Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
What’s in my Inbox?
It’s Monday morning and I’m ready for work. I check my inbox as my first order of business.
“Excuse me, Benji, but that can’t be comfortable.”
“Actually, Sue, it is. But thanks for checking.”
“That’s fine, Benji but you’re in my way. Can’t you find someplace else to sleep?”
“Well I could Sue, but I’d rather be close to you.”
“Okay when you put it that way. I’ll check my inbox later. Go back to sleep.”
~Happy Monday from Susanne and Benji
May the 4th be with you!
Not so long ago …
I couldn’t resist.
Happy Saturday!
~ Susanne
May Arrives in Living Color
Spring arrives stealthily in the Pacific Northwest, not in March though the calendar says so nor in April though it teases with warm days between cold and frosty ones. (And the rain? Don’t get me started.)
It’s May that shouts the glory of spring in color.
Not only in green with ferns unfurling;
but in pink clematis blossoming, climbing higher and higher,
and salmonberries ripening (the early red of this one surprised me.)
Each new season comes just when you need it most but it’s spring that brings the most hope, and possibility of renewal and growth.
Sharing with # Squares Renew and Cee’s #FOTD
~ Susanne
Two are Better than One, Cats that is
First there was Tiger and Shadow, brothers in the flesh.
They came to us at the age of five, middle aged in cat years, from a Cat Hotel where they’d been dropped off when the owner could no longer keep them. (Yes, there are such things. Poor boys.)
When we learned of their plight, we welcomed them into our home, and they appreciated their new lodging. If there were ever two cats more bonded than these, I have not seen them.
They rejoiced in their newfound outdoor privileges, exploring the garden, stalking the birds and generally behaving like liberated felines.
Alas, Shadow was a sickly one and within the first year departed to the place where all kitties go, only they know where that is.
Then there was only Tiger, lonely we thought.
We may have been wrong.
In any case, we assumed it was so, and brought Benji home from Seattle Humane as a companion; I admit they had a rough start, with Benji coming out on top.
But they finally adjusted and learned to tolerate, if not love one another as brothers,
living side by side.
Which is all one could ask for.
I guess you could call them our #Pets, though it may be something more than that.
Sharing with Sunday Stills.
~ Susanne
Celebrating the Coast Redwoods for Belated Earth Day
To celebrate Earth Day, we traveled to one of our favorite places last week to enjoy the tallest trees on earth, the Coast Redwoods of Northern California.
Thanks to the efforts of the Save the Redwoods League, formed in 1918, there were many ancient groves for us to enjoy, in the national park and California state parks.
“When logging began in the mid-19th century, roughly two million acres of ancient old-growth redwood forest mantled the coastal mountains of California and southernmost Oregon. Today, just about 5 percent remains. These parks preserve 35% of all remaining, protected old-growth coast redwood forests in California.” Signboard from the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway
We visited many ancient stands of redwoods and because it was the off-season, we often had the trails to ourselves, mostly without any rain.
In addition to the giant trees, there’s much to enjoy in the rich understory of the forest,
along with herds of Roosevelt Elk.
But there’s no doubt, the Redwoods take center stage.
Living up to 2,000 years, growing up to 380 feet tall, the Redwoods are resilient, resistant to insects, fire and rot, determined to keep on living, no matter the obstacles to be overcome. Maybe we could learn something from them.
Yes, #Earth Day was last week, but we just returned from our trip last night, so I’m sharing belatedly with #Sunday Stills, Earth.
-Susanne
Northern Flickers Making Home in the Snag
Some years ago, my husband noticed one of our trees out front was dying, perhaps already dead. He brought out an arborist to take it down, who instead, convinced us to leave it standing as a snag.
He topped it and removed most of the branches, leaving a peculiar looking tree indeed and we had some explaining to do to the neighbors. (In fact, we had the arborist return and remove some of the scruffiest branches near the top.)
But he was oh so right! The birds love it!
According to the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, “Standing dead and dying trees, called “snags” or “wildlife trees,” are important for wildlife in both natural and landscaped settings, occurring as a result of disease, lightning, fire, animal damage, too much shade, drought, root competition, as well as old age.
“Birds, small mammals, and other wildlife use snags for nests, nurseries, storage areas, foraging, roosting, and perching.
“Snags enhance local natural areas by attracting wildlife species that may not otherwise be found there. All trees of all sizes are potential snags. Unfortunately, many wildlife trees are cut down without much thought to their wildlife value or of the potential management options that can safely prolong the existence of the tree. “
These pictures were taken last week, a pair of flickers, both busy working together, hewing out a nesting place to raise their young.
