Tag: sitting

Philosophy

Our black-and-white cat Boo sitting in a paper bag

“Do you ever wonder if life is an illusion and we’re all really just sitting in a paper bag?”
“Not really, Boo, but I bet it kept Descartes up at night.”
“Nihil enim somni ergo sum.”
“What?”
“I can’t sleep, therefore I am.”
“Maybe it’s time you came out of that paper bag.”

Something Is Wrong with Sam

Our cat Sam looks at me as he sits in the window nook of the kitchen of our house on Halloween in Octobe 2014

While he devoured his breakfast like normal yesterday morning, last night Sam wouldn’t eat his dinner. After what we just went through with Emma and given how lethargic he was, we decided to take him to DoveLewis, an emergency vet here in Portland. They ran extensive blood work (which all looked fine) and x-rays (which weren’t alarming but also not conclusive), so I’ve stayed home with him today to monitor him. If he doesn’t improve he will spend the night at DoveLewis getting fluids and an ultrasound tomorrow.

Camera Test

Our cat Sam sitting beside clean dishes on the kitchen counter in our house in Portland, Oregon on Halloween in October 2014

I had never pre-ordered any camera gear before but I put in an order for the Canon 7D Mark II as soon as it was announced, it will replace the 7D that I’ve been shooting with for five years. It arrived this afternoon so I threw on a lens and took a quick test shot in the kitchen to make sure it was in good working order. Unfortunately the picture suggests something is wrong with the camera, as it seems to show Sam sitting next to the clean dishes, looking like he owns the place. I know Sam isn’t allowed on the counters, and I know Sam knows he isn’t allowed on the counters, so I can only conclude that this is somehow the camera’s fault.

The Prisoners

Our cats Sam, Boo, and Emma sitting in the open window of my office as viewed from the outside in April 2014

When Ellie and I got back from her evening walk to the dog park, I noticed all three cats watching us enviously from the open window in my office.

King of All I Survey

Our cat Templeton sits on the top of the table on our porch in our backyard in Portland, Oregon on May 6, 2005. Original: IMG_8106.cr2

Templeton loved his outside time and if he wasn’t exploring the sights and smells of the backyard, he’d usually sprawl out in the grass for a catnap. But he also liked being in high places and couldn’t resist the occasional climb to higher elevations to survey the kingdom. This was especially true if I was enjoying a bowl of cereal at the table, he’d wait until I was distracted and then the sounds of slurping would bring me back to attention, Templeton face down and going to town on the milk.

Oh how I loved you little one.

Birders

Our black cat Emma yawns while our young orange tabby Sam looks on as they watch a bird on the roof from the window in my office

Emma and Sam sitting in the window in my office watching a scrub jay that flew up to the roof of the porch. Emma is showing her sharp, pointy teeth but she’s not thinking about eating a tasty bird, she’s just yawning.

You were just yawning, weren’t you Em?

Em?

Emma?

Frost

A female juvenile northern harrier sits in a frosty meadow

I arrived at Ridgefield at sunrise but only had an hour before needing to head home to take our cats Sam and Emma to the vet. I thought the refuge would be fogged in given the heavy fog when I crossed the Columbia, but the refuge was clear and a lovely frost coated the meadows. I wanted to take advantage of the frost since it is not typical here, so I continued around the refuge until I found a good subject.

This female juvenile northern harrier was sitting in the large meadow at the end of the auto tour. I’d never gotten harrier pictures I’ve been happy with, so since she was a ways off I put the 2X teleconverter on my biggest lens and hoped for the best. She’s all puffed out in the cold looking a little larger than she is, and you can see the ring around her face that helps give harriers an owlish look. As she grows older, she will develop streaking down her chest and her eyes will turn from dark brown to yellow.