resting – Page 20

Sam Gets a Boo Box Lesson

“I don’t know Boo, this seems kind of boring.”

“Get in a tall, narrow box like this one! You can pretend you’re in a submarine!. ‘Give me a ping Trixie. One ping only please.’ ”

“There’s no room for belly rubs?”

“Or you can be a Formula One racer, barreling into Eau Rouge at legendary Spa-Francorchamps!”

“Maybe there’s a big box where dad can snuggle with me?”

“Or an X-wing fighter, preparing for the trench run with TIE fighters hot on your tail! Not today fellas, the Force is strong with this one!”

“I think I’m going to curl up with dad on the couch.”

“NOT EVERYONE IS MEANT FOR BOO BOX! You can curl up with your head on the side like this, or stick your arms way over the side, or sink down completely inside the box, or …”

“Some of us have bones, Boo. Some of us have bones.”

“Commander Boo, you are go for liftoff! Godspeed to the moon!”

I’m pleased to announce that we’ve begun production on a new TV series called Detective Samwise, a show in the long tradition of slightly silly murder mysteries. Detective Samwise is called in to investigate a string of cat burglaries, in which it turns out actual cats are being stolen. By coincidence our hero detective is himself a cat, so he goes undercover to catch the thief red-handed but finds more than he bargained for when he discovers a murder most foul! We are having some issues with the actress playing our murder victim, however, as while she’s quite good at laying still, she keeps swiveling her ears around so she can hear if craft services has started laying out snacks.

Public Service Announcement

Experts warn that as the weather warms, look before you reach into dark places like woodpiles or linen closets, as dangerous creatures may have crept in to sleep in the safety and comfort of these secluded areas.

Don’t Fence Me In

I took this picture last summer of Ellie resting on the hardwood outside on our bedroom. We were having a heat wave and have a portable air conditioner in the bedroom and would make her stay in there during the savagely hot days, especially as she’s gotten older she pants heavily on hot or even warm days. But as you can see she doesn’t like being cooped up in there, more than anything she wants to be with her people and be at the door to greet me when I come home. Generally the weather here doesn’t get too hot but the last couple of summers have been hot and we hit 91 yesterday on May 22nd. May 22nd!

I have an appointment in a couple of weeks for an estimate on getting central air installed, which if feasible will make both of us quite happy during those days we need it. I love the smell of fresh air, and the cats like the open windows, but there are days where AC would be nice.

Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Bed

A Wilson’s snipe takes a rest on a bed of reeds on a rainy spring afternoon.

Made for Trixie

When we first got this cat tree, I thought the cats would only use the middle platform as a place to jump to the top, as it isn’t very tall. But it turns out to be perfectly Trixie sized, so she often hangs out here to watch the birds and squirrels in the backyard.

Winter Destinations

I wanted a quick test of my new Sony Zeiss 55mm f1.8 lens so I visited a popular winter destination in our area, the wooden heater vent in our living room. Boo was enjoying warm air blowing on his belly but when he got up to greet me he was immediately replaced by its most frequent guest, Trixie, who is usually sleeping here when I come home from work.

It’s Not Me, It’s the Cushion

Sam would like me to point out that the cushion is sagging because it’s a bit floppy, not because he has a weight problem. And he’s correct, the vet was very happy with his weight on his last checkup, he’s right in the middle of his target range and so can lose or gain a little weight without worry. Trixie on the other hand they’d like to see put on weight but …

A Tribute to the M

Canon EOS M

When I was in graduate school in the mid-90’s, I got an unexpected bonus from one of my internships and I bought my first SLR, a Canon Rebel, and got hooked on photography. I’ve shot with nothing but Canon ever since until today, as the Sony A6500 mirrorless camera I ordered just arrived, along with a handful of lenses and some other accessories. I’m not saying goodbye to Canon in general, I’m still going to keep my 7D Mark II for wildlife shooting with my telephoto lenses. What it is replacing, in addition to many of the 7D’s tasks, is my little EOS M, Canon’s flawed yet charming entry into the mirrorless world a handful of years ago.

I bought my M four years ago when Canon had a fire sale due to slow sales, we had just adopted Boo and he was so timid I wanted a small, quiet camera to photograph him. I used it quite a bit for the next few years and always loved its quiet nature, useful for example for this picture of Trixie when she had been with us a few weeks. She was starting to feel at home and we were letting her explore ours, but also still giving her time in isolation, partly because she seemed to appreciate the chance to relax without the other cats around, but mostly because brother Boo was still coming to terms with her arrival. The tiny kitten makes my legs seem enormous, I love that you can put mirrorless cameras wherever you want and use the screen to frame the picture, in this case with my head on the pillow I stretched out my arms to put the camera at her eye level instead of mine.

I’ve posted the picture of Emma below before but it seems fitting to repost it now, it’s one of my favorites of her and also taken with the M and the delightful little 22mm pancake lens. For all its limitations it’s staggering how much more capable it was than my first film camera, this was shot at ISO 3200 in low light, in the film days my only hope would have been to fire off a flash and risk disturbing her. I never dreamed she’d only be with us for another year and a half, I’ve thought of this picture so many times since she died that it almost feels like the M was worth it for this picture alone.

I haven’t liked what Canon did with the newer M models in the years since, which is why I’ve finally switched after thinking about it for a long time, I’m not sure they ever understood what they got so right (and so wrong) with the original M. As excited as I am by the new Sony, I wanted to take a moment to say thanks for the old, I had a lot of fun with the M and I treasure the many images I took with it.

It cost me little but its rewards were great.

The Big Dog Bed

A while back we took our bed off the frame and set the box springs on the floor so it would be easier for our elderly pup to jump onto the bed. Recently we also added some throw rugs to give her better traction on the hardwood. After a visit to the vet yesterday to have her teeth cleaned and a few pulled, Ellie was in recovery mode and still a little wobbly from the anesthesia. Ellie was a bit restless when my wife came to bed so she encouraged Ellie to jump in beside me as I was already sound asleep. Ellie did not however make enough room for my wife to join us as well so she slept in the guest bedroom.

This picture is from the summer when we were enjoying the air conditioner in our bedroom, her smile will be missing her small front teeth from now on, as well as a growth that had developed the past few months at the front of her mouth.