I was thrilled to watch them.
I hope the whole family finds the accommodations suitable.
~ Susanne
Eight Years Later
How time flies!
When you’re having a good time!
Thanks to all of you who follow, view, like and comment! 🤗
We appreciate it!
Susanne, Tiger & Benji
The Space Needle -It happened at the World’s Fair 62 Years Ago!
Not that I would remember!
Regardless, I was fortunate to inherit a stash of mementoes from my mother-in-law, including the original book from the Seattle World’s Fair, which opened 62 years ago today.
The Space Needle has changed a bit over the years, but not much.
We visited recently, after a long hiatus; our last visit was years ago for an anniversary dinner in the revolving restaurant on top.
While we waited in line, we learned some history and saw pictures of the early construction.
We also saw pictures of the revolving restaurant where we dined some twenty years earlier. Too bad they took it out, but some folks said the views were better than the food. I enjoyed both.
We didn’t see Elvis, but he did film a movie here back in the day. Not exactly a classic except perhaps to Seattleites because, ‘It Happened at the World’s Fair.’
We were whisked to the top and enjoyed 360-degree views of Seattle from the Observation Deck, taking care not to get too close to the edge, glass enclosed or not. (Others were bolder, standing on glass benches leaning against glass windows for photo ops. Um, no thanks.)
We took the stairs down to the site of the original restaurant, which was replaced with a small bar and the world’s only glass revolving floor for the brave to walk on.
Surprisingly I was one of them, my husband was not.
Actually, I lasted maybe 30 seconds before deciding it was enough.
Safely back on the ground, we had lunch in the Armory building (old ” Food Circus,”) then walked around, admiring the Space Needle from all angles.
The grounds of the Seattle Center haven’t changed much. The tall spires of the U.S. Science Pavilion still adorn the Pacific Science Center. The old Coliseum is now ‘Climate Pledge Arena” (strange name, don’t you think?) And there are a couple of new museums (Chihuly Glass and Museum of Pop Culture) but I’ve not been to either. Maybe someday.
To me, the star of the show and symbol of the City of Seattle will always be the Space Needle.
Happy Birthday to the Needle!
~ Susanne
A Walk with Ducks and Turtles and Eagles
It was earlier this week, silver and cold.
The rain was over and gone, but clouds still filled the sky and reflected upon the lake.
A flock of ducks swam together in a most orderly fashion,
while turtles were out to catch some rays.
I heard an eagle overhead and as I looked for him in my viewfinder, a crow landed above.
Clearly annoyed, the eagle maintained his dignity and stoic look so I could get another picture.
A wonderful walk at my favorite local park, Gene Coulon Memorial Park, in Renton.
~ Susanne
Quartz, Minerals, Rocks, and Other Gems
Who can keep them all straight?
I’ll start with the largest hunk of quartz I’ve ever seen, an 8,000-pound slab from Arkansas, newly obtained by the Smithsonian.
“Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the Earth’s crust. As a mineral name, quartz refers to a specific chemical compound (silicon dioxide, or silica, SiO2), having a specific crystalline form (hexagonal). It is found in all forms of rock: igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. Minerals Education Coalition
This next piece was touchable, also at the Smithsonian.
“Pure quartz is clear. Color variance due to impurities: purple (amethyst), white (milky quartz), black (smoky quartz), pink (rose quartz) and yellow or orange (citrine).” Minerals Education Coalition
We found this heart-shaped amethyst at the Perot Science Museum in Dallas.
We found more quartz inside in the Gems and Minerals Hall. The Eyes of Africa is a gorgeous specimen of quartz adorned with ‘alien eye’ fluorite.
This may have been my favorite display of minerals anywhere. Here are a few more, they may or may not be quartz, as I’ve lost the labels. Still, aren’t they beautiful?
I love collecting rocks, but I’ve never been lucky enough to find hunks of quartz lying around. But when I’m walking on a sandy beach, I’m walking on tiny particles of quartz and feldspar, minerals grounded down over millions of years from igneous and metamorphic rocks.
Rocks? Minerals? Crystals? Who can keep them straight? Not me, so I’m including one more definition before I close.
“A rock is any two or more minerals bonded together, while a mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic element. A crystal refers to the structure of a mineral, and there are many different kinds of crystalline structures. A mineral can be part of a rock, and a crystal can be a mineral, but the terms are not synonymous.” How to find Rocks
So there you have it.
Sharing with #Sunday Stills.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 