Category: Pets

Portland, You Have to Let Me Go

This is what Portland looked like as the sun started to rise on the morning I was leaving for my interview in Arizona. It snowed the night before and iced up a little overnight but the trains were still running on time and I was able to walk down and take the train to the airport as planned. I loved seeing the snow one last time but all I wanted was an easy departure as I set out on the trip that would determine how we spend the next phase of our lives. I was sad I didn’t have time to go out and photograph the neighborhood in the snow, but I had a plane to catch, and at least I had my pictures from the heavier snow a year prior. This is resident philosopher Boo enjoying his last snow from one of our two picture windows at the front of the house, his future storms will not be so tranquil as they will be the occasional but ferocious summer thunderstorms of Arizona’s monsoon season.

Lair of the Desert Cat

Our orange tabby cat Sam looks out from a cardboard box, surrounded by brown wrapping paper

I was thinking of the desert when I took this picture not long before leaving for an interview in Arizona, knowing I might soon be working with a palette of the browns of the Southwest rather than the greens and blues of the Northwest. Sam is not yet a desert cat, and does not yet know he’s about to be a desert cat, that secret will keep for a few weeks. He’s had to adjust to a big change every few years, first the death of his beloved Scout (and the arrival of Boo), then the death of Emma (and the arrival of Trixie), and soon a long trip to his new home. His coloration might be perfectly suited for the desert but he will be, as he has been, an indoor cat.

Take Me With You

To prepare for my trip to Arizona, I started laying out on the guest bed everything I wanted to take with me and stepped away for a moment. I came back to find an extra item that I couldn’t bring with me, much as I would have loved to, but which will come along to wherever we end up.

Fur Coat

Our cat Trixie sleeps on a coat on the hardwood floor

We normally let our dog Ellie out through the back door but when she was having trouble with the stairs we started letting her out the front, as the broad stairs were easier for her to navigate. I keep this old winter coat hanging by the back door for walking her in the colder weather, but when I came back in via the front I realized there was no room on that coat rack and set the coat on the floor while I got Ellie settled. I came back to find a small creature had climbed aboard and settled in for a nap.

Turning the Architecture World on Its Side

Our cat Boo sits inside a large box, nearly obscured by the packing paper spilling out of the front

Resident architect Boo continues to tweak his design for the Boo Box Condo, literally turning it onto its side and opening up a whole new world of possibilities. Designed with an open front for easy access, its innovative shapes link the inside and outside worlds while providing the necessary privacy when others approach and impinge on your personal freedoms.

The Last Snow

A close-up of the snow beginning to melt on the fur of our dog Ellie, taken in February 2018

We got a few inches of snow in Portland on Tuesday, but with Ellie’s recent injury or illness she didn’t want to go for a long walk in it so I was surprised when she flopped down in the backyard and rolled around in the snow. I’m glad she got to enjoy it a little bit as I suspect this snow will be her last, not because she is in any imminent danger but because I have to choose now between two job offers, one in California and one in Arizona, and neither place gets snow unless you drive a ways to the mountains to look for it.

A Little Jealous

A self-portrait in Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon

I had to laugh when I looked at this self-portrait from fourteen years ago at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, judging by the youth in my face I initially assumed it must be older than it was. I’m a little envious of him, a little for his youth, but especially because he was on the other side of a move. My wife had changed jobs a couple years prior and we moved to Portland, I’m not sure why I went back to my old stomping grounds on this day but it was one of the rare times I’d visit the refuge again. I must have sensed that I wouldn’t be coming back often, both due to the distance and new favorite parks to the north, since I took the time for a self-portrait on the trail. As I recall this was the first park I visited in Oregon, but either way I spent a lot of time here when we lived nearby.

I believe the job search will be over soon, I’ll say more when I know for sure, but I will be glad to be moving on to the next phase, which will be moving. Of the two opportunities I’m considering (one is an offer, one is an upcoming interview) both require a move, either to California or Arizona. Not that I’m looking forward to moving, getting the house ready to sell, figuring out where to rent or buy in the new city, and actually packing and moving, but rather that I’m looking forward to being on the other side.

Moving the pets will be a challenge. Ellie had a health scare yesterday, while I was waiting on a phone call about the job offer I noticed she couldn’t stop panting and was really restless, so when I got off the phone we were off to the vet. X-rays and blood tests didn’t show anything surprising but the vet noticed she was sensitive around her back and stomach so she’s on extra painkillers for now that also keep her somewhat sedate and if she doesn’t improve will have to go in for more tests. She just had her yearly checkup a couple of weeks ago so we’re not sure what is going on.

Sam and Trixie also had their checkups recently but this time, when I put her in the carrier, Trixie began slamming her body against the sides of the carrier and howled like a banshee the entire way there and back, even upsetting the normally docile Sam. The move will require a two or three day drive, so …