All corrections have been made (we think!) so please check for Calendar A pets one last time!
Originally posted on Saturday 12/3 at 7:05 pm. Reposting on Tuesday, 12/6. New comments start at #53.
This is the FINAL preview of the design for 2023 Pets of Balloon Juice Calendar A.
Please check the links in the sidebar to see which calendar and which month(s) your pets are in, or just browse through the calendar.
Please check for your pets and make sure that all your pets are there, that the names are right, that we have the right name with the right pet, and that there’s a heart if there should be one, and no heart if there shouldn’t be one.
Clicking on an image opens the image so you can see it more easily. Use the back arrow to get back to the full post.
YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY, BECAUSE ONCE YOU HAVE PLACED THE ORDER, WE CAN’T FIX ANY ISSUES YOU FIND LATER. Well, we can fix them even then, but then you’d have to buy another calendar in order to get the fixed version.
These are really low-resolution for posting on the blog, but the calendar itself is very high resolution.
Here’s the cover for Calendar A:
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
All feedback on the calendar is welcome!
We hope/plan to have Calendar B available for review later this evening.
We didn’t quite meet our December 1 goal as the first date to order calendars. :-( But we’re close. Beth had food poisoning (salmonella) and was down for the count for the better part of 5 days, so all things considered, I think we’re doing pretty good!
CaseyL
The calendars just get better and better every year: great job! So lovely to see everyone’s critters (well, half of ’em, with the others in Calendar B) – even better to recognize a few by name!
Joy in FL
Is January supposed to be included, or is the Jackaltariat fast-forwarding to February?
WaterGirl
@Joy in FL: January is a surprise!
Joy in FL
@WaterGirl: excellent : )
Spanky
Five days! Jayzus! That’s not something you just bounce back from.
WaterGirl
@Spanky: 3+ days sick as a dog, then exhaustion.
NeenerNeener
Looks good to me!
Josie
Looks good. You two are the best.
zhena gogolia
Duby in June is enjoying his vacation in Catalonia
RedDirtGirl
My baby in August looks great, but I did notice two blank spots in that month.
Dan B
June: Wobbles – is alive.
December: Furr Beast – is not alive.
Calender pics and layout look vivid and well arranged!
SiubhanDuinne
Wow! Hope Beth is completely on the mend!
All five kitties showed up properly tagged and hearted. My friends will be delighted!
As for me, I can’t wait to see the January surprise!
Thank you for taking on this complicated job once again.
wmd
My kittehs look great!
Odie Hugh Manatee
Beautiful as usual and our three are present and accounted for! Morty has his huge mitts visible this time…lol
WaterGirl
@Dan B: I am so sorry. I HATE when we get the hearts wrong. Especially since I know that Wobbles is still with you, and that Furr Beast isn’t.
WaterGirl
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Morty looks like royalty with his robes. :-)
Did we not include his feet last time?
Anotherlurker
All wonderful pictures of the BJ fur babies!
WaterGirl
@RedDirtGirl: Some of that is intentional, to leave room if someone got left out. Some is artistic. In this case. there is one of each. :-)
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
Very cool. With all the talk about beloved dogs in various comments, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many cats. But of course, maybe more dogs in Calendar B. Glad to see Henry and (sad sigh) Tucker. Also Nick and Nora!
ETA: Is that Lily on the cover? (Another sad sigh).
pat
Pablo and I just spent a half hour lying on the bed, getting tummy rubs (him) and paw-touches (me) and gazing into each other’s eyes. I wonder if he knows he is dying. He’ll get a heart next year.
WaterGirl
Where’s Waldo?Where’s Henry?Odie Hugh Manatee
@WaterGirl: His feet were there, just not as visible (he has 24 digits total, 14 in front). We call him “Thumbs up! Kitty” because no matter how he lies down, he has thumbs pointing up. :)
CliosFanBoy
Well done!!!! What a great-looking calendar! (And Jazz and Candy look so cute!!!) And I am glad Beth is feeling better.
zhena gogolia
@pat: I’m sorry — the vet wasn’t able to help?
WaterGirl
@pat: I imagine he does know. That sounds like me and my kitty soulmate toward the end with his kidney failure.
Speaking of Pablo, he is supposed to be in May calendar A but I am not seeing him there.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@pat: I’m so sorry to hear this. My best wishes to Pablo and you.
WaterGirl
@A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan): Yes, sweet Lily on the cover.
I was looking for Lily photos in the media library earlier tonight, and I cried my way through it.
WaterGirl
@WaterGirl: I see that no one was able to find Henry in the pile with his friends. :-)
WaterGirl
@Odie Hugh Manatee: That’s a lot of digits!
pat
@WaterGirl:
He is smelling the roses in the lower right corner, not sure of the month.
He is having kidney issues and has no appetite. We are trying “appetite stimulants” without much change in his eating. It’s a matter of time, I guess. We went to the vet and did the whole blood work etc. Kidneys are the only issue.
eta: February is the month.
