Feline Fotogenics

Day after day, Toivo puts herself into completely photogenic environments. Here, she's even cuddled upside the lightbox I use for food photography, napkin and all.




And here, stretched out in the sun on the rugs put down to prevent Lady from slipping on the wood floors while recovering from surgery, her ears profiled in shadow.

And here, again in the sun, this time in the dark shadow/bright light near the cat door to the basement in the kitchen. (Yes, Lady's rugs are everywhere.)

And here, behind the curtain, watching the squirrels and other critters in the back yard, again, it's the profile that fascinates me. (sorry, can't figure out exactly how to format these ...)

The Big Chill

It was a long few days, starting with sleet and ice on Thursday night, then losing power some time during the night.














Still, there was no disputing the beauty of the snow, here from the back window ...









... and also in the front.











The big horizontal limb on the cherry tree reached to the ground, cracking at the trunk. I'm sorry to lose it but am glad the fence and the Japanese maple are okay.






Several limbs broke off the sweet gum on the west side too.

Destructive Beauty

The crabapples are thick with ice and snow. Some branches make it appear that the ice is slanted sideways; instead, the icicles formed vertically, then the weight of the ice bowed the branches.

























Even from a distance, the red of the crabapples shows through, very beautiful!

Walking to Town

I decided to walk to town, hoping to stock up on batteries for a radio and a lantern. It was a Winter Soul's paradise along the way!















There was ice everywhere, not alot, but heavy nonetheless. Lots of power lines were down, many trees suffered broken limbs, a few were upended.










The new Walker Park looks pretty in the snow.

Downtown Shuts Down

Unfortunately, downtown lost power too, so everything was closed, even Tom's station.









The Amtrak was almost on time, only 20 minutes late. Funny, though, the clock is off: perhaps electric and so stopped the night before? No hot coffee at Kaldi's, either.






But what's this ... spring? in the snow??!!

Trying to Stay Warm

First up: hot tea ten times a day. Luckily the stove works and there's hot water for washing. This could be worse!






Next up: creating a warm spot. Nana's down comforter was wonderful. Dad also suggested lighting candles (amazing, they really do create a little warmth) in a closed-off room, Adanna putting hurricanes on the candles for safety and journaling the experience. They were amazing support on the phone in so many ways!






I built an 'igloo' for Lady, covering her crate with two blankets and a down comforter. She was a real trooper for three long days confined to her dark covered crate. She was warm, though! Toivo liked her spot on top, too, when she wasn't cuddled on my lap.











Some times, though, Lady could stand the crate no longer and if there were a warm spot in the sun, I'd move her bed.

More Cold Cold Beauty

It truly is beautiful, three glorious blue-sky winter days, the ice flickering in the light. This is the view from my window: I spent a lot of time here, wrapped in Nana's comforter, drinking tea, reading, watching the birds at the feeder, the neighbors (see that speck of color? it's the neighbor kids on sleds on the smallest incline you can imagine, laughing, laughing, laughing; when there are no power noises, you hear new things!)

Still, can you see how cold it is? Not Up-North cold but plenty cold nonetheless, especially without power, which here lasted for THREE long days. But I'm lucky: there are Kirkwood people who remain without power, even two more days later.

Sunny Sunday

Another unseasonably, but much welcome, warm November day, here seen in a dog's eye view. We sat outside in the sun for a couple of hours, me with a book but mostly dozing, Lady on a leash but mostly alert. Notice the long shadow at only 2:15 pm. Notice too: no leaves!

Supervising the Leaf Blowing

With a rare warm-November day, it was time, finally to get to the leaves though the oaks have yet to let go. Lady stayed outside too, in the 4x4 pen, apparently quite content just to be in the warm and fresh air. I was glad, would have missed her otherwise.

The Red Chair

First it was Musta's, then it was Lady's and some times Musta's. And now it's ... Toivo's.

If I'd had even one thought about getting a feline housemate for Toivo (which I didn't) I'd be second-guessing the idea now. It's nice to see her come up from the basement, out of the closet (in a cat way ;-) and into the light.

