Tag: cat

The In-Between Time

Our cat Sam sleeps atop the cat tree

I took many pictures of Sam sleeping atop the cat tree over the years and only through the greatest restraint have I avoided sharing each and every one of them with you. It is the day this picture was taken that packs the emotional punch for me, two days before the movers were to pack our things and load them onto a truck, three days before we would leave for Arizona, five days before we would arrive. He knew something was up but he had no idea how much I was about to upend his world.

Our cat Sam wearing a collar with his name on it in large letters

A simple picture of Sam sitting in a chair with his name writ large on his collar. But I know the chair was in my office because the junk haulers took away my old couch that morning and I brought down my old chair from our bedroom, a chair we bought when we moved into the house and which served me well for many years (and serves us well even now). It was a delight to photograph Sam in it as it reminded me of when Templeton loved to sleep there, especially after he lured me out of it so he could steal my spot. The collar though he and the other cats only had to wear in the days leading up to the move, and during, and after, in case they got loose during the confusion.

Thankfully they did not. This story ends in joy not tragedy.

Our cat Sam sleeps on a bed at a La Quinta Inn in Redding, California

A picture of Sam sleeping on the bed, I took many of those too, but it was only our bed for a night as this was the hotel in California on our first night, the in-between place in the in-between time. A reminder of a long trip, especially for the little ones, but a reminder too that as long as we were together we would be all right.

Our dog Ellie relaxes in the backyard in front of the swimming pool on the day we arrived at our rental house in Scottsdale, Arizona in March 2018

A quick picture of Ellie that I snapped after we arrived at our rental house in Arizona at the end of March. The house will be home for a year, Arizona for much longer, and I am so thankful we found the house and that our lovely landlords accepted all the pets. All of the hiking and swimming has been great for me, I’m in the best shape I’ve been for a long time. The one story house has been great for Ellie as she can now follow us everywhere we go. As for Sam, well, our little snuggler has been putting on weight as he no longer has to go to the basement to use the litter box, the main floor to hang out in my office, and upstairs to join us at night. He’s getting a reduction in food to slowly bring his weight back down. Trixie and Boo are doing just fine, they love watching the wildlife in our back yard.

I’m Not the Only One Fascinated by Arizona’s Wildlife

Our tortoiseshell cat Trixie watches wildlife in our backyard through the sliding glass door

Trixie is rather obsessed by the wildlife in the backyard of our rental house and is often joined by brother Boo at the sliding glass door as they watch the doves, quail, finches, woodpeckers, rabbits, lizards, and the like. I can’t help but think of Emma as I watch them and wonder what she would have made of all this, I could almost identify what bird had flown into our yard in Portland by the nature of her chirps.

Tired

Evening sunlight falls across our cat Sam as he sleeps at the top of the cat tree on March 19, 2018. Original: _DSC4575.ARW

The past number of months have worn me out. Sometimes physically, sometimes mentally, often both. That hasn’t changed in Arizona, although now I’m more often tired for positive reasons. It hasn’t helped that I’ve been getting up at 4 a.m. to go hiking on my days off, but mentally it has helped tremendously. The exercise has been good for me too.

I am certainly tired of filling out a seemingly endless stream of paperwork. Every time I think I’m through the worst of it another wave follows. The constant need to make decisions has at least slowed dramatically and life has begun to take on a rhythm. Mentally I’m more upbeat than I’ve been in a long time, even if I’m falling asleep not long after dinner.

For all the stress of the past half year, I think every day about how blessed I am. I know many are not so fortunate. I had a wonderful time on the trails this morning and came home and spent one-on-one time with each of the pets. Then my wife and I were off to get some paperwork notarized and sent off, then it was back home to sort through some pictures. Now as the light fades I think I’ll go for a quick swim.

Maybe tonight I’ll sleep like Samwise.