Scratcher of heads, rubber of bellies
The blue skies behind Boo are the sky blue walls of my office. When we bought the house years ago, to go along with the brown hardwood floors and area rug, I had the walls painted sky blue with a white ceiling, so I could have my earth and sky even while sitting indoors. My mini-earth is full of beautiful creatures too, but mine are more snuggly.
I was thinking of pikas when taking these pictures, relying on snow to insulate their talus field homes to survive the brutal winter, but I wasn’t expecting to see any. These rocks are part of the multi-tiered rock wall that we had installed this fall as part of a landscaping project. I’ll have more to say later but we absolutely love the work that Mandi and her team at Habitat Gardens did, the rain gardens have almost completely eliminated water from the basement and the new landscaping out front, replacing a wall of junipers on our front slope, makes me happy every time I walk past.
I must admit I’m tempted to try to find a little stone pika that I can hide in one of the crevices.
A black bear eats seeds from a pine cone high atop a pine tree on the Mount Washburn Trail in Yellowstone National Park.
The planet is blue but its fingers green, cradling the brown earth and bringing water, bringing life.
A full view of the Cathlapotle plankhouse as the fog clears on a cold winter morning.
I finally figured out why Boo was so enamored with the Boo Box, a box that was part of the packaging for the dog ramp we got for Ellie to help her get into the car in her old age. I knew that he liked the size, which was perfectly Boo-sized, but he didn’t show the same devotion to other boxes of the same size. Then I realized that the bottom of the Boo Box was completely flat, while the other boxes had folded flaps that kept the bottom from being smooth.
I’ve been drinking Carnation instant breakfast every morning for at least a couple of decades, so we get in delivered in bulk. The smaller boxes were close in size to the Boo Box and I realized if I opened it a particular way, I could end up with a smooth bottom. So I cut the top off and Boo took to it right away, although it is too tall for him to be able to stretch out like he enjoys. I also put out some old shoe boxes with flat bottoms that have a much lower height and he’s been enjoying those too.
I might wrap this one in wrapping paper so it looks a little more festive, or maybe I should see if Nestle is interested in sponsorship …
This entrance artwork sits above the oval entrance to the Cathlapotle plankhouse at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The art was designed by Tony Johnson from the Chinook Nation and executed by Adam McIsaac.
This is the look of a cat who can’t believe his impudent young sister had the audacity to lick him on the head. I reminded our nine-year old that eight years ago an impudent young cat wrapped his arms around his older sister’s head and gave her a full-on bath. I’m not sure he appreciated the reminder.
Boolie 