Kate Collins's Blog, page 51
October 22, 2018
Escape to the River
by Maggie Sefton
My photo of all the trees surrounding the River House refused to copy to my Cozy Chicks Blog post tonight. Some weird problem with Blogger. I'll apologize for Blogger's problems. I'll post it to Facebook right after this post gets into the Blogger line to appear at 12:00am Tuesday, October 23rd.
I love the change of seasons. Every year I delight in watching the changes in Nature that occur around me. Whether it's Colorado or Northern Virginia where I am now, I always make time every day to sit outside---unless it's absolutely frigid Winter----and watch the trees surrounding me. Mid to Late Autumn can also be dramatic times of the year. By that time, the last warmth of Summer has slipped away to await Spring. Chilly, brisk winds start to blow, rustling the leaves in the tall trees, urging them to start their Winter changes---sap slowing down in the trees "veins." That's how I've always described it. Maybe that's overly dramatic, but, hey, I'm a novelist, right? :)
Right now, I'm writing on a Monday so I can make sure this Cozy Chicks Blog post will appear on Tuesday morning at 12:00am. Yes, folks, the Cozy Chicks Blog has readers and friends all over. And they like to see what the Cozy Chicks are doing. Looking outside beyond the deck at the Riverhouse, the tree tops in the thick woods across from me are gently swaying at the very tops, catching a breeze. The bright sun is shining and temps are in the 60s. Fall, for sure.
I can't smell Autumn in the air yet, but in another week I bet I can. I hope Fall weather has appeared in your neighborhoods, readers and friends. It's time for fires in the fireplace and roasting
marshmallows. My daughter Maria, her husband John, and his 13-year old son Johnny came down to the Riverhouse to relax and enjoy with me this past weekend. And we finished off Saturday night dinner with roasting marshmallows in the fireplace. They live amidst the hectic Metro Madness of NoVirginia/WashDC/Suburban MD and they absolutely love escaping down here to relax and enjoy being surrounded by trees and peace and quiet. Peering into the woods now, I bet one of the deer will be poking its head out and venturing across the road to see what might be left to nibble on in my gardens. Good luck, Deer.
My photo of all the trees surrounding the River House refused to copy to my Cozy Chicks Blog post tonight. Some weird problem with Blogger. I'll apologize for Blogger's problems. I'll post it to Facebook right after this post gets into the Blogger line to appear at 12:00am Tuesday, October 23rd.
I love the change of seasons. Every year I delight in watching the changes in Nature that occur around me. Whether it's Colorado or Northern Virginia where I am now, I always make time every day to sit outside---unless it's absolutely frigid Winter----and watch the trees surrounding me. Mid to Late Autumn can also be dramatic times of the year. By that time, the last warmth of Summer has slipped away to await Spring. Chilly, brisk winds start to blow, rustling the leaves in the tall trees, urging them to start their Winter changes---sap slowing down in the trees "veins." That's how I've always described it. Maybe that's overly dramatic, but, hey, I'm a novelist, right? :)
Right now, I'm writing on a Monday so I can make sure this Cozy Chicks Blog post will appear on Tuesday morning at 12:00am. Yes, folks, the Cozy Chicks Blog has readers and friends all over. And they like to see what the Cozy Chicks are doing. Looking outside beyond the deck at the Riverhouse, the tree tops in the thick woods across from me are gently swaying at the very tops, catching a breeze. The bright sun is shining and temps are in the 60s. Fall, for sure.
I can't smell Autumn in the air yet, but in another week I bet I can. I hope Fall weather has appeared in your neighborhoods, readers and friends. It's time for fires in the fireplace and roasting
marshmallows. My daughter Maria, her husband John, and his 13-year old son Johnny came down to the Riverhouse to relax and enjoy with me this past weekend. And we finished off Saturday night dinner with roasting marshmallows in the fireplace. They live amidst the hectic Metro Madness of NoVirginia/WashDC/Suburban MD and they absolutely love escaping down here to relax and enjoy being surrounded by trees and peace and quiet. Peering into the woods now, I bet one of the deer will be poking its head out and venturing across the road to see what might be left to nibble on in my gardens. Good luck, Deer.
October 21, 2018
CAN A COMPUTER WRITE A BOOK?
