Friday Foto

Ninja has a habit of seeing the world from a different perspective.

RIP Terra

I've known for a long time that my dear little Terra cat has been declining in health. Age will do that. After all, she was 17 years old. Last year, I lost her brother Simba to kidney failure. Thursday night, I looked around the house for her, thinking it strange that she hadn't come over to sit with me and I found her laying in her litter box.

That's just not normal. During the night, I heard her throw up several times and, in the morning, she was sitting in the bathtub, erect and still as an Egyptian cat. Two hours later, she was still sitting in the same position. She hadn't eaten any of her canned or dry cat food since Wednesday night/Thursday morning. I knew she was failing.

I dreaded taking her to the vet. And I didn't want to take her alone.

In recent years, I've taken Gunnar, Daisy, and Simba to the vet to be put down, all by myself. I lost my sweet little Buddha dog to the coyotes last year when I let him out the door for a pee and he took off with Sandy. I could hear him yipe but I couldn't get to him in time. And now, Terra.

I made an appointment with the vet for the afternoon and went to work. I tried to work but it was so hard concentrating. When I got home, I immediately looked for Terra. She wasn't in the litter box or the bathtub. She was curled up in the laundry basket, so sweet, but I could tell that she wasn't any better. I picked her up and off we went.

As soon as we stepped out of the house, she began wailing. I was tempted to just go back to the house and leave her to die in her own way, but we were leaving for the weekend and I didn't want her to curl up in some corner of the garage where we wouldn't be able to find her. My son drove and my mom sat next to him in the front, while I sat on the back seat cuddling my precious cargo, who only let out an occasional meow.

Recently, she had begun balding. She had a big "hot" spot on her chest and tufts of hair flew around the house constantly. I wanted to take her to the vet to see if there was any kind of medicine I could give her for her hormone imbalance but I thought that it was probably part of the kidney failure. She had been making very large pee spots in her litter box in the last several months. I knew the vet would advise me to let her "go", so I waited until there was no quality of life left.

Earlier this week, Terra had caught a mouse in the garage. She would lay her prize out by the door so that we would see it and praise her. Unlike her brother, who often ate his catch and just left "parts", she always left the entire body for us. A few weeks ago, she caught two in one day.

Whenever I sat down, she was in my lap. She could sit for hours as she watched me type on the computer or snooze while I watched my TV movies. She especially loved watching Youtube videos with me. At night, she curled up next to me, in my bed. This past winter, she would often go under the covers and I would wake up from whiskers ticking my face. The tips of her ears were always so cold!

The vet weighed her and evaluated her condition. Alarmingly, her weight was just six pounds, three ounces! I remember when she weighed eleven pounds. He told me what I expected to hear, that it was time to let her go. We took her to the back room and he laid down a big, soft towel. He injected her with a sedative and left me with her so I could say good-bye. My son didn't want to stay with us so he went up front to wait with my mom. She was so still already that it was hard to know when the sedative took effect. Her breathing was slight and her eyes stayed open, unfocused. I whispered to her, calling her name, hoping she could hear me, as she drifted off to sleep.

M son came back into the room and stroked her for a while. Then the vet came in and suggested that it was time. My son said that she was strong, holding on, but the doctor said, "no, this was only a sedative. She hadn't been given the "shot" yet".

We left her laying on the towel, barely breathing, to go back to the waiting room. I settled the bill and just a few minutes later the doctor handed my son a cardboard box. We took her home and buried her in the area where all the rest of our previous pets have been laid to rest. We threw a bunch of pine cones into the grave, hoping that one day, a tree would grow.

My sweet little Terra, rest in peace.

Sunday Stills (1-2-11 best 2010 pix)

This week's challenge is a look back on 2010 to pick some of our favorite photos.

I'll start with baby Yalla! taken last January.

 I like this shot of Annie with her mane flying in the air.

 I know, another horse photo, but aren't they cute together?

This was in the Canyonlands of Arizona. Pictures don't do it justice. I like the windmill and painted water tank in front for contrast.

Here's magnificent Spider Rock from Canyon de Chelly.

Terra has the most beautiful eyes and such a cute little pink nose.

Here are my most favorite people in the whole world on my Mom's 83rd Birthday. 

Isn't this horned toad so tiny and cute?

  

This might be my most favorite photo of Yalla! She looks so grown up.

How about a little artsy shot?

What's your favorite picture of this collection?

For more Sunday Stills, please visit here.

