hardwood – Boolie

Memories

I was getting a little teary-eyed editing some pictures from 2017, partially from knowing how much our lives were about to change, mostly from seeing faces I can no longer see. This is Ellie in our guest bedroom in Portland, at first I couldn’t figure out why our bed frame was there. My wife remembered we moved it from our bedroom when Ellie got too old to jump, we put our mattress and box springs directly on the floor so she could still curl up with us at night.

📷: Sony A6500 | Sigma 30mm f/1.4
🗓️: June 24, 2017

Charm & Challenge

Ellie in 2013 in the dining room of our house in Portland. Old homes are equal parts charm and challenge, it was built in the 1920’s so would be almost a century old now. We were there for 16 years, a pretty special time in our lives, one of the many families it sheltered over the years.

📷: Canon M | Canon 22mm
Date: September 8, 2013

True Love

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.

Home

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.

Time for a Snooze

Ellie in 2009, she came into the living room while I was playing with Scout to let me know she was available for hedgehogging, a minute later she was making music with her favorite toy, then a minute later was ready for a snooze. She’d sometimes have soft little snores, sometimes she’d make little whoops as her legs made running motions.

The Teacher & the Student

Taken two minutes apart on Halloween of 2014, Ellie teaches Boo how to wait by the door so they can greet me when I come home from work (he was always eager to take her spot after she got up). Our first cat Templeton used to wait by the door for me, then Scout learned it from him, and Sam and Emma from Scout. But after Ellie arrived the cats learned to hold back a bit as her feet started dancing but she was looking at me and not at cats who might have wandered underfoot. Sam and Boo sometimes greet me at the door now but not with the consistency of the old days.

Isolation

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 Scene of the Crime

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 … … …

Emma is on the case

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.

The Investigation Begins

I suspected the orange tabby knew more than he was letting on, but who was he protecting? Who? Who? Was he not answering or could I not hear above his raucous purrs? I needed to take my investigation elsewhere if I was going to solve the mystery of the fallen tree.