By Mary Kennedy
Yes, I know the photo doesn't really go with the title, but hey, it's a lot more fun to see a kitty at a computer than just a computer running by itself, right?
The idea of whether a computer can write a book (especially a book that would fool a human or tempt a human to buy it) has been around for a long time.
You've heard of National Novel Writing month, right? It's an annual challenge that urges people to complete a 50,000 word novel on a deadline. And here's a new twist. A hundred people are working on computer programs that will write a novel for them. What kind of novels (good, bad or indifferent?). I guess that's for all of us to decide.
I wonder if the person working on the computer generated book suffers as much self-doubt and angst as traditional writers? After all, no one ever said writing was easy.
Alan Turing asked, "Can computers think?" There's a flurry of interest in Turing, due to the Benedict Cumberbatch movie about his life. If you agree that computers can think, I guess the next question is, can they be creative? And do they have any writing ability?
Can an AI (artificial intelligence) book ever match the one produced by human blood sweat and tears? I honestly don't know. How about you? Would you read a book written by a computer? I'm on the fence about this. It's an interesting idea,but I'm not completely convinced.
Mary Kennedy
Yes, I know the photo doesn't really go with the title, but hey, it's a lot more fun to see a kitty at a computer than just a computer running by itself, right?
The idea of whether a computer can write a book (especially a book that would fool a human or tempt a human to buy it) has been around for a long time.
You've heard of National Novel Writing month, right? It's an annual challenge that urges people to complete a 50,000 word novel on a deadline. And here's a new twist. A hundred people are working on computer programs that will write a novel for them. What kind of novels (good, bad or indifferent?). I guess that's for all of us to decide.
I wonder if the person working on the computer generated book suffers as much self-doubt and angst as traditional writers? After all, no one ever said writing was easy.
Alan Turing asked, "Can computers think?" There's a flurry of interest in Turing, due to the Benedict Cumberbatch movie about his life. If you agree that computers can think, I guess the next question is, can they be creative? And do they have any writing ability?
Can an AI (artificial intelligence) book ever match the one produced by human blood sweat and tears? I honestly don't know. How about you? Would you read a book written by a computer? I'm on the fence about this. It's an interesting idea,but I'm not completely convinced.
Mary Kennedy
October 19, 2018
It's that time of year...
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
Mr. L's painting of our cottage view.Back when I was in my early 20s, my parents fulfilled a dream: they bought a summer cottage. I won't tell you how many years that cottage has been in my family, but it's been a LOT of years. At the beginning, my brothers got the main use of the place. But as their kids got older, they didn't want to go. They wanted to be with their friends. Too bad for my brothers, good for my folks and Mr. L and I. (Can you say "peace and quiet?")
My folks would use the cottage during the workweek, and we would use it on the weekends. And then when my Dad cut down on driving on expressways, they would come with us. We had a lot of fun doing yard sales together and hanging out at Happy Hour.
Now they're gone and Mr. L and I have the cottage to ourselves and we love it as much as our house. But it is only a summer cottage and summer officially ended a month ago. Thanks to baseboard heat, and municipal water, we have been able to stretch the season from three months to six. That six months is over. It's time to close it down for the winter.
There are other things to miss, too--like visiting our two favorite restaurants where they know us. We walk in and the bartenders start making our drinks before we even sit down. They know our favorite meals ("I'll bet you get the fish fry today!"). Even though we're only summer people, they make us feel like a part of the scenery. It's hard to hear, "See you next year!"
I always feel sad leaving the cottage to face those icy winds that travel across the lake from Canada. Even though it's only 40 miles from Rochester, tt snows a LOT MORE at the cottage, When the snow is coming down an inch an hour and the wind is howling, I often think of our little cottage sitting there all alone and freezing. I find myself going through my pictures and long for the spring when we'll return to pick up all the sticks that have fallen in the yard, rake up the pine needles we missed the fall before, and haul out the chairs on the deck.
It's only October but already I'm thinking about May.
Mr. L's painting of our cottage view.Back when I was in my early 20s, my parents fulfilled a dream: they bought a summer cottage. I won't tell you how many years that cottage has been in my family, but it's been a LOT of years. At the beginning, my brothers got the main use of the place. But as their kids got older, they didn't want to go. They wanted to be with their friends. Too bad for my brothers, good for my folks and Mr. L and I. (Can you say "peace and quiet?")My folks would use the cottage during the workweek, and we would use it on the weekends. And then when my Dad cut down on driving on expressways, they would come with us. We had a lot of fun doing yard sales together and hanging out at Happy Hour.
