Now at OMPstore.com – Cats of Old Mission Peninsula 2018 Calendar!

Brighten every day of the year with our “Cats of Old Mission Peninsula 2018 Calendar”! All photos were taken by me, your humble Gazette editor and OMPstore.com proprietress. You can click through to the store and buy this calendar right here.

This wall calendar is made with sturdy white, eggshell-finished 120 lb. paper that you can wipe clean with a damp cloth. The size is 9.5″ wide x17.25″ tall (so it’s about twice as tall as it is wide), and available for $24 plus shipping and sales tax.

Here’s the backstory on these amazing Calendar Cats.

January: This is Marco, whose human, Sally Van Vleck, is my longtime yoga teacher over at Neahtawanta Inn. Marco is friendly, purrs all the time, and enjoys doing yoga poses – except for the downward dog.

February: This is Crystal, who lives with my brother Ward Johnson and his family. Crystal is a little shy, but agreed to let me take her photo as long as she was snuggled in my nephew Ryan’s arms.

March: While not technically an Old Mission Peninsula resident, this cat is an honorary “OMP Calendar Cat” because she lives at Square Deal Country Store on Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City, where I buy all my bird seed. Goldie (see Christine’s note in the comments below) loves greeting customers and hanging out with Mystique, the colorful parrot.

April: This is my mom Mary Johnson’s cat Todd, who has since passed on from her feline home on this planet. Todd, who we discovered was a girl after we named her, enjoyed sitting near my mom’s head on the back of her chair, sprawling in the flower garden, and freaking us out by disappearing for months at a time, only to return home unscathed.

May: Mama is a lovely calico cat who lives with my brother Dean Johnson and his wife Laura. Mama enjoys relaxing under the wisteria, looking pretty, and being a farm cat.

June: Known as “Devil’s Dive Cat,” this handsome black kitty loves hanging out on Devil’s Dive Road, stalking unsuspecting prey, and pretending to be invisible. (If this is your cat, tell us his or her name in the comments section below!)

July: This is Lilly, who lives with Morgan Leigh Kelsey and her family in the heart of Old Mission. Lilly enjoys the quiet life of an Old Mission cat, but sometimes reveals her inner red-carpet kitty when she strikes an over-the-shoulder camera-ready pose. (Check out her mom’s new boutique “Invoke,” specializing in natural skincare and other soulful offerings, right here.)

August: This is Baby, who sometimes goes by the name Gato Grease, which is “gray cat” in Spanish. Baby, whose humans are my brother Dean Johnson and his wife Laura, enjoys purring loudly and staying clean.

September: This handsome black and white kitty is spotted regularly around the Ted Ayers barn on the corner of Center Road and Swaney Road. While quite stylish and appearing to be clad in a tuxedo, this cat will disappear swiftly at any sign of commotion or extended camera-pointing.

October: This is Zoey, who lives with my dear friends Dave and Deb Ott. Zoey loves wandering around the Otts’ lovely yard and pretending to be a lioness in the wilds of Africa.

November: Have you heard that East Lansing is sometimes referred to as “Traverse City South” because of all the T.C. kids who study at MSU? This is Otis, an honorary OMP cat who lives with my daughter Marissa and her roommates in East Lansing. Otis enjoys being possessed by a demon and terrorizing anyone who enters the apartment.

December: This is Nicky, a handsome cat who lives with his human Janis Haine in her lovely home on the shores of East Bay. While Nicky loves to play with all kinds of cat toys, he’s especially partial to wine corks from Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery on Blue Water Road.

Love the Cats of Old Mission Peninsula? Get the 2018 Calendar right here.