Category: Pets

The Cat Signal

A silhouette of Boo atop the cat tree appears next to the door of my office on September 16, 2017. Original: _DSC9208.ARW

On Sunday rain and cooler weather arrived for a few days, not only drenching western Oregon with desperately needed rain but helping fire crews deal with the Eagle Creek Fire ravaging the Columbia River Gorge. But the day prior smoke from the fires increased throughout the day in Portland, to the point that I stayed inside and didn’t even let Ellie go out for her evening walk. Late in the day, with the sun colored red by the smoke, I noticed an interesting pattern of shadows on my wall. As I photographed it I looked to my right and saw the Cat Signal on the far wall, a silhouette of Boo atop the cat tree.

Sam In His Element

Our cat Sam sleeps on my legs

Sam asleep in one of his favorite places, curled up on my legs. I took the picture a year ago but he’s in the same spot now, except today Trixie is next to him with her legs atop his.

Why Do I See What Cannot Be?

Our cat Boo sits on the mantle above the fireplace

My eyes play tricks again. There on the mantle, beside my work awards and the ashes of Templeton and Scout and Emma and pictures and keepsakes, I thought I saw Boo. But Boo isn’t allowed on the mantle. Some things from the mantle have fallen off lately and broken, likely from micro-climates creating sudden whirlwinds that come down the chimney. That I can explain, that I can see. But Boo I cannot, yet I do.

The Master At Work

Our cat Templeton appears to be working on my laptop

All three of our current cats are spot stealers but nobody can hold a candle to Templeton, master of the art. On this night he was recuperating from surgery so I was in the guest room with him and when I stepped out for a moment, not long enough to bother putting his cone back on, I came back to find him sitting at my laptop.

Gray Green

Our gray tuxedo cat Templeton relaxes outside

I don’t think I’ve put this picture online before, the handsome Templeton enjoying some supervised time in our backyard in 2006. He died late in 2007 but I don’t know if a day has gone by since that I haven’t thought about him, a little charmer was our gray tuxedo.