Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Red and White for Valentines Day – Snow Crystals and Berries
Fresh snow is falling today, light and fluffy.
It’s beautiful
but it’s been a long winter
and I’m ready for spring.
Until then,
Happy Valentines Day.
~ Susanne
A Red Faced Duck at Coulon Park
We’re in a deep freeze here in the Northwest, but I bundled up anyway and went for a walk at Coulon, hoping to find some red for this week’s Sunday Stills challenge. I started near the hotel where there were lovely reflections in the water and a bit of red above.
I continued on my walk and found red winter berries and red twig dogwood.
I saw a wonderful assortment of ducks and birds and geese, though none were red.
But then I saw a red-faced duck, perhaps the homeliest I’d ever seen.
I talked with a woman who was watching him. ‘Kind of a loner,’ she said, ‘he doesn’t seem to belong.’
A Muscovy duck, perhaps domesticated. Her friend liked to feed him corn and had gone to get some.
He was friendly. He wiggled his rump, feathers wagging like a dog’s tail, a beautiful shade of green, with scalloped edges; I decided he was handsome after all.
He perked up as if to pose, and raised his feathers on top,
till I thought he looked a bit like Elvis.
My new friend, a red faced duck.
I’ll look for Elvis the next time I visit, maybe with some corn. But don’t tell anyone, you’re not supposed to feed the ducks.
~ Susanne
Cat Prints in the Snow, Big and Small
We’ve had snowy conditions for more than a week, and early on, I let Benji outside to check it out.
He didn’t stay long, but long enough for me to get a picture of his tiny paw prints in the snow.
As the weather has remained cold his time outside dwindled, which turned out to be a good thing.
Because last Monday, we had a visitor to our backyard. Bob saw him watching our sleeping Tiger through the window and ran to get the pellet gun to scare him off. By the time I responded to Benji’s deep-throated cry, the large cat had retreated further into the backyard. He was at least twice the size of Tiger, with a large round face. He sat looking at us, while I flailed my arms through the window, and tried my best to look menacing. When he turned and fled, I saw his thick, stump of a tail, and knew it was a bobcat.
I was so thankful that Benji and Tiger had been inside!
After posting on Facebook, I learned that friends have also seen bobcats in the greater Seattle area. I guess it’s not surprising they’re around, given the woods and other wildlife nearby (rabbits, raccoons, deer.)
Neither Benji nor Tiger have been outside since.
A few days later, we saw some large prints in front of the neighbor’s house, which we assume are from the wild cat.
Needless to say, it’s been unsettling and we’re keeping the cats inside until we have some assurance the bobcat is no longer nearby.
That’s not an issue for Tiger who’s almost 17 years old and perfectly content to remain inside.
It’s much more difficult for Benji, who prior to his injury last year, was in and out, day and night, whenever he pleased. (Yes, we were enablers.) More recently he was outside at least an hour or two a day.
I’m doing my best to keep him happy with new toys, fresh catnip and delicious treats.
And I’ve promised that when spring arrives, he can help me outside in the garden, just like in the old days, when he had all four.
~ Susanne
A Snowy Hike at Nolte State Park
Earlier this week, on a snowy day, we ventured out to the Green River Gorge and Nolte State Park (we have 4-wheel drive) where all was peaceful and serene
We stopped at the Black Diamond Bakery for breakfast and had the restaurant to ourselves, with Mt. Rainier on display through the window.
We took the one-way bridge over the Green River Gorge for a look down at the falls, 155 feet below,
while enjoying the morning light above.
Soon after, we arrived at our final destination – Nolte State Park – where Deep Lake was iced over
and guarded by this seasonal visitor.
We took the trail through the woods around the lake, which was sometimes free of snow,
sometimes not.
It was refreshing. Beautiful. And therapeutic.
~ Susanne
Bobcat Sighting and we now have Indoor Cats!
A bobcat came into our backyard yesterday in broad daylight and looked through the window at Tiger and Benji. I have never even seen one in the wild before, much less in a residential neighborhood. After this scary sighting, we will now officially have indoor cats, another adjustment for Benji, who’d been used to going outside during the day. At least he has a lot of good indoor space, as he has already mostly taken over my office!
I’m thankful Bob built the window seat recently, so Benji can sit on high and watch the action. Tiger won’t notice the difference as he rarely went outside. Life is full of changes for all of us, and so we keep adjusting.
~ Susanne
A Snowy Sunday
We finally got our first snow of the season today and I for one am happy.
Easy for me to say, as there’s no ugly commute in my future.
I got my grocery shopping done yesterday so the cupboards are full. There’s a fire going in the fireplace as there is every winter day in our home. Cats are in, though Benji did go outside to check it out.
I had been worried about the hummingbirds the last few days. They were here regularly throughout our cold snap last week, then went awol. I was so happy to see them feeding this morning, despite, or perhaps, because of the snow.
As I am ready to post this, I see the snow slowing, and a blue sky emerging. Is it over already? Tomorrow will tell.
~ Susanne
New Window Seat – What we do for Benji!
“I hope you appreciate everything we do for you, Benji.”
“Of course I do, Sue, but what exactly do you mean?”
“Have you noticed I’ve practically given my entire office over to you.”
“First the stairs, I’m glad you use them, but they do take up a lot of space.”
“And now the window ledge – it was custom built, you know, according to my specifications. I wanted you to be able to look out the window easily, anytime you wish.”
“Love it, Sue. Tell Bob I appreciate it.”
“Will do Benji. But my point is: you have the stairs, you have the perch, and you have the window ledge. That being the case, would you please move? I need to use the computer.”
“Sorry, Sue.”
~ from the office of Susanne and Benji
A Visit to Bremerton and Harborside Fountain Park
Across Puget Sound, just a ferry ride away from Seattle is Bremerton, home of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
On its waterfront is lovely Harborside Fountain Park, where you’ll see water shooting out of what looks like a giant submarine, at least during the summer months.
I squared the pictures above for #GeometricJanuary while there’s still time.
But arguably the best part of any trip to Bremerton are the views of Seattle from the ferry,
and the grand mountain next door.
~ Susanne
My Anna’s Hummingbirds
As temperatures continue to plunge, I’m taking extra care to keep the hummingbird feeders thawed out and replenished. That means remembering to bring them in at night and returning them first thing in the morning; otherwise they are frozen solid. My sweet little birds perch in the trees before and after coming to feed, so I’m able to capture them at rest, these below, from yesterday ~
I caught the shining one in the maple tree out front this morning.
I love them all! 🙂
Sharing with #SundayStills, Watching and Feeding the Birds.
~ Susanne
Windshield Art – Frosty Squares
This morning when I started my car, I saw lovely ice crystals on the windshield of varying shapes and sizes.
These are extraordinary, I thought to myself, all the while realizing how very ordinary, they were. Works of art, I thought, so I explored them more in color.
We haven’t had any snow this year but the icy ferns and frosty flowers looked like snowflakes to me.
Snowflakes and frost crystals are geometric so I squared the pictures above for GeometricJanuary.
I didn’t square the one below as I liked seeing the frosty crystals gallop along horizontally.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 