Now they're gone and Mr. L and I have the cottage to ourselves and we love it as much as our house. But it is only a summer cottage and summer officially ended a month ago. Thanks to baseboard heat, and municipal water, we have been able to stretch the season from three months to six. That six months is over. It's time to close it down for the winter.
There are other things to miss, too--like visiting our two favorite restaurants where they know us. We walk in and the bartenders start making our drinks before we even sit down. They know our favorite meals ("I'll bet you get the fish fry today!"). Even though we're only summer people, they make us feel like a part of the scenery. It's hard to hear, "See you next year!"I always feel sad leaving the cottage to face those icy winds that travel across the lake from Canada. Even though it's only 40 miles from Rochester, tt snows a LOT MORE at the cottage, When the snow is coming down an inch an hour and the wind is howling, I often think of our little cottage sitting there all alone and freezing. I find myself going through my pictures and long for the spring when we'll return to pick up all the sticks that have fallen in the yard, rake up the pine needles we missed the fall before, and haul out the chairs on the deck.
It's only October but already I'm thinking about May.
October 17, 2018
Respite on a Rainy Day
by Karen Rose Smith
The last week in September and the first week of October were extremely busy. I had overbooked doctors' appointments and vet appointments, in addition to meeting with contractors for a bathroom remodel. I had also made arrangement for a lunch visit with a good friend and agreed to pet sit for another friend who lives 40 minutes away. To top it off, I received the final edit of my latest romance with a short turnaround time. Needless to say, I was out of energy and motivation by the end of last week.
Saturday was a dreary morning with pouring rain, so hubby said, "Let’s go to Jacquelyn’s." He’d been there before but I hadn’t. It’s an adorable coffee shop near my home. It has the ambiance of a coffee shop at the shore and offers delightful treats and luncheon items along with a full menu of specialty coffees.
A cappuccino, a raspberry pinwheel and a fireplace provided a delightful, albeit brief, respite and time to just relax without my phone or computer. We enjoyed time together before heading back to our daily routine.
An impulsive decision to get out of the house and find some quiet time can go a long way to alleviate the stresses of everyday life. Our coffee date was a reminder that we need to make time to take a deep breath and enjoy the simple things...like a chat by a fire while sipping coffee and snacking on a sweet treat. Those are the things that make life cozier and sweeter!
The last week in September and the first week of October were extremely busy. I had overbooked doctors' appointments and vet appointments, in addition to meeting with contractors for a bathroom remodel. I had also made arrangement for a lunch visit with a good friend and agreed to pet sit for another friend who lives 40 minutes away. To top it off, I received the final edit of my latest romance with a short turnaround time. Needless to say, I was out of energy and motivation by the end of last week.
Saturday was a dreary morning with pouring rain, so hubby said, "Let’s go to Jacquelyn’s." He’d been there before but I hadn’t. It’s an adorable coffee shop near my home. It has the ambiance of a coffee shop at the shore and offers delightful treats and luncheon items along with a full menu of specialty coffees.
A cappuccino, a raspberry pinwheel and a fireplace provided a delightful, albeit brief, respite and time to just relax without my phone or computer. We enjoyed time together before heading back to our daily routine.
An impulsive decision to get out of the house and find some quiet time can go a long way to alleviate the stresses of everyday life. Our coffee date was a reminder that we need to make time to take a deep breath and enjoy the simple things...like a chat by a fire while sipping coffee and snacking on a sweet treat. Those are the things that make life cozier and sweeter!
October 16, 2018
Trouble on Mackinac Island
Smugglers on the hunt, a police chief on the run, lost loot and a dead wedding planner have the Mackinac Island regulars riding in circles
Book three of Cycle Path Mysteriesavailable November 5
Evie Bloomfied here on Mackinac Island. Fall is in full swing with the leaves changing colors, horses taken off island on the big ferries to rest up for next year and the budgies are waiting till next summer to visit us again. All in all things are quite but...
there is trouble brewing.
