's shoulder, but it is difficult to tell at a glance which part of the pile is which kitten.
March 4, 2025 at 9:07 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
I'm accumulating photos of the kittens faster than I have the time and energy to caption and upload them. Eventually I'll put up a full gallery. Meanwhile here are some of the latest of them together.

#CatsOfBlueSky #Caturday #BlackAndWhiteCats #Kittens #Pets
Robyn and Corby, two black and white kittens, asleep on a chair. Robyn is curled around the front, black back towards the camera, head tucked slightly to one side showing the black spot on her muzzle. Corby is up against the back of the chair, white underside towards the camera, forepaws extended around the side of his sister's head. His head is twisted in the other direction with his chin resting on his shoulder. Empty paper bags are the best, especially when you can leap out of them and attack your brother. Two black-and-white kittens in a photo lit by the late-afternoon sun. Robyn is mostly concealed, lying on her back in a heavy paper bag which used to hold 5kg of potatoes, forepaws resting on the upper edge of the opening. Corby is stretched out on the carpet just in front of the bag, facing away from the camera and watching his sister closely. Activity is about to erupt. In the background a felted "donut" combined cat-tunnel/bed can be seen. Two black and white kittens sharing the hollow on top of a felted "donut" cat tunnel. Robyn is on the bottom, taking up most of the hollow, with a forepaw resting on her brother's back and one hind lef sticking out underneath him towards the camera, all beans visible.. She has just looked up from grooming her brother with a "what are you doing, human" look on her face. Coby is lying across Robyn, back t the camera, with his rear overflowing onto the the side of the donut. His hip is prominent and his tail is wrapped around one hind leg. He is still in the process of grooming his sister. Two black and white kittens are curled up yin-yang style on a blue and red duvet cover. Each has their forepaws atop the others hip, and both have just lifted their heads from napping to squint at the camera. Corby (left) is looking directly at the camera, while Robyn, right (distinguishable by the black patch on her muzzle) is looking off to the side past the photographer.
February 25, 2025 at 7:25 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
There is a lot of frustration and worry in our household at the moment, so the kittens have turned out to be invaluable sanity-savers.

#CatsOfBlueSky #EveryDayIsCaturday #BlackAndWhiteCats #Kittens
Corby (front) and Robyn (back), two black and white kittens, lying back-to-back and head-to-butt on a blue and yellow striped duvet cover. Corby has his forelegs stretched out and hind legs/tail perpendicular in sort of a reversed "L" shape and Robyn has her hind legs and tail stretched our and her foreleg just sort of angled away. Both have been asleep but have lifted their heads to look fuzzily at the photographer, in Robyn's case this means looking over her shoulder. Robyn in action with one of the kitten's shared favourite toys, a brightly covered fabric ball on a string. She is lying on her side, paws a blur of action while the ball swings away from her. The photo camera has focussed perfectly on her face. In the background is another of their favourite toys, a small stuffed fish. Long Corby is long - Corby is lying on his stomach atop a supply of brown cardboard moving boxes, which are collapsed and stored upright leaning against the end of a bed. His hind legs are tucked out behind him adding to the impression of length. He is looking towards the camera and his mouth is slightly open in what will turn into a yawn but at this point just gives the impression of a big grin.
February 20, 2025 at 10:02 PM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Flop, lick, cuddle puddle: a story in three images.

(Completely unphased by the loud table of roleplayers right next to them.)

#Caturday #CatsOfBlueSky #BlackAndWhiteCats #Kittens
Image 1: Corby, black and white kitten #1, curled up asleep on very pale blue footstool. His head is towards the camera with his hind legs and tail tucked under his chin. You can see that the white stripes up his shoulders are joined by a very thin white-mixed-with-black strip across his back. Image 2: If the previous photo was taken from the front, this photo is taken from the side. Corby is in basically the same position (curled up, hind legs and tail under chin) but is mostly obscured by his sister Robyn (black and white kitten #2) who has climbed atop him and is licking his his head. You can only really see her left fore-quarter and the side of her head, but it's difficult to tell where one kitten ends and the other begins. Image 3: Robyn is fully draped over Corby's shoulders with her tail and hindlegs tucked under his chin on one side and her head and crossed forepaws on the other, the distinguishing black spot on her muzzle clearly visible. All that can be seen of Corby is his head one paw and the end of his tail, such that the overall effect is of one kitten with two heads. Both kittens appear to be soundly asleep.
February 17, 2025 at 7:19 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Irregular kitties photo dump. Corby really likes getting into rubbish baskets, but Robyn is more a recycling sort of girl. Corby is also really easy to get photos of, Robyn not so much.

