Scratcher of heads, rubber of bellies
Emma and Sam spend a quiet moment in the cat tree in front of one of the picture windows in the summer of 2009. It didn’t stay quiet long, in a minute Emma snuck down and poked Sam from above. The sneak attack poke was a favorite game of theirs and fortunately they had each other to play it with as the much older Scout was not a fan.
It’s the time of year to repost one of my favorite images, from 2009, Emma and the tree she loved too much. Of all the loves through all of time I think none was as pure as her love for this tree. It only had to survive 7 years of her affections as she died far too young, but even so we decided when we left Portland that after a couple of decades it was time to say goodbye to the bedraggled old thing. We went without a tree our first two years in Arizona but I put up the new one last night, holding back a few tears thinking of how much easier it is to assemble without a black cat jumping into its branches before you can even piece it together.
A few pictures from 2018 of Halloween decorations in the Buenavante neighborhood where we rented in our first year in Arizona. Halloween certainly had a different feel after our many years in Portland.
After we got out first cat tree in 2009, it took Emma a little while to try it but once she did, she fell in love. I found her in the afternoon hugging the tree, even if it was just the way she was sleeping it does reflect her feelings for what became a favorite hangout. In the second picture she looked back through the big picture window and her face was lit by the afternoon light.
Less than a week after her adoption in 2007, Emma shoves one of her toy mice under the door. She’d reach under to try to get them back but often they’d end up out of reach. When we moved and emptied the house I think we finally found all the remaining ones that had been shoved into the most obscure places, but I like to think at least one remains, a little reminder of a sweet black cat for whom this house was home.
Emma waits for me to toss her a string early in 2008, not long after we adopted her. She never tired of playing with strings throughout her life. My camera at the time really struggled to focus on her in low light so I have a lot of slightly blurry pictures of her, but that’s better than none at all. This one is OK because I pre-focused and got lucky with where she placed her head.
From 2007, new arrivals Sam and Emma play in the guest bedroom while in isolation from Scout. I spent most of their introductory period with Scout since we were so tightly bonded but I’d relieve my wife at times and keep the youngsters company.
The other day as I left for work a family of javelina entered the yard to graze below a tree in front of my office window. Days later while driving back from a hike I laughed out loud wondering how Emma would have reacted had she been sitting in the window given how animated she got with squirrels around. She loved to be up high so I often had this view of her as she slept in the cat tree beside my chair, although sometimes I’d look up to find her staring at me with her intense green eyes. She was a character, our Em. Hard to believe it’s been five years since she died.
I’ve heard that criminals might return to the scene of the crime but I think that’s ridiculous, no one … would … just … be so … brazen … … …
It’s very important to solve the mystery of the tree, she said, falling trees being very dangerous to the little ones of the household. Sudden gust of wind was her guess.
Boolie 