Picture of the Day - Lava Lamp and Rocki

Today I pulled my old giant lava lamp (last fired it up in 2009) out of storage. By the grace of God I found a light bulb (100W R-20) which I still had which used to be in it). After much cleaning up the base and bottle, I fired it up. Tonight I captured this scene as my feline friend and I enjoyed the new ambiance in our living space. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

R.I.P. Willy

In May, 1999, I was sitting with my mother on her front porch in Atascadero, CA, having I believe Stein's Deli sandwiches for lunch. The day was warm and the Flynt's next door had their sprinkler on in their front yard. I started hearing this pitiful little squeal of a cry. After hearing it enough times to be certain it was actually "a thing" I got up out of my chair. I walked down mom's driveway to the street and turned right and walked down the street next door to the end of the Flynt's driveway as the sound seemed to come from that area. There was a juniper bush landscaping plant adjacent to both the driveway and the curb and the sprinkler was wetting it and the periodic cry was coming from within it. After poking inside and feeling around I became aware that a tiny, emaciated, wet, sticker-infused orange kitten was trying to avoid my grabbing. After some effort I grabbed it and it was terrified I was going to hurt it. I pet it and baby-talked it and it soon realized I was rescuing it. That moment of realization was obvious in the expression on the kitten's face and its body language as it seemed to suddenly perk up and get excited and stop trembling. Willy and I were bonded for life. Willy grew up to become Crazy Willy who used to run around like a fuzzy crazy man. We lost not a few cats to the street out front and we were sure he'd get hit by a car someday. Today, Willy died in my arms at the vet's office as he no longer could hold food or water and was wasting away pitifully. It broke my heart but it was indisputably the right thing to do. Mom and I hoped he would die in his sleep at home without need for intervention. Willy had too much life-force for that. Between his first day in our lives and his final nod into twilight today, his life was fully of energy and activity and love. He loved everybody having no cat foes or rivals. He functioned as the glue that held mom and my and later just mom's cat herd together. He always adopted the new kitten(s) in the house. He died the way he lived; enveloped in love. I will never forget you Willy.

*Note: when I can excavate a photo of Willie I shall post it with this memorial.

Picture of the Day - Feline Pâté Box

My little geriatric buddy Willie who is now about 17 years old and getting incredibly feeble and senile is finding wackier resting places all the time it seems. The past several days it was mom's kitchen sink; now it is his discarded pâté catfood box. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - The Long Goodbye

The cat on the left is my old friend Willie. I rescued him from premature parental abandonment from the front yard of my mom's neighbor's yard 17 years ago this May. Ever since I nursed him back to health his first spring, he has worshiped and adored me with an intermission in our friendship only after I moved out of mom's house. During those days of my darkest nights, he was one of the original best cat friends of my life. All the rest are gone now and now he is dying of old age, his body shutting down following his mind's long march into twilight. To the right is my dog Tequila whom I took under my wing 12 years ago this August. My original intent was only keeping her long enough to find her owner after she mysteriously appeared in mom's neighborhood, going from house to house searching for help and home. Over the past year or two I have noticed her decline in both body and mind. She trips on stairs now or wanders not far when she gets loose or wants to turn back on long walks or gets hot much easier on warm days in which she used to thrive,  she can't hear my voice as sharply, her eyes have a little cloudiness in them now, and often she does not seem to understand what I am trying to get her to do when in the past we were a sharp team. I thank God for my being privileged to meet these creatures of His and be their protectors and friends. I hope I have more years left with my dog but my cat is near the end. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Not Quite Millennial Kingdom

This was the scene today at the back of my car as my increasingly deaf and situationally-unaware dog Tequila was probably unaware her nemesis cat Rocki (who adores her but whom Tequila feels perpetually threatened by for ownership of my heart) was laying behind her in the shade under my car's trunk. Although not as remarkable as the predator-prey relationship described in Isaiah 11:6, this is nonetheless an eye-catching scene knowing these two animals the way I do.

Picture of the Day - Muh Girls

My cat Rocki adores my dog Tequila who does not reciprocate the affection . Rather, my dog is perpetually jealous of the cat despite getting more of my time by virtue of the cat being a homebody while the dog goes with me everywhere I can take her. The two of them have developed a rather entertaining-to-watch relationship as the cat likes to provoke the dog while the dog likes to chase the cat, something the cat encourages as the cat can easily elude the dog. The cat would prefer to snuggle with the dog who usually will have none of it. However, tonight a rare exception occurred which I captured here unposed. Within a minute of this image being captured the dog repositioned herself facing away from the cat and no longer up against her.
Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Tequila's Bee Sting

This morning my mutt and I participated in the weekly harvest at Kiler Canyon CSA Farm. While there, Tequila apparently got stung by a bee on her nose which swelled up rather quite noticeably to me. This image showed that the best of three I captured. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Tequila-Monster Rises

As the previous posting here indicated, yesterday morning my little canine monster "Tequila" was in deep trouble finding herself largely paralyzed. This forced me to fear the worst and contemplate losing her the most seriously I have yet since taking on the duty of being her human guardian. Today she ran around like a crazy happy dog at Kiler Canyon Farm during the weekly harvest and then she took a walk with me in town all without any hint of paralysis. In fact, the vet would be unhappy to hear of how active she was today having suggested I keep her sequestered for a week. She and I both thought "Ef that" and fully celebrated life today. Below are some images I captured of her in all her cute glory tonight. I'm still amazed at her turn-around not really expecting yesterday to end well for either of us.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Cat Companionship