After solving two murders, I thought life on Mackinac Island would settle into boredom until I found out Nate Sutter, island police chief and once-upon-a-time under cover cop is on the run. Some badass guys from Nate’s Detroit days think he stole money from them in a champagne smuggling operation and now they’re headed to the island to get their loot.
I’m determined to help Nate because he’s a good cop and I kind of got a thing for him, Nate’s determined to keep me and the island locals out of harms way, and the crooks are determined to get their money.To add to the island’s problems there’s a dead guy on the dock and the new wedding planner around here is more interested in playing bedroom bingo than ordering bridal bouquets.
With the help of Fiona, my BFF and local newspaper editor, I’m going to prove Nate innocent if it’s the last thing I do, figure out how champagne smuggling, bodies on the dock and a bad wedding planner are tied together and hopefully not wind up taking a long walk off a short pier myself.
Wish me luck!
A map of Mackinac Island according to Cycle Path Mysteries
October 15, 2018
October 14, 2018
PARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS?
By Mary Kennedy
If you're like me, Paris is always calling! I had the luxury of living in France during my college days and have traveled back there since then. It's always fun to speak the language when you visit a foreign country and I've found the French to be quite forgiving when I make clumsy mistakes. (I never quite mastered the verb tenses and the subjunctive is always baffling. For example, try to to translate, "If I'd known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.")
If you'd like to study French from at the university level, there are many online options. Just google Fluent U, Babbel, the open learning initiative from Carnegie Mellon and more.Take a beginner course, an intermediate or advanced one and you'll be chatting away in no time!
Another possibility is to use Rosetta Stone or the Pimsleur method. They're quite different approaches to learning French, so be sure to read the reviews before deciding on which is right for you. Watch for sales on both Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur.
If you just want to brush up with your French skills, there are three fun sites that I use.
1. With Duolingo, you can learn any language for free. You are presented with very short "classes" and then take a quiz on what you've learned before moving on to the next section. There are some bells and whistles and on the whole, it's fun and entertaining.
2, Another site I really enjoy is French Word a Day. It comes out three times a week, and the author, Kristin Espinasse, writes an entertaining blog about her life in France, her family, and always adds some useful phrases. Kristin is an American ex-pat, married to a Frenchman, and lives in the south of France, one of my favorite areas of the country. She's also a gifted photographer. It's free to subscribe to her blog, although she is grateful for donations.
3. Finally, you can subscribe to Frederic's Talk in French newsletter. He provides vocabulary, slang expressions and much more. It's fun!Hope you try one of these approaches and you'll be chatting away on your next trip to France.
Mary Kennedy
If you're like me, Paris is always calling! I had the luxury of living in France during my college days and have traveled back there since then. It's always fun to speak the language when you visit a foreign country and I've found the French to be quite forgiving when I make clumsy mistakes. (I never quite mastered the verb tenses and the subjunctive is always baffling. For example, try to to translate, "If I'd known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.")
If you'd like to study French from at the university level, there are many online options. Just google Fluent U, Babbel, the open learning initiative from Carnegie Mellon and more.Take a beginner course, an intermediate or advanced one and you'll be chatting away in no time!
Another possibility is to use Rosetta Stone or the Pimsleur method. They're quite different approaches to learning French, so be sure to read the reviews before deciding on which is right for you. Watch for sales on both Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur.
If you just want to brush up with your French skills, there are three fun sites that I use.
1. With Duolingo, you can learn any language for free. You are presented with very short "classes" and then take a quiz on what you've learned before moving on to the next section. There are some bells and whistles and on the whole, it's fun and entertaining.
2, Another site I really enjoy is French Word a Day. It comes out three times a week, and the author, Kristin Espinasse, writes an entertaining blog about her life in France, her family, and always adds some useful phrases. Kristin is an American ex-pat, married to a Frenchman, and lives in the south of France, one of my favorite areas of the country. She's also a gifted photographer. It's free to subscribe to her blog, although she is grateful for donations.
3. Finally, you can subscribe to Frederic's Talk in French newsletter. He provides vocabulary, slang expressions and much more. It's fun!Hope you try one of these approaches and you'll be chatting away on your next trip to France.
Mary Kennedy
October 13, 2018
The Spotlight is on Life on Victoria Square
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
It's really fall. We had such a hot summer, and it lasted through this past week, so these new-to-me temps in the 50s are downright COLD. Of course, this is just the prelude to what's supposed to be a REALLY frigid winter.
