Friday, March 29, 2024
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Daily Photo: A Day Outdoors, and a Memory

black cat in forget-me-nots
Mimi in the forget-me-nots…

Mimi wanted her photo taken with forget-me-nots too since we’ve recently featured KellyCookie and Namir. She walked all over the yard, striking a number of poses, it was so hard to choose! But Mimi’s eyes always win me over, forget-me-nots or not.

If you look closely under her chin you’ll see a latch for a leash. The weather was so perfectly lovely today that I ended up out in the garden where I’d intended to spend more time indoors working. Poor Mimi had to stay indoors most of that time because I still have to keep her on a leash—I know she wants to go off and explore because she did with me following her through the neighbor’s yards last week, and I know she’s a streetwise girl, even now, especially since this was her turf for several years, but there are just too many dangers out there. I also have only an old collar that doesn’t really fit and an old leash that’s really too heavy for her, but I am looking around at my creative friends who make things like this to see if we can find the harness that will work for Mimi and a nicer leash.

For now we had a nice time in the yard and an even nicer time on the deck. I had let my deck go for a few years going back to when my mother was ill, but I love this deck and it carries the memories of so many kitties, plus I eat out there and sometimes I even work out there and call it my “garden room” I spend so much time out there, so this spring I’ve got it nearly all the way back in shape, and Mimi apparently approves.

black cat on deck
Mimi approves of the deck, as a princess could not have a messy deck from which to peruse her kingdom

Lilacs and Poppy and the Tortie Girls, a memory from 2011

Our friend Lisa DiGioia-Nutini of Mexico Lindo posted photos of her lilac today, blooming for the first time, planted in 2011 in memory of her Siamese kitty Poppy from seedlings from my lilacs. Just about exactly two years ago on May 3 she stopped over to dig them up, and when she mentioned this it reminded me of the greeting she got from my tortie girls. Cookie and Kelly had been on my lap as I worked at my computer, and as Lisa came to the door they both got up and hurried over to the end of the desk as if they’d been waiting for her! Below you can see two tortie butts side by side as Lisa reached to pet them both, Cookie on the near side and Kelly on the other side of her. I wish I’d been quicker, but this is the best photo I could get.

woman petting cats
Lisa reaches to pet both tortie girls.

Kelly could be shy, but when she liked you, you had no choice but to accept her abundant affection, and both she and Cookie loved their Aunt Lisa even though they barely knew her—cats know these things intuitively. Below is blurry, but it’s about the only photo I have of Kelly’s greeting performance—after the initial “hello” and sniffs, and here she allowed Cookie to have her due as the elder tortie, she would circle a bit, talking, then come back and do her little plié and relevé dance postures extending first one hind leg alllll the way out behind her then the other as she walked toward her subject, really stretching and then head-butt the person, loudly purring.

tortoiseshell cat with woman
Kelly’s special greeting.

Then came the affection as it seemed Kelly could never be saturated. We did eventually get the lilacs dug up, and the Four and Mimi got a few pets too, but the girls took center stage for as long as they wanted. So today we remember the elegant Poppy and the sweetness of my two tortie girls. Really, everything is a big circle.

tortoiseshell cat with woman
Kelly lovins come first.

Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

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All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.


Inspired by felines you know! Visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy.
Inspired by felines you know! Visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy!

Bernadette

From health and welfare to rescue and adoption stories, advocacy and art, factual articles and fictional stories, "The Creative Cat" offers both visual and verbal education and entertainment about cats for people who love cats, pets and animals of all species.

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