This week has just been filled with challenges, but more about those in a minute. Last weekend was the annual balloon festival in our area and it is called Aloft! They used to call it Freedom Weekend Aloft because it is during the Memorial Day weekend. But for some reason the organizers must not be too fond of the freedom thing so they dropped that from the name. Over the years we’ve seen lots of hot air balloons and a couple of years ago one of them made a splash landing in our lake. At least I got to see a few of them this year so my T.G.I.F. for today is That Gizmo Is Floating!!!
None of the hot air balloons really came close to our place this year. Oh well, maybe we’ll get to see more of them next year.
Anyways, we’ve had some challenges this week with our blog. Several of you tried to visit and were rudely told we were not available due to a server error. Dang, turns out we were exceeding our bandwidth that we are allowed to use from our hosting service. We are back to normal, at least so far, and we are working hard on a permanent fix. The spam doesn’t help either. I have been getting upwards of 700 spam comments each day. So, since I am a super non-fan of the Captcha things, I’ve opted for the little check box that you simply have to check to say you’re not a spammer. It seems to work great on this end as we’ve dropped to only 1 or 2 spam comments per day. Sorry to inconvenience you with that check-the-box thing, but I seriously had to do something. We had a similar problem with our other blog ForeverHomeWanted.com and have made the same adjustments over there. Technology sure can be fun!
But it’s Friday, and we’re all sure ready for the weekend. Sister Dolly is going to the Vet tomorrow but she doesn’t know it yet, so let’s keep that between us since it’s pretty much just routine stuff. Hey, Dad will get to look in on Ray Charles & Sister Rachael while they are there.
I hope you all have a fun weekend and be sure and stop by tomorrow for Sister Saturday with Precious. Remember, adopt cats, we deserve it!!!!! More Forever Homes More Often! Purrrrr! Zip! Later!
Hi Brian!
That looks like some fun kitty TV!!
We sure are glad you decided not to do the captcha thingies! Mom has sooo much trouble with those with her vision challenges, and the verbal ones aren’t any better!
We hope you has a great weekend!
Purrs,
Carmine, Milita, and Jewel
Cool that you could sit in your window and watch them hot air balloons !
700 spam comments a DAY ??!!
I don´t think I got as many as that on all the 2 years I have been blogging 🙂
Hope your spamfilter will work it´s really a pain in the a.. with thoose spammers !
Happy weekend to you 🙂
When I had the other blog I got almost as much spam as that. It drove me nuts. Hope they got it all fixed.
So Ray Charles and Sister Rachael are still there. I sure hope they find a most wonderful home.
Have a great week end.
Poor sister dolly… I wont tell her….. Hilary
Hey Brian, what is Dolly’s cell number? I want to text her. I wish someone filled me in on what was happening to me this week… XOXO Lucy PS tell Gracie thanks for the snuggles. I would love that. My brother told me how great a snuggler she is and I promised to one day give her a kiss from him…
We hope it fixes the spam problem. I don’t like balloons they frighten me. Have a fabulous Friday.
Best wishes Molly
We will rev up our purrs for Ray Charles and Sister Rachael to get their furever home very soon. Sorry you have a spam problem we wondered why we had to tick the box and hope it works. We would love to have seen those balloons although we’re not so keen on the noise when they turn the burner up to get more height.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
Didn’t they offer to give you a ride?
I think they make a lot of noise sometimes.
I love going to the vet. Tell Dolly to act cute, and they will go crazy over her.
Mandu
I thought the spam catcher was new 🙂 We have 100’s a day too but we have a special word press gadget that collects them all and I just empty it. We have had 1000 from China of all places.. Have a wonderful Furiday guys , hope you get everything sorted, computers are great things but they can also be a pain in the BUTT..BOL xx00xx
Mollie and Alfie
Wow, hot air balloons! Wonder if we’d be scared of them! 🙂
Our human has been seeing a huge increase in spam to her Fuzzy Tales email account. She can’t think why, because she doesn’t think she’s listed it anywhere anymore (for that reason). They’re a plague, these spammers, so we hope your check box continues to do the trick.
Good luck to Sister Dolly tomorrow!
Well, look at all those balloons! What great entertainment! We also hate those evil spammers, but we don’t get that many, thank cod! Have a super weekend!
Aren’t hot air balloons beautiful when seen flying together in a large group? We have two hot air balloon gatherings in Louisville. One is in the spring as party of the Kentucky Derby Festival and the other is in the fall. And a very long time ago, mom worked for a doctor who had his own balloon. She got to fly in it one time and said it was amazing!
We hope you guys and gals have a great weekend!
Never seen such a balloon in real life. Wow that is a ton of spam. Keep forgetting about the damn checkbox lol but better than WV any day
Lovely Brian!!! Awwww look at all those fab balloons!!! We’re glad all the tech stuff have now been ironed out and you are all back in time for the wonderful weekend!!
We send sweet Sister Dolly extra purrs and hugs for her *whispers* v-e-t visit tomorrow! Take care
x
wow – those would be some serious great cat toys. 🙂
yikes – LOTS o’ spam…. Hope Sister Dolly is just going in for her yearly tune-up
oh it looks like the grouse hunting game for kitties! Next year they will come closer – I’m sure :o) Have a woderful Friday!
