Blog

Sam in a Sunbeam

Our cat Sam sleeps in a sunbeam

Sam enjoys the warmth of the sun as he naps in our living room.

Our snuggly Sam has mostly returned to form after a difficult couple of years when he lost both of his older sisters, he has been glommed all over me this weekend and when I get up steals my spot, then when I return lets me pick him up and he goes right back to snuggling. The one thing we’re working on is that he’s not ready to let his new sister Trixie snuggle up with him. Bless her heart, she keeps trying and will approach submissively so he can lick her head, but he’s still rather agitated and will end up nipping her and moving away. There has been some progress and I think he’ll come around, we’ve had some snuggly cats before but Sam is in a class of his own. I think he’ll appreciate the extra snuggling partner that he hasn’t had since Scout died.

The Trixie Marmot?

An Olympic marmot sits in a meadow in Olympic National Park

Looking back at these Olympic marmot pictures I was struck by how they resemble our tortoiseshell cat, Trixie. In cats the mixed brown & black fur pattern can occur in females (or rarely in males with two XX chromosomes) where the primary color varies randomly from cell to cell, but in the marmots I think their coats are changing from light brown early in the season to dark brown near the end, and the marmots I saw on this occasion in the fall were in the process of transition.

Don’t Make Eye Contact! Don’t Look Her in the Eyes!

Boo as a kitten hiding under the baker's rack

A picture from a couple of years ago when we were starting Boo on his introduction to the rest of the family after a couple of weeks in isolation. Emma (the black cat) was stalking Boo everywhere as he explored the house, and eventually he went under the baker’s rack in the kitchen for a little timeout. He was avoiding making eye contact with Emma and was clearly getting a little overwhelmed so we continued his introduction slowly, a few hours each day until everyone was comfortable.

Birds of a Feather

A close-up view of the feathers of a sooty grouse

I’m amazed by how diverse the feathers on a single bird can be in size and shape and color and function. The feathers in the upper left are wet with rain, it was pouring up at Hurricane Ridge when I came across a handful of grouse that were huddling near some trees for a little protection from the elements. I had on a full complement of rain gear and was nice and dry, and thankfully my camera and lens had enough weather-sealing that they shook off the rain as well.

Philosophy II

Our black lab Ellie snuggling on my lap in March 2014

“I don’t think I can face going to work tomorrow.”

“Good news, pup! You get to stay home and sleep all day, just like every other day.”

“That’s nice.”