WaterGirl
@pat: Did you see my comment in the thread earlier this week about foods that got Quiver to eat when we were going through this?
pat
@WaterGirl:
That is interesting. He comes to me to be combed and brushed, and I can pick him up and cradle him in my lap and rub his tummy and he will stay for a long time. I really do think he knows the time is limited. I put some of his favorite food in front of him and he barely sniffs at it before walking off. Will Not Eat, most of the time at least. I will miss him so much..
pat
@WaterGirl:
No, I don’t remember that. What foods?
Dan B
@WaterGirl: Not a problem I’m the only one who’d know and friends would assume that Wobbles was my love.
WaterGirl
@pat: I did a search and found my comment.
pat
@WaterGirl:
Thanks. My husband insists that cats love sardines. I bought some this afternoon and haven’t thought to offer them yet. Well, here goes.
eddie blake
watergirl, it’s beautiful work.
hamilton and catie look great in febuary. ty!
pat
Sardines? Are you kidding me? You actually think I will eat that stuff??? No way!!! (Pablo’s reaction, as tho I was trying to poison him. Sigh….
Scuffletuffle
So happy to see my babies. One correction needed in February, it’s Iestyn (i), not Lestyn, & Mumsy needs a heart. Toby in June also needs a heart.
Thank you, Watergirl!
WaterGirl
@Scuffletuffle: That’s 3 corrections, but you are very gracious to call it one! :-)
K488
It all looks beautiful, and my three are all present and accounted for, looking wonderful in the layout!
Many thanks!
HinTN
@WaterGirl: In June I would move Phantom’s name up and to the left (off her face) but that’s just me. H
kalakal
Thanks Watergirl. The calendar looks lovely to me. Cobweb looks suitably loopy in her Santa killing pose and it’s sweet/ sad to see Burma
Benw
Classic Henry!
Anotherlurker
@pat: I am so sorry. This special time is never easy.
Cry when you need to and smile at his memory.
WaterGirl
@HinTN: Funny, beth texted me a few hours ago, asking me to add some things to her running list, and one of them was to move phantom’s name down.
When you’re moving 300+ photos around, that kind of thing happens. Not to worry, that’s the kind of thing we normally catch with the final run-through.
Barbara I
All of my fur babies are there, and the pictures look throat. Thank you WaterGirl and Beth!
WaterGirl
@Benw: That’s my boy! :-)
Joey Maloney
Hi WaterGirl, The listing you published earlier made me think there would be two pictures of Isadore+Slurpee in February, but I see only one. Is that a change or an oversight?
something fabulous
THere’s my girl in May (my birthday!) looking like she is planning world domination– so all present and correct :). Thanks so much to you and Beth, as always!!
Miki
All looks good – thanks to both of you
WaterGirl
@Joey Maloney: Answered by email.
WaterGirl
NEW COMMENTS from 12/6 start here.
Curtis
Everything looks good for Tilou.
WaterGirl
@Curtis: Thank you.
MomSense
I’m officially a cat grandma. Trouble is home and enjoying his new digs.
Miss Bianca
Is it my imagination or are November and December the same set of photos? (But remember – I am the person who couldn’t pick out my horse from a lineup of cats, so don’t take my word for anything!)
SiubhanDuinne
November and December are the same!!
WaterGirl
@Miss Bianca: @SiubhanDuinne:
You are indeed correct! We are missing the replacement December! i have texted beth and I will correct that as soon as I receive the correct replacement for December.
Josie
@WaterGirl:
Did you mean for Teddi and Duncan to be on both November and December?
ETA: Note to self. Always read all the comments before posting. Never mind.
jackmac
As always, very nice job! Looking forward to seeing Calendar B (where my guys have landed).
WaterGirl
@MomSense: Tell us more!
WaterGirl
@jackmac: Calendar B will be tonight, I hope!
Odie Hugh Manatee
Good to go, still!
WaterGirl
Okay, revised DEC is back in place.
Steeplejack
Was it here that we recently had a big discussion of Casablanca? Well, it’s coming up at 10:15 EST on TCM, preceded (at 8:00) and followed (at 12:15) by a documentary on Max Steiner and his music.
MomSense
@WaterGirl:
He is such a sweetheart and totally loving his new environment. Roommate’s cat was a little inhospitable (nothing bad just a bit of hissing) but she has to establish herself as boss cat. Trouble is now hanging out listening to Bowie on vinyl and playing with his toys.
ETA I sent you some photos and a video
Dan B
All correct, thanks!
Nicole
Beautiful! Great work.
WaterGirl
@MomSense: I would be hanging with Trouble!
MomSense
@WaterGirl:
I want to go hang out with him. I’ve already looked at patterns for cat toys.
They put his carrier and blanket in with Pippin and Pippin has been going in the carrier and lying down in it. They’re going to keep introducing them when they are both home to monitor them. I think they will be fine once she adjusts.
HinTN
Phantom seems to have disappeared from March.
Scuffletuffle
Sorry to be a pain, but my Iestyn (February) is still very much alive. Mumsy and Toby are correct now.
Thank you!
WaterGirl
@Scuffletuffle: I am so very sorry. No heart now!