Dooce Skin Cancer Shot

Lady wonders: Skin cancer? I don't have skin cancer. That picture's of my surgical incision. And what's a Dooce? Is my Mom losing it? I'm doing fine, really! And I don't have cancer!

Frosty Leaves

Mom's already found a good thing about taking me outside on the leash to do my business a few times a day: she'd have missed these pretty frosty leaves!

Peanut Butter Cocktail

My Mom's keeping track of all the pills I have to take. Toivo comes to investigate of course ...

[update: at first I loved licking peanut butter off my Mom's spoon ... but hmmph, she keeps putting all those nasty tasting pills on there too ... so now she has to open my mouth and wipe peanut butter and a pill on the roof of my mouth ... peanut butter licking is allowed ... licking my incision is NOT]

I'm Home

Woof. LadyBug here. I'm home! I was really excited when my Mom came to pick me up tonight, I was skittering all over, the vet tech had to put a harness on my rear quarters to make sure I didn't slip. Once we got home, Mom lifted me out of the car (she'll get better at this, I'm sure) and I sniffed the yard and bit and did my business. I was mighty glad to see my pen. And I look pretty good, considering, don't you think?

My Mom's not so sure though. She's a little freaked out by my woozy eyes, I think, even though the surgeon said it's still to be expected.

But if I turn a bit, you can see that my leg's bruised and swollen.

Really bruised. Really swollen. Really sore. So far I'm just glad to be home. I'm sniffed at my treat ball and sniffed at kibbles.

Maybe I'll eat later.

We're Ready

Everything's ready for Lady to come home! Especially Toivo ... and some other body in the house.

(May I once again recommend surgeon Mary Jean Gorse from Veterinary Specialists of St. Louis?) Today is Mary Jean's day off. But she was in the office this morning to check on Lady, then called to report that she jumped to her feet, tail a-wagging, then plowed through morning kibbles (and she ate last night, too, good). I think I still need to steel myself to what Lady's going to look like, her energy level, all the pills she's going to be taking.

But ... she'll be home in a few hours! We're spending a quiet weekend around the house. Maybe a little baking, a little reading, a little ... just quiet.

Fat Cat

Somebody in this household needs to go on Weight Watchers.

Empty Bed

Lady's vet just -- may I please recommend Mary Jean Gorse of Veterinary Specialists here in St. Louis? -- called to say that she did well overnight but is, as expected, groggy and sore this morning.

But it sure was quiet around here last night. I even had to fetch Toivo from the basement! Several times, I've started, Oh! Lady needs to go out. Or, Oh! where's the dog? Did I forget to let her back in? And this morning on the way to coffee, her collar rattled in the back seat and for just one second, I turned to rub her paw, just like always.

She comes home tomorrow, late.

Whew!

The surgeon just called to say that Lady's surgery went great (also to tell me to "breathe"). About half the ligament was still healthy so was left in place, moving the kneecap went well, the amount of arthritis found was about what was expected but we've intervened in time to prevent further damage.

Oh. And she's got "good drugs".

She won't likely come home til late on Friday. After only three hours, it's already quiet around here!

Lady's First Real Bone

So ... the meat guys at the farmers market had bones, real bones, uncooked, with a tad of meat on the bone, the marrow intact. Suffice it to say ... Lady loves real bones.

The New Toivo

Lots of Toivo pictures ... she always has been the camera-happy kitty around here!

But with Musta gone, I'm intrigued by her behavior changes. I didn't realize how much I must have been Musta's 'territory'. Now that the territory is open for re-claiming, Toivo's stepping in. This is the cat that would disappear - where I could never figure out - between breakfast and supper and again between supper and breakfast, making short appearances and meowing for a scritch some times.

But now I've created a bed (M & A, do you recognize Lady's old bed?!) on the bed and she spends a lot of time there. I used to keep two sleeping spots on the bed; one always remained empty.

And last night, much to my surprise, she tucked herself timidly between the covers: something she never ONCE did before and something which Musta did, every single night once the weather turned cold, carefully making her way between the top sheet and the comforter, never under the sheet. Toivo didn't stay long under the cover.

