Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Take a Memo, Benji
“Ready, Sue.”
~ From the desk of Susanne and Benji
In the Garden with the Cats and the Birds
It’s different than it was, but I still enjoy spending time in the garden with the cats and the birds.
Tiger is free to go outside by himself, but Benji must be supervised.
I’m hoping he can learn from Tiger to stay safely within the confines of the backyard. There’s plenty of space to sit and ponder, nibble on the grass and the catmint, and watch the birds (who stand a better chance of survival now that Benji is slower to the chase.)
The side hedge makes a nice screen and is a favorite place for house finches to nest.
I love listening to their birdsong and watching their courtship. The males have a beautiful red crown, face and upper breast.
The female’s garb is bland but she’s still attractive to the male. Here she’s lit up by maple leaves behind her; I had to brighten them to see her more clearly in the shadows.
Unfortunately, the bottom of the hedge is a tangle of branches and ivy, with tunnels and pathways from which an adventurous cat might escape (and did.)
We’re still trying to figure out how to plug those gaps. In the meantime, there are supervised visits a couple times a day for Benji, not quite as relaxed as it once was for both of us, but still pleasant.
~ Susanne
Soothing Pastels in Flowers and Sunsets
Some days are too full of bold, brilliant color (or no color at all) when what you really need are pastels.
So here you go.
Every May, Montana Clematis begins its climb upward in my backyard and I relish its soothing pink color.
I found this fragrant rose last week at Soos Creek Botanical Garden, I can almost smell its old fashioned fragrance.
No fragrance but lots of color in these tulips from the Skagit Valley earlier this year.
Sunsets often begin in pastels like this one over the Grand Canyon.
and the one below in Astoria, Oregon.
Sharing for #Sunday Stills.
~ Susanne
Life is full of Adjustments, Just ask Benji
I don’t know if I would have adapted as well as Benji had I lost a limb, but that boy is adjusting well.
The surgery was three weeks ago, and the stitches and bandage removed one week ago. His right back leg is gone, so he’s down to three paws, hence he’s a tri-pawed or tripod, if you will.
From the start, walking downstairs has been easier than going upstairs, jumping down, than jumping up, though he’s figuring it out, and I’m helping him when needed.
I’ve made adjustments in my office so he can get to his perch without having to jump straight up as he did before.
Now he can use the piano bench as a steppingstone, or take the path from my chair, across my desk and printer to get there.
It’s a good thing since his perch remains a favorite place for him to look out the window, take a nap and bask in the sunshine.
He still has his favorite toys and loves to play, especially when I dangle the mouse on a stick.
We’ve figured out the indoors but are still working on the outdoors. Bob plugged the obvious holes under the back wooden fence, but Benji showed us there are other escape routes. Showed us by escaping of course, through a tunnel in the hedge, around a chain link fence and into the front yard, still not sure how he pulled that off.
So supervision is needed until we are all more comfortable with our new reality. Today, I gave him ten minutes outside, hovering over him all the while, fearful of losing him. There was a visit to the stream, a trip into the garden shed with lots of sniffing around the door, and best of all, a pit stop in a garden bed, much more natural than a cat box, just like old times.
~ Susanne
Time to Tell You About Benji
First of all, he’s as sweet as ever and adjusting to his new normal. It’s been a rough road the past couple weeks and I’m finally ready to tell you the story.
“Is it okay with you, Benji?”
“Sure, Sue. Just no bad pictures of me, please.”
“Of course, Benji. I’m always respectful and know the boundaries.”
A couple weeks ago, Benji was late coming home. After repeated calling, I went to bed, a bit worried and listening for his cry. I finally heard it and let him in, and as he crossed the threshold, I knew something was wrong. Bob looked closer and thought he had a broken leg. We took him immediately to the local emergency pet hospital.
After triage, the attending vet gave us the news: it was a bad break and the only remedy was amputation. Since Benji was otherwise healthy, they thought he’d do fine and assured us that cats get along very well with 3 legs. (It was amazing he’d managed to get himself home on the bad leg, he was determined and strong.)