Yippee. (Not!)
Now that it's colder, I'm thinking about different foods, too. Like soups, stews, roasted veggies (and chicken).
I put together a selection of my favorite recipes in a a book, RECIPES TO DIE FOR (A Victoria Square Cookbook). Of course, it was more fun to present it from my character Katie Bonner's point of view and included recipes from the Artisans Alley vendors and other merchants on Victoria Square.
At my friend (and Cozy Chick emeritus) Ellery Adams suggested that I start with the signature beverages of some of the characters. What fun I had finding unusual drinks such as the "corpse reviver" and "the Black Widow." But my favorite section of the book contains slow-cooker recipes.
Don't you just love simple, good-tasting food. I love to toss the ingredients into the slow-cooker and six or eight hours later serve up a one-dish meal (okay, crusty Italian or French bread covered in butter goes with just about everything).Here's one of my favorites, written from Katie's POV.
Slow-Cooked BeefWhen I was in grad school, I never had time to cook. My husband, Chad, was just as busy working full time as an English teacher at McKinlay Mill High and spending his off hours at Artisans Alley. It was Chad who made most of our dinners in those days, and he often started our meals in the slow cooker before he went to work.
Ingredients
1 pound round steak or roast
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 - 1 ½ teaspoon dried mustard
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onions, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
Turn on slow cooker to low. In a small bowl, mix tomatoes, sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Place meat on the bottom of the cooker. Cover with onions and peppers. Pour the liquid ingredients over the meat and vegetables. Cook for 7 to 9 hours. Serve over cooked rice or noodles.
Yield: 4 servings
That's just one example of what you'll find in Recipes To Die For.You can have your own trade paperback or ebook copy of the book, too!
Amazon (paperback)
Kindle
Kindle Worldwide
Nook
Kobo
Apple Books
October 12, 2018
It's Friday!
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
I haven't had a day job in thirteen years, and yet I still look forward to Friday afternoon. I got out at 3 pm (after starting at 6 am -- loved those flexible hours). Of course, the truth is, I work a lot harder and longer hours now that I work for myself than I ever did when I "worked for the man."
Friday. It's kind of a fun word.
Fridays often mean FISH FRY DAY. Around my neck of the woods, that means beer-battered fried haddock. That's the fish of choice. It's really quite wonderful. And the fries. Yum. I like the kind that come with a little bit of cornmeal on them. Makes them extra crunchy. Of course, crinkle fries are pretty good, too. Doused in malt vinegar .... mmm mmm good!
Friday is the gateway to Saturday. From May until early October, that means YARD SALE SEASON. (In fact, I'm going to two yard sales this very morning because soon I'll be going through withdrawal.) The faux roses and the milk glass vase in the picture at right came from a rummage sale last week. The roses were 50 cents; the vase was a quarter. They look quite pretty in my living room. I have an old rose bush out in the yard and the blooms are the same color and size. It has only two blooms right now (and it's a BIG bush), so this vase of flowers will be a nice reminder until it blooms again next spring.
Friday. Can't help it. I still look forward to it.
What's your favorite day of the week?
I haven't had a day job in thirteen years, and yet I still look forward to Friday afternoon. I got out at 3 pm (after starting at 6 am -- loved those flexible hours). Of course, the truth is, I work a lot harder and longer hours now that I work for myself than I ever did when I "worked for the man."
Friday. It's kind of a fun word.
Fridays often mean FISH FRY DAY. Around my neck of the woods, that means beer-battered fried haddock. That's the fish of choice. It's really quite wonderful. And the fries. Yum. I like the kind that come with a little bit of cornmeal on them. Makes them extra crunchy. Of course, crinkle fries are pretty good, too. Doused in malt vinegar .... mmm mmm good!
Friday is the gateway to Saturday. From May until early October, that means YARD SALE SEASON. (In fact, I'm going to two yard sales this very morning because soon I'll be going through withdrawal.) The faux roses and the milk glass vase in the picture at right came from a rummage sale last week. The roses were 50 cents; the vase was a quarter. They look quite pretty in my living room. I have an old rose bush out in the yard and the blooms are the same color and size. It has only two blooms right now (and it's a BIG bush), so this vase of flowers will be a nice reminder until it blooms again next spring.Friday. Can't help it. I still look forward to it.