But I'm still getting educated

I thought that when school ended last week I'd have lots of time to blog and do things, but strangely, I feel sort of empty inside. I am trying to keep my depression at bay and focus on positive things. I am undecided now whether to continue on to University of New Mexico or University of Phoenix for a Bachelor's degree in business or just concentrate on work for a while. I could get a degree quicker with Phoenix but it's very expensive. UNM is going to take me years and, if I consider all the time and money spent on books and classes, will be very costly too. Either way, do I really want a student loan?

I sort of feel like these guys, tired.

Here's Simba looking kind of comical and cute


and Terra, with her beautiful, expressive eyes.

I noticed in the photo of Terra that in the background you can see a stack of movies and a book called The Daily Book of Art: 365 pages that Teach, Inspire, and Entertain. I am really enjoying it. The book has an interesting format. Each page focuses on one particular thing: art history, a famous painter, an art technique, a museum, a painting, "step by step how to draw" lesson, etc. and these repeat all through the book so you can read just a page or an entire series at one sitting. There are 365 pages with photos generously scattered throughout. The pages are short and easy to read, about 4-5 paragraphs with references for more information if you want to research further. Each page of this book falls into one of the following categories:

Art 101 with Elizabeth T Gilbert
Philosophy of Art with Colin Gilbert
Art Through the Ages with Amy Runyen
Profiles in ARt with Rebecca J. Razo
A pictures worth 200 words with Dylan Gilbert
Art From the inside out with Sharon Robinson
Art Around the World with Sharon Robinson
Unexpected Art Forms with David J Schmidt
Artistic Oddities with Gabriel Guzman
Step by Step Exercises

For example, this book covers Van Gogh, tattooing, Faberge eggs, the Louvre, how to draw a goldfish in a bowl, cave paintings, Rococo art, the Sistene Chapel, etc. etc. etc. It's an easy way to learn more about the fascinating world of art and I highly recommend it to everybody. The only complaint I could have is that the photos are small and there can never be enough although the book would become a tome and very, very weighty with lots of additional pages. There is even a ribbon to keep your place.

I guess I cannot give up on learning- there is too much I just don't know yet. However, I don't know whether to continue with classes or just do it on a personal basis.

But I'm still getting educated - song: Fantastic Voyage, artist: David Bowie, album: Lodger

Some cat was layin' down

I recently had a photo session with Terra, on my bed. She is so full of catitude, especially when I pull out the camera.
Kind of like, "That's really embarrassing, you know!"
"I'm not liking this one bit."
"What's that, over there?""If I pretend I'm sleeping, will you go away?"

"Ah well, I can't stay mad forever...
especially when you dangle strings over my head."

Some cat was layin' down - song: Starman, artist: David Bowie, album: TRAFOZSATSFM

Friday Foto

Friday - song: Friday on my Mind, artist: David Bowie covering the EasyBeats, album: Pinups

I see you see me through your window

As I was walking to the house from my barn the other day, I saw Terra in the window.

And she saw me!

I see you see me through your window - song: Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed, artist: David Bowie, album: Space Oddity

And it was Stalking time for the Moonboys

This morning, my two cats, Terra (gray) and Simba (Siamese mix), had a wonderful time exploring the great outdoors. They are 'inside' cats because we have coyotes frequently patrolling the area and I am afraid for their safety. When they do go outside, they really enjoy themselves. Terra hides in the grass and climbs on the rock walls. They explore the gardens and stalk each other. Until other things become more interesting.
Then it's time to come into the house again and dream about the wild outside.

And it was Stalking time for the Moonboys - song: The Bewlay Brothers, artist: David Bowie, album: Hunky Dory

I've sit just behind my window

Here are some photos of my cat, Terra,
as she enjoys the view out of my kitchen window. I love how her tail wraps around and hangs down the backside of the blinds.

I've sit just behind my window - song: I Dig Everything, artist: David Bowie, album: Early On (1964-1966)

Here I stand, foot in hand

This is the view from my house. As I look out my kitchen window to the north, I can see Lisa's flock of sheep, llamas, and goats in the distance. This is the very woolly Svetlana.Just to the right I can see South Mountain. This is what I see when I look out my bedroom window to the west. I love my little stone wall! While I was looking outside, I saw these birds on the top of a telephone pole. Does anyone know what they are?
This is looking to the west from my kitchen window. My barn is at the far right. This photo was taken just a few days ago. Almost all of the snow is gone now.

Because of the snow, Gunnar and Daisy had to stay inside. I took the opportunity to get some pictures of Daisy.

Terra was showing exceptional attitude. Not to be left out, here's Gunnar.

And, of course, here's Buddha. He is giving High 5's. You can see how hairy his toes are in the last photo. He spreads his claws like a cat.

Here I stand, foot in hand - All the Madmen, artist: David Bowie, album: The Man Who Sold the World