#CatsOfBliueSky #Caturday #BalckAndWhiteCats #Kittens #Pets
Corbyn, a black and white kitten, lying on his back in a woven rubbish bin about the size of a bucket which has been tipped on it's side. He is looking towards the top right of the photo such that his face is almost completely in profile with only one eye visible. The angle of the shot means that his hindquarters are obscured by the rim of the basket. Robyn, a black and white kitten, sitting upright in a battered A4 cardboard box which is used to collect paper for recycling. She is facing almost directly towards the camera with narrowed eyes and the signature spot on her muzzle clearly visible The angle of the shot means that her legs are hidden by the rim of the box, but her tail sticks out to the side in an upwards curl.. Corbyn, a black and white kitten, sitting upright in a wooden slat rubbish bin about the size of a bucket. He is facing almost directly towards the camera.. The angle of the shot means that his forepaws and the tail curled around them are obscured by the rim of the basket. Robyn, a back and white kitten with a black spot on her muzzle, sitting side-on between three pillars at the base of a cat tree. Her head is turned to look directly at the camera with an unimpressed expression. The photo is slightly fuzzy and out of focus.
February 7, 2025 at 10:07 PM
marsdennz.bsky.social
How am I going to get anything done today? #LetSleepingCatsLie
(actually up and about now)

#CatsOfBlueSky #Caturday #BlackAndWhiteCats #Kittens #LetSleepingCatsLie
Selfie taken lengthwise along a bed from the haedboard end. The unimportant human is mostly obscured by bedding; near to the camera a small black and white cat (Corby) is curled up on the human's chest with butt and tail tucked under the chin. About 2/3 along the bed another small black and white cat (Robyn) is curled between the human's legs, one rear leg raised as she cleans her foot. Closer photo of the second small black and white cat (Robyn) from the previous image. She is curled up on a duvet between someone's legs, white rear leg raised and toes spread as she cleans her foot.
February 5, 2025 at 10:17 PM
marsdennz.bsky.social
Now with names, Robyn and Corbyn

#CatsOfBlueSky #BlackAndWhiteCats #Kittens
Robyn, a black and white kitten with goldy brown eyes and a black splotch on her muzzle, stands front-on, ears-up looking up at the camera. Focus is on her face and her body is slightly blurred but her tail is up in a question-mark shape. In the background is a red-brown beanbag which she is not quite butting up against. Corbyn, a black and white kitten with goldy brown eyes, ears up, sitting on his haunches to the left and looing almost over his shoulder to the right. He is on a platform in a cat tree and the pillar rises directly behind him.
January 31, 2025 at 8:49 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
New additions to the household have arrived.

#CatsOfBlueSky #Kittens
Two back-and-white kittens on a concrete floor. on the left one (distinguishable by the spot on her nose) is lying down and on the right one is sitting up intently watching a toy which is being dangled at the top-right. Motion blur on both the toy and this kitten as he lifts his paw. In the background can bee seen the base of a large cat-tree and the legs of someone sitting cross-legged on a beanbag (dangling the toy, although this is not explicit in the photo).
January 30, 2025 at 8:51 AM
marsdennz.bsky.social
But it has been a very productive weekend.

marsden-online.dreamwidth.org/1047263.html
A to-do list written on a whiteboard. The items range from "Shampoo carpets" to "sew on button" in scale. Most items are marked off, of have an indicator of completion next to them.
January 26, 2025 at 10:38 AM