Scratcher of heads, rubber of bellies
After belly rubs Emma would collapse into a puddle of joy, her legs jutting out in various directions so that from some angles she seemed like a stack of cat parts waiting to be assembled. Taken in in 2014, I miss the sky blue walls of my office in Portland but not nearly as much as I miss her.
When you’re on the airplane and think you’re going to have the whole row to yourself only at the last minute someone boards and sits next to you. You’re happy they made their flight but still wish you had the whole row to yourself. At least Trixie doesn’t insist on sleeping nose-to-nose with Boo like she does with Sam.
Boo’s been hanging out with me more than usual the past couple of months, sometimes sleeping on my legs, more often tucked up beside me, and lately often sleeping on the couch behind my head. Last night I fell asleep briefly with Boo up there and Trixie and Sam curled up on top of me. I got up to go to bed but after laying wide awake for an hour or two eventually got up and stayed up until I went out for a hike before sunup. I went to one of the closest trailheads and took an easy 5.5 mile loop as I didn’t know if I would start to crash but I didn’t have any issues. Back home and sated with a homemade breakfast sandwich I finally tired and fell asleep on the couch once more, this time with just Sam and Trixie, and didn’t wake until late in the afternoon. Well-needed rest but it may make for a long night tonight …
Sam has taken to this south-facing window where he can lie with the sun warming his belly, all with a view of the quail and doves and woodpeckers in the backyard. As happens in life though, sometimes a neighbor moves in and blocks your view, or climbs into bed with you for a snuggle. C’est la vie.
Storms approached both literally and figuratively as Ellie slept peacefully in our dining room in Portland in February 2018. Snow would arrive that evening, making the walk to the train to the airport a little more interesting the next morning as I left for my interview in Arizona. A whirlwind followed as I’d get an offer right away, kicking off a storm of activity for the next month in the mad dash to get here. Through it all one of our biggest worries was her health, she had recovered from some minor issues she was having but we were about to put her through a three day drive. She did great on the trip though, we found a wonderful vet pretty quickly after we arrived, and remarkably Ellie would not only see us to Arizona but into the home we bought a year later. She was such a tremendous blessing in so many ways, this pup.
It’s been dipping into the 40’s at night so time to bring out the hoodies, I have some I wear at home and some I wear hiking. Best to keep some spares around as I’m not the only one who likes to put them to good use.
What’s better than spending sunrise in the desert? Spending sunrise in the desert with a sleepy lizard. Taken in late September, they’re hard to find now that the weather has cooled.
Boolie 