This morning I awoke to my little dog Tequila acting needy and upset. Upon she and I both emerging from bed it was immediately clear she was mostly paralyzed and flopping around rather than walking. I feared she had suffered a stroke in the night. I did wonder if my taking a huge tick out of her neck last night had in some way contributed but realized correlation does not automatically equate to causation. However, these two unusual occurrences so close together in time made me wonder if I had freed a clot in her neck when I extracted the tick which had then traveled to her brain. I grieved for her on the way to Atascadero Pet Hospital expecting and accepting that our run together would come to an end this day. I also found great peace in trusting God to work this out and get me and the dog through whatever would come our way today. Dr. Burke soon discovered she had five more ticks buried in her neck UNDER her collar where I could not see them. The focus then turned to the possibility she was suffering from Tick Paralysis and by day's end it was clear that was the case as she is back to normal tonight, thank God! The above image I captured this morning shortly before leaving with Tequila to go to the vet's office. My cat Rocki laid down next to Tequila seemingly to comfort her despite the fact the dog does not care much for the cat although Rocki adores Tequila and I believe sensed her stress and despair she was in when this image was captured. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - My Fuzz Monster

Here is my furry, four-legged daughter Rocki in all her fuzzy glory just a short time ago. She is a wonderful Maine Coon who was under-nourished before being rescued as a small kitten in 2008. Therefore, she is a bit undersized for the breed but nonetheless a full-sized cat. I regret not sharing her on this blog more often the past few years but I'm changing that now. Note: she is such an explosion of fur that I have often said of her "her fuzz has fuzz". A sweeter cat there has never been. As is common with Maine Coons she sorta acts like a dog all the while my chihuahua/terrier mix "Tequila" acts like a cat.
Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Grandma Martha Has Tequila

Here is an image I captured at this just-past Thanksgiving showing Grandma Martha and my dog Tequila snuggling. For not seeing Grandma very often Tequila sure takes to her! It was nice being with the women in my life this Thanksgiving. Mom was out of the picture but very much in the room. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

A Sign For Tequila

I found this posted on Facebook and immediately thought of my own little monster, Tequila. the dog who has owned me since 2004 and from whom I lost my bigotry against small dogs. She is a huge dog who can't help the fact she is trapped in a tiny body. However, she does not let that hold her back one iota. She is indomitable and indefatigable.

The Angst of Dogs

"Leg vagina" is a new expression to me as is "pre-pooping ritual" "circles" and I shall not soon forget them.

The Existentialist Angst Of Henri

Last night at my church home group our hostess showed some of us this video whom one of her friends had recently shared with her in like manner. This is wonderful stuff and so captures the feline attitudinal essence.

Picture of the Day - My Maine Coon Monster

Rocki is her name and being sweet, cute, funny, fuzzy, mouthy, and playful is her game. Here she is laying on her new ball-in-circular-rail-with-catnip-bearing-cardboard-center-plaything my childhood buddy/neighbor/landlord/fellow cat-owner Mark bought for her while I'm gone doing these shows. How thoughtful of him. Fortunately, mom comes and visits her every day I'm gone on work trips. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Kitten Courage

This little stray male kitten has adopted my mother. He fears nothing thinking nothing of stalking my dog Tequila (right) as he has done before out in mom's yard or attempting to make Tequila feel uncomfortable as she eats the cat's food as seen here. Note: Tequila's hair on her back is raised. Another note: Tequila gets "put out" and unnerved by cats that are not afraid of her. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - My Bitches

Tequila (a chihuhua-terrier mix) on the right acts like a cat and loves the cat food belonging to Rocki (a Maine coon) on the left who acts like a dog and whom I caught eating the dog's food a few days ago. The dog barely tolerates the cat whom she feels threatened by while the cat adores the dog whom she feel she owns. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Dog Day In Autumn

Today I spent several hours helping my friend Janet at her place get some projects finished up before she goes in for surgery on her hand this next Tuesday. My little pet feline monster Tequila always enjoys going to Janet's little homestead as it gives her a chance to socialize with other dogs and cats and get outdoors a bit not to mention bark at Janet's birds. Below are some images of my little dog's deeds today.

Tequila always tries to dominate Janet's puppy Ruby (left) while avoiding getting munched by Munch (top).

Munch (left) having just rolled around in the dirt being distrustfully watched by Tequila (right).

Munch ominously sniffing Tequila's butt as if to say, "out of my way, bitch!"

Tequila is relentless in her domination attempts on Ruby making Gizmo (top), Janet's other dog jealous.

Tequila "hitting that". All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Meet "Munch"

My friend Janet owns a monstrous cat named "Munch". Munch is monstrously HUGE, heavy, fuzzy, friendly, funny and zany.  This image has not been altered in any way and he actually is that large.  He is even larger than my dog Tequila seen here in the background looking rather jealously at the attention given to Munch earlier this afternoon. He enjoys being held by his "momma" in the manner shown above and oft elects to sleep on her chest at night which as one might imagine is unnerving. Munch also possesses a fetish for plastic which is manifested in his penchant for nesting in it at every opportunity.  Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Fuzzy Courage

This little kitten menaced my dog Tequila as she melodramatically protected her morsel. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).