The alternative was clear. It was amputation or nothing.
We were left alone to confer. What should we do?
“If Benji could talk, I think he would tell us he wants to live,” were Bob’s words to me. I agreed, happy he made that decision.
He had surgery the next day and it went well. (The surgeon himself had a ‘tri-pawed,’ who still climbed trees!)
He wore a soft cone when out of our presence and his other leg remained bandaged with a surface injury.
I babied him. Prayed for him. Gave him his meds. Kept him in my presence as much as I could. Gave over my office to him, removing his perch so he wouldn’t be tempted to jump. He adapted quickly, moving about the very next day.
It was a long, two weeks of being housebound, for us and him. The stitches came out this week and Benji was freed from both cone and bandage, and according to the vet, free to be a cat again.
He still needs time to fully heal but he’s getting around well. Lots of treats, new toys, love and attention.
We’re plugging up holes under the fence to keep him in the backyard when we allow him to go outside. No more overnight adventures. In the meantime, there are supervised visits, this one from this morning.
It’s a new world for all of us, but I’m so glad we chose life for Benji. He’s a smart cat and I believe he’s thankful too.
~ Susanne
P.S. I hesitated posting this, fearful of criticism, either for allowing Benji to be an outdoor cat or for the decision we made. Both choices were made in love.
Not the same Species – A Story from Tiger Long Ago
Okay everyone, this is Tiger and I have something to say.
I have it pretty good here, indoors and out; the food, the sleeping arrangements, the toys, I can’t complain. The humans that live here are great too and I guess you could say that Sue is my favorite.
Even so, it’s not easy. Take today for example. I was outside hunting to bring her the catch of the day. I’m coiled and ready to spring, when suddenly she’s on the scene, running, clapping her hands, totally blowing my cover. What kind of hunter is she? And occasionally when I do catch something, she’s half-hearted in her appreciation (maybe even disgusted?) when I bring it to her.
But then I realize she can’t help it. She’s only human after all.
Not the same species
~ Tiger
Today’s Dose of Hummers in the Garden
I love them. 🙂
~ Susanne
The Beauty of the Great Outdoors – How I Survived 2020
Remember 2020 and lockdowns, quarantine and social distancing? What were we to do to keep our sanity?
Thank goodness for the Great Outdoors!
For this week’s Sunday Stills Challenge, celebrating the Great Outdoors month of June, I perused my photos from 2020, surprised at all the places we went, remembering how we coped that first confusing year of Covid.
There were many walks in the woods,
day trips
various forms of nature therapy,
and sunsets over the Pacific.
All within my home state of Washington.
It worked.
~ Susanne
Moving Forward to Summer
May was full of rain, dampening spirits, and keeping us inside.
It was also full of unforeseen circumstances, limiting my time in the garden and on the blog.
But the flowers still bloomed without any effort on my part
and this morning dawned bright.
Summer is on the way, and I am ready to move forward.
Thankful that every season brings a fresh start.
Sharing on the last day of #SquaresRenew.
~ Susanne
A Burgeoning of Weeds
It happens, though not something I normally welcome in my garden.
But why not?
This little weed – or attractive wildflower – you decide – is called Herb Robert, or Geranium Robertianum.
I found it burgeoning in the woods on a recent hike at Nolte State Park.
It’s a familiar plant, one l pull out of my garden beds. The ones in the more remote corners of my yard I let live, like the one below.
Isn’t it lovely? And why exactly is it classified as a weed anyway? It’s a member of the geranium family which we otherwise welcome in our gardens. And this one has also been used historically for medicinal purposes.
As near as I can tell, whether something is classified as a weed or not, has to do with whether it is native to the location in which you find it and whether it has undesirable features. If it isn’t native and it’s a prolific grower it may displace native plants.
This one seems harmless to me and attractive.
I’ve squared the photos of these prolific and burgeoning plants – weeds – wildflowers – herbs? – you decide – and am sharing them with Becky’s #SquaresRenew Challenge. It runs all this month, so you still have time to join!
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 