Merry Christmas!

Bella’s new coat

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree......

I am definitely not in charge

I got up from my computer this morning to get a second cup of coffee and came back to this.
And the little buggers didn't even move a muscle when I tried to sit down.
Good thing they're cute.

My brother makes a great pillow

Thieves thwarted

One of the many wonders and blessings of living where we do in Arizona is the abundance of wildlife.
And one of the ones I see most are javelinas.
They usually patrol at night scavenging for food so I have to be careful what I leave out. I used to use quail blocks to feed the quail but those attracted the javelinas and just made a mess.
And javelinas can be dangerous to man and dog especially if they have young ones with them.
Lucky for me I have a motion detector camera in my driveway and I catch the critters often. In this video you can hear them digging through the garbage off the side out of view of the camera. There's even a Momma nursing her baby.

 

 

After this I have been using bungee cords to keep the lid tightly on. It worked but they still try. I now have bite marks of frustration on the can.
One guy tried again last night.

My little photo ham

Friskie

This wasn't the blog post I had intended to write this morning but that's how life goes.
Things change.
A little while ago I found out my mother-in-law's cat passed away yesterday.
I didn't expect her death to hit me as hard as it did.
But even now, the tears are just around the corner.
Friskie's journey was a long one.  She started her life living with my in-laws in Texas. After John passed away, my mother-in-law's health deteriorated rapidly and I brought her - and Friskie - out here to Arizona.
Mom went to live in a beautiful assisted living home nearby and my plan was to make Friskie part of my family that already consisted of 2 dogs and 3 cats. John and I had promised Mom years ago that if anything ever happened to her, we would take care of Friskie forever.
But Friskie had other ideas. She hated not being an only cat so, after a few months of vainly trying to change her mind, Friskie went to live with a friend who offered to foster her for me.
And then a few years later that fell apart and Friskie found herself back in my home.
By that time, Mom had passed away and my heart was heavy. I needed to make this work.

Friskie said No again.
So, I reluctantly sought the help of a cat rescue here in town.
They promised me they would find the best home for Friskie and, if they couldn't, Friskie would live out her life in their care at the rescue.
But life had good things in store for Friskie.
One of the volunteers at the rescue immediately fell in love with her and adopted her.
Friskie once again was an only - and very spoiled and loved - cat.
She thrived in that home and I would occasionally get updates on how she was doing.
Until this morning, when the sad news came that Friskie had gone over the Rainbow Bridge.
She lived a long life and she was in a wonderful home when she passed.
But still I cried. Maybe because this was another link to Mom - and John - that is lost now.
We lose our loved ones in so many way - when we give away their possessions, when we move out of a home we shared - and yes, when a beloved pet that knew us dies.
I'm happy Friskie was loved by so many people.
I'm grateful for the rescue and the volunteer who gave her a home when I couldn't.
RIP, little one.
You are with Mom again.
Namaste.

Friskie
2002 - 2019

A present for me

I think John and my Guide Charles had a hand in this.

Tonight's visitor

Ahhh...yeah, that's the spot

I love how our fur family gets along so well.

Shhhh.....I hiding from scawwy cleaning people

Silly Sean

I have never had a cat who slept like this. But this is Sean's favorite sleep position.

Find your peace

The world can be harsh and cruel sometimes. My antidote is nature and my furbabies.

Cat in a box

Riley has never met a box he didn't like.

Cat TV

Watching the birds.

Momma and babies

This Momma bird made her nest on my deck recently and raised her two little babies there.
They have since fledged and all have flown away but it was fun watching them grow.

Morning sun bath

Photo effect with Lensbaby Sol45

Whose desk is this anyway?

A girl and her woobie

Bella doesn't play with stuffed toys like some dogs do.
She prefers things she can chew, like antlers.
But she does have a couple of plush toys that she is partial to.
This is the one we call Moo-Cow.

Happy birthday, Bella!

6 years old!

Boys in the basket

Riley and Chaz

Happy birthday, Chaz!

Chaz is 10 years old today.

We love you, sweet boy!
We were so lucky the day you came into our life.

Riley loved John so much

This week I moved John's desk from his old office into the living room, See this blog post. 
Riley loved hanging out with John in his office.

As soon as the desk was moved and back out in the open, Riley made himself at home.
I wonder if he remembers.

Happy birthday, Sean!

Sean is 7 years old today.
How did the time go so fast? Just yesterday he was a wee baby.

AZ wildflowers

Went to see and photograph Arizona wildflowers at Bartlett Lake today with my friend Cathy.
We are so blessed to live in this state.

Happy birthday, Riley!

Our boy is 11 years old today.
We love you, Sweetness.

Six weeks old

Today.
♥

Bees and blossoms

The citrus trees are in bloom and the bees are busy.
And the scent is heavenly.

Sun bathing Bella

Riley and Chaz

Late night visitors caught on the security cam

Bella trying to learn the concept of pillow

Not quite sure how it's done.