Tag Archives: home

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Caught in the act

This is the first time I have managed to photograph one of the cats doing “Cat Art”. Sol Duc. I have two bowls for the cats, with a smaller bowl inside a water barrier bowl. I shut the door between the two when I feed them, because Elwha will eat all his and then bully Sol Duc. He outweighs her by five pounds. When I started limiting their food, they started decorating Elwha’s bowl. With toys. There are often toy mice, that pair of in ear headphones that I’ve given up on, a sponge, tissue paper when they can get it, as many as four different things in the bowls. I have to wash the outer bowl and toys often.

Is this play? It started when Elwha was overweight and I started measuring their food. All of my other cats have been self-regulating about food, but Elwha and Sol Duc were very starved tiny kittens when I got them and Elwha is the first male cat I’ve ever had. Art? Trying to trade toys for more food? I tried reading about it and found that cats will bury their food. Sometimes the art shows up when the bowl is not empty.

This is the first one with tissue paper:

This was the first use of a sponge:

I think this is a particularly fine installation and sophisticated use of tissue paper as well as the toy creature, headphones, and the combination flashlight/whistle.

I hope it is play. It certainly entertains me. I wondered which cat was doing it but I think it is both. It is almost always Elwha’s bowl, though, not Sol Ducs. The mysterious plays of cats.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: play.

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Slack tide

Slack tide is the time when the tide is not going out nor coming in. When it stops. It doesn’t mean the water is quiet because there is still wind and weather. But sometimes it is quiet, as if the ocean is holding its breath.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: slack.

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Unexpected

I have had some unexpected things the last two weeks. A friend whose cancer has escalated and I’ve been taking her to appointments and to the store. Home health is now helping and I am very glad. Two others need some help as well.

But I am still going to some live music and enjoying it very much. I took photographs of the Wild Rose Chorale downtown and gave them copies. They are using them on Facebook and have a concert tonight. If nothing else comes up, I will go.

I am within 7 questions of finishing my three years of CME for the American Board of Family Medicine. I did most of the three years this year, because I was too sick from Covid the first year and had trouble caring the second. Now I am catching up and hope to finish today.

The job hunt is ongoing. Part time is unpopular with clinics. I understand that, but after four pneumonias resulting in not too horrible chronic fatigue, I can’t do full time. Something will turn up.

Life is complicated and beautiful, isn’t it? The photograph is the city tree downtown, ready for lighting a week ago.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: zest.

My parents had a different final verse:

The cherry tree bowed its branches down low to the ground
And Mary gathered cherries while Joseph stood around

I have read and heard other versions as well.

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Speckled and striped

I am Elwha. Mom is talking to herself again. She’s arguing about whether I am striped or specked. I say, “Mom, I am CAT!” but sometimes she doesn’t listen. She has been giving us a little catnip daily and after I roll and sniff it, I don’t care what she calls me.

She has put the stick up in the kitchen again. I wonder if it is because it’s so cold? We still want to go outside, with the silly leash and harnesses, but the dark is here and it rains and blows. When the light is present, so are the awful cars. I am not spending as much time outside. I do hope for the light to increase again soon. I can feel that it will, but I am not sure exactly when.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: speckled.