What's your favorite day of the week?
October 11, 2018
Feline Outdoor Shelter Time
by Karen Rose Smith
As you plan your fall holiday decorations, remember your outside feline visitors. Cold weather is harsh on outside cats. You don't have to spend a lot of money to provide strays the things we take for granted--shelter and warmth. A bale or two of straw can be used to shield already protected areas on your property from cold winter winds. Plastic storage bins can be converted into cat shelters. My husband and I try to give our outside visitors options. Below are several of the shelters we provide. Hopefully our outside cats will choose one or two.
A shelter in an island garden protected by a weeping spruceWe have a patio sun room that we keep open throughout the year. For winter we put a shelter with a heated bed inside one area, a heated pad in another.
Link to Extreme Weather Heat Pad
In addition, I lay thermal heat pads on the furniture in the sun room.
The outside shelters we provide close to the house also have low wattage heat pads inside. Among them are an igloo and cedar shelters. If you'd like to consider making a shelter yourself, here is a link:
DIY Shelter
Alley Cat Allies also has pages of pre-built and DIY shelters to examine, many with instructions.
Alley Cat Allies Shelters
One caution about multi-cat shelters. Feral and stray cats don't usually like to share. So if you have more than one visitor, be sure to offer more than one safe spot. And sometimes a stray would prefer to have the whole property to himself or herself!
We use straw bales as buffers and protection for the shelters against the elements. Since the flowers are gone and plants don't provide much cover, the bales are also useful on the patio to break the wind. Ornamental grasses are available in the garden throughout the winter and shelters can be placed near them for added protection.
My husband just picked up this year's straw bales.Straw is the preferred bedding if the shelter doesn't have a heat pad. Hay, used as animal feed, gets soggy. Straw is sturdier than hay, usually a golden color. Moisture rolls off of it rather than sinking in. Towels and carpet become damp and mildewed. Cats can rest on straw and it keeps them warm with their body heat.
Also important in winter are heated water bowls. We notice the strays drink more water in winter than summer because it's harder to find a water supply. Here is one option we use, but many kinds and brands are available.
Heated Bowl
Keeping these stray fur babies safe is a challenge. Hopefully they'll take advantage of our hospitality.
As you plan your fall holiday decorations, remember your outside feline visitors. Cold weather is harsh on outside cats. You don't have to spend a lot of money to provide strays the things we take for granted--shelter and warmth. A bale or two of straw can be used to shield already protected areas on your property from cold winter winds. Plastic storage bins can be converted into cat shelters. My husband and I try to give our outside visitors options. Below are several of the shelters we provide. Hopefully our outside cats will choose one or two.
A shelter in an island garden protected by a weeping spruceWe have a patio sun room that we keep open throughout the year. For winter we put a shelter with a heated bed inside one area, a heated pad in another.
Link to Extreme Weather Heat Pad
In addition, I lay thermal heat pads on the furniture in the sun room.
The outside shelters we provide close to the house also have low wattage heat pads inside. Among them are an igloo and cedar shelters. If you'd like to consider making a shelter yourself, here is a link:
DIY Shelter
Alley Cat Allies also has pages of pre-built and DIY shelters to examine, many with instructions.
Alley Cat Allies Shelters
One caution about multi-cat shelters. Feral and stray cats don't usually like to share. So if you have more than one visitor, be sure to offer more than one safe spot. And sometimes a stray would prefer to have the whole property to himself or herself!
We use straw bales as buffers and protection for the shelters against the elements. Since the flowers are gone and plants don't provide much cover, the bales are also useful on the patio to break the wind. Ornamental grasses are available in the garden throughout the winter and shelters can be placed near them for added protection.
My husband just picked up this year's straw bales.Straw is the preferred bedding if the shelter doesn't have a heat pad. Hay, used as animal feed, gets soggy. Straw is sturdier than hay, usually a golden color. Moisture rolls off of it rather than sinking in. Towels and carpet become damp and mildewed. Cats can rest on straw and it keeps them warm with their body heat.
Also important in winter are heated water bowls. We notice the strays drink more water in winter than summer because it's harder to find a water supply. Here is one option we use, but many kinds and brands are available.
Heated Bowl
Keeping these stray fur babies safe is a challenge. Hopefully they'll take advantage of our hospitality.