Wow, we’ve never had hot air balloon TV here=that looks cool!…Hope the computer problems are over…Purring loudly for Dolly’s vet visit to go well and quickly!…Happy weekend, sweet friends…kisses…Calle, Halle, Sukki, Mommy Cat, Daddy Cat
I love seeing hot air balloons! Been on one long time ago and it was fun 🙂
I’ve noticed you got this Not a Spammer check box. Glad it’s keeping most of the spams away.
I hope Sister Dolly’s checkup will go well. Have a great weekend!
Those Spammers are a nuisence but I guess I’m lucky I don’t get many and When I do I report it as spam which stops them coming through again.Have a great week end!xx Speedy and Mum
dood…hot air balloonz wood be way kewl ta see !!! but we think prob ablee frum de ground, knot in one tho…and we sew dont blame yur dad for knot lettin spam on yur page…noe matter how ya cook it, itz still….spam…..
hope everee one haza grate week oh end !!!
Those big, loud balloons can be scary…..we know ’cause one came low to our deck to ask permission to come down on our land. A van followed to pick up the passengers and the deflated balloon. Our humans were excited about it but us kitties ran and hid.
Thanks for stopping by=^Y^=
My mom loves hot air balloons…from the ground only. No way would she ride in one. MOL she is such a chicken
Hugs Madi your bFFF
That Hot Air Balloon TV must be quite a change from Bird TV!
Spam sure sucks. Mommy was wondering about the check box the last 2 times we left a comment. But we’re glad it works to keep those spammers away!
Holy Cat! Real hot air balloons? That must be some sight to see.
Dang … 700 spam comments per day?! That’s insane. Sorry you’re having to deal with that, but it sounds like the checkbox thing is working out.
Have a great weekend, friends (and we hope that Dolly’s checkup goes well)!
Hi Brian, have delicious weekend!
Yowza Meowza ….that’s a lot of spam!!! We’re sending purrs to Sister Dolly for a good VET visit.
The Florida Furkids
I know I got a memo about how cats are not supposed to have challenges. I believed it but now I can’t find it or I would have sent it over to you. Well, by now, I am sure you have everything in tip top order. Have a great weekend!
P.S. I already forgot about the box and didn’t check it. It’s not big deal to check a box and then you don’t get all that spam. I just have to remember to do it.
Mum had a ride in a hot air balloon for a birthday present one year and loved it. That’s a serious amount of spam you were getting so glad the little box is working.. Hugs GJ xx
My human is getting really annoyed by all the spam too. Those spammers should get a real life of their own!
Purrs to a nice weekend!
I love watching hot air balloons. So fun. Hope Sister Dolly has a good vet visit. Have a great weekend Brian.
TW always thought those things would be fun to fly in even though she doesn’t like to be up in the air. Some of them are real pretty too. Hey, I notice Sister Kit finally became a card-carrying member of the Frum family. She’s made the header. Woohoo! We don’t mind the check box but TW hasn’t remember to check it once w/o the reminder.
What if I want to be a spammer? I like spam, it’s nice and tasty 🙂
PeeEss Glad you’re not doing the captcahhjkchdfjk thing!
Love Austin xx
I think your checkmark box is probably the best option to keep away those spammers. I have several spam filters on my blog, but the problem with them is that sometimes they snag my friends instead of spammers!
your tv does capture some beautiful flying objects. boo for spammers.
checking a box doesn’t bother us one bit! We will do whatever it is you need us to do!
OMGoodness! 700 spammers! I think I’ve (knock on wood) only had a handful of them in the 5 years I’ve been blogging.
Hot balloons are wonderful to look at. We see them every once and a while.
Glad you didn’t want to hitch a ride on one of those balloons, Brian! And 700 spammers in a day? EWWWWOOOOWEEEE.
I see those bug balloons coming from the park next door usually in the fall and winter time. That’s a crazy amount of spam! I used the GASP box for my dad’s WP site I made for his business and my spam is gone too!
Guess what?? My Human HATES to fly (and won’t) but some years ago she went up in a hot air balloon and she liked it (go figure).
I don’t think my kitties have ever seen a balloon before but I bet they would find them entertaining! Bummer with the spam but that is the “fun” of a website…dealing with all that kind of stuff and figuring out how to avoid it! The check box is no big deal, so many sites have them.
Those Gizmo’s really do float. Great stuff.
It makes you wonder about spam. Really. Today when all is said and done who would follow a link to the marvelous “male appendage growth vitamin” or “become a bazzillionaire by picking your feet for fun and profit.”
Makes you think we are the only intelligent life on this green orb.
Timmy T
PS
Great idea the check box. Dad was looking about into the latest foils for spam and thought that is simple and elegant. Opps we furgot to check it…. AGAIN!
MOL
So we are reading backwards on most blogs as Mom tries to catch up after abandoning us, and we saw your dislike of Captcha. If you haven’t read our Saturday comment, Mom was having the problem with spam. She hates the trouble of having Approval on…more work for her so thought she’d try the Captcha thingie. It lasted less that 12 hours. She was getting complaint e-mail about it. So, that said, how did you get the box to check? Is this a WordPress plug-in or did you pick it up someplace else? Any help would be appreciated. All this… Read more »
That is a lot of spam! Mum set our comments to not allow anonymous comments and that seems to work for us. Glad you decided against the horrible catchpa.
Gosh! Wes HATES Spam! But wes don’t gets a lot. We really had to fiddle around to stop it at the beginning.
Wes used to see lots of balloons in Calgary, they made the hairy slobbery sisters BARB!!!
Kisses
Nellie
Bark Not BARB!!!
Brilliant photo – I love hot air balloons!