Still: very interesting ...

How to Stay Warm

... on a chilly day: make a home under a lamp!

Aha!

A man at the Tower Grove farmers market today identified Lady's breeding! Tere's no question in my mind anymore, Lady is part black lab and part Croatian sheepdog. So many of her physical and temperment characteristics are explained:

• the curly fur
  
• the tail curled over top (though apparently they're often docked)
  
• the upright ears
  
• the long face
  
• the fox-like legs
  
• the intelligence and energy
  
• need for human companionship
• need for exercise
  

Desk Cat

I hadn't realized that my desk was "Musta's territory". Toivo would jump up every once in awhile, stay a minute then leave. I just figured she wasn't interested, she's more 'cat' than Musta ever was, seems not to need or even want more than a small amount of human contact (except at supper time ...) But since losing Musta, she spends a half hour or so, every day, perched somewhere on the desk while I work. It's nice ...

And So the Basket Stays

With Musta gone, I wondered if the basket on my desk, where she so often slept while I worked, should go. I think not. For the first time ever, Toivo has climbed in ... and so the basket stays.

Calling All Bird Watchers

Look what settled onto the fence for a good 30 minutes this morning! Here's a couple of close-ups for identification purposes ...

Toivo and the New Back Scratchers

... oops, I mean the new rugs, the ones that now stretch -- perfectly, to the inch, not one inch too many but not one too short, either -- from Lady's crate in my office to Lady's crate in the downstairs bedroom where we'll soon move in, through the kitchen to the back door, through the dining room into the family room to Lady's open pen -- all in preparation for next week's surgery so that when she's home again and less sure-footed, she doesn't slip on the wood floors ... many thanks to my Dad and IKEA for the rugs, they're just perfect, if not perfectly matched (to one another or the house decor)

Musta's Last Day

Musta Kissa II
1989 - 2006

And so The Herd becomes two ...

Musta was definitely not herself when I got back from the family reunion weekend. She stayed in the red chair, didn't come upstairs to cuddle for the night. The next day, she seemed okay, just lethargic and stand-offish. Who'd guess I miss her getting in the way while I work at my desk? By Tuesday, I knew something was up. She tried really hard to use the litter box, going in and out and then in again. We made a fast trip to see Dr Julie, who found both constipation and dehydration, also considerable weight loss. When I picked her up later, Julie said her kidneys were failing, her numbers, whatever they are, were 100x worse than our last visit. And so I brought her home, for just one last night, a long one, nobody sleeping, Musta lying still, no purrs, no spirit. And so this morning ... she made her trip 'over the rainbow', her head resting on my hand as I held her.

She's buried beneath the fir tree in back ~ though since she's joined her kittenmate Toivo I, I think it's now the 'fur' tree, another named tree, joining the Mother Dogwood and the Father Birch.

She was a sweet cat, a rare kitty who craved human company, who wrapped her paws around my neck, who purred and purred and purred when she tucked herself beside me or at my feet or on my chest or yes, between my chest and the keyboard on the desk while I worked.

And I wish right now that I were a cat, like Toivo, who sniffed Musta's still but still-warm body, sniffed again, and then walked away, understanding, accepting, not missing ...

She is remembered, these last years ... for playfulness, posing, sleeping nearby and always finding the sunny and warm spots.

Lady's a Champ

It's taken only three liver treats and a dozen regular treats but within 18 hours, I'm already comfortable in my new crate. (Thanks, Luka! You were right! But now my Mom's really mad at herself, she says her windows and doors would be in better condition if we'd done this three years ago. And she wouldn't have had to buy so many pairs of replacement shoes either.) I've been in it three times for an hour at a time. This last time, I went in by myself, without treats or without Mom asking.9/18/06 11:25am


But the cats have GOT to stay out, okay? Musta was the first one in the crate. In five minutes flat, she was inside and under the blanket. Toivo was next, her little-cat boy stretched out to cover the entire floor. NO CATS ALLOWED.