Daily Photo: Whiskers and All
What am I to do when Mariposa does this? Or more accurately, what is Mariposa to do when I hold a crackle ball over my head and wait for her to respond? Well, that’s what I sometimes need to do to get her big eyes and big whiskers at attention! Mariposa falls for it every time, and I’ve no doubt it’s because I have to pet her and pet her and tell her what a good girl she is. She can’t hear that enough! The backlighting was a bonus, and kind of the reason I used my little photo plot.
Bet you never knew Mariposa had magenta whiskers. That’s a refraction of sunlight on them. It happens with black whiskers too, and I’ve never been able to find out why.
~~~
From Instagram
Hamlet is chilling in the tub. Except the tub is not the cool spot right now, it’s about 88 degrees in here. Now, chilling on the basement floor, that would make some sense, or on the first floor or I had the portable air conditioner. But I’m not a cat, as they are happy to remind me.
From the garden and beyond
Garden treasures. I’ve been gardening here 31 years and I still dig up old stuff. I’ll clean it off and see if it tells me anything about itself, or the families who used to live here. Likely I will end up joining it with some other things for some sort of found object sculpture in my garden. And maybe it will inspire a short story about someone who I never knew.
That sunset the other day…
Leaving a meeting on Sunday night, the day still hot and the sun sliding toward the horizon, I drove along a local road on a hilltop with a view and knew I’d head for the trail through a meadow to capture the sunset. I was not disappointed, except by the utility wires and cell and power towers, which I edited out. This photo is the sun full up and blazing, and I put to use some of my recent study of photographing sunsets.
I continued photographing after it had set and captured the horizon with silhouettes of trees, grasses and wildflowers, and an infinite view of wisps high up still illuminated by golden light as the land is darkening, plus some wildlife.
From around this date in past years
Nature Programs on the Front Porch, 2020
Mariposa loves the basement door where she can watch the back yard, but Sienna prefers the front yard, especially when critters come right up to the door! Sometimes these two formerly feral girls join forces for a little mock hunting as they watch their nature programs.
Mariposa joined Sienna when a baby robin hopped across the porch, and stayed to watch the squirrel walk up on the porch and explore for food on its way to the bird feeder.
I’ve always wanted a catio for them, but one of the first things I did when I moved in was to replace the storm doors with full-view doors so they could crouch and hide and stalk our outdoor critters but stay inside and safe. I love those doors too—there’s never too much light in a small house!
~~~
From Instagram
When you wake up in the morning and your tub is full of black cats.
And photos from the back yard and beyond
Good morning! First daylily.
From around this date in past years
This Time We’re Mad, 2019
We let her out yesterday and she was gone ALL DAY. ALL DAY. We are guarding her very closely today. ~Mimi, Giuseppe, Sunshine, Mariposa, Jelly Bean, Mewsette, Sienna. (They failed to mention I came home with their favorite food and litter. I owe it to my muses when I share them in my art.)
I gave them that, “If you like to eat…” expression. That really does not compute. They were mad, but they did enjoy their special food that I always get for them after an animal event, and favorite wood pellet litter, which hadn’t been available when I went to get it last week.
That was Sunday, and not only had I been away ALL DAY for my vendor event and then the aforementioned shopping, but I had spent most of last week making things and all were pretty severely neglected, at least compared to the usual level of attention they get. It was in response to the previous Thursday when eight cats happily greeted me and followed me around.
“What a nice greeting. I came back from a meeting and everyone greeted me at the door and followed me into the kitchen. Eight are in this photo, but you can barely see Mariposa, all 10 are in the room. I’m happy to be home.”
And I was really looking forward to sitting at my computer with my feet up and posting on Sunday because I had a special memory to share from around that date. I was also eager to share all the photos of my new display and all the things I had made last week, and then just getting back to all the photos of them I’ve taken around the house and not had the chance to share. I really do miss posting for you! I start composing my posts in my mind long before I get to my computer, and all last week and Saturday I had things all planned. And after 10 years of The Creative Cat I almost don’t know what day of the week it is if I don’t post.
“Late night, but productive.”
Instead, I spent Sunday fixing the minutiae of my in-home network which hasn’t been right since a power outage week before last, and downloading and editing photos when that was done. And resting my hip, which was mighty sore and angry. Seeing the doctor about that soon. And the network update will help getting posts written much more easily when I can access all my digital devices for images and programs.
Then Monday morning…
A set of three black cats sleeping on the job — wait, their job was sleeping. Mimi, Jelly Bean and Bella were still making sure I don’t run off again.
In the meantime, my niece in Savannah has been doing some TNR and rescue at her workplace in Savannah, others I’d been coaching in TNR and rescue were successful, a dear friend lost both of her dogs just a month apart, and always there are sweet memories of my own feline family.
I will get back to my schedule for tomorrow. For today just “hello” and I’m glad you’re here. I’m also going to share my post on Portraits of Animals that shows my new display and a lot of the new handmade things so you can see what I’ve been up to.
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This little meowdel’s painting was accepted into two exhibits! Read more and purchase.
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All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals 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.
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Weekly schedule of features:
Sunday: Essays, Pet Loss, Poetry, The Artist’s Life
Monday: Adoptable Cats, TNR & Shelters
Tuesday: Rescue Stories
Wednesday: Commissioned Portrait or Featured Artwork
Thursday: New Merchandise
Friday: Book Review, Health and Welfare, Advocacy
Saturday: Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat, Living Green With Pets, Creating With Cats
And sometimes, I just throw my hands in the air and have fun!
Amazing the way her whiskers look!
Her whiskers are pretty fantastic at any point, but especially when they are backlit, which is probably why I have so many photos of her like that. But that magenta, that’s rich.
mariposa….oh em cod now every cat on the planet will want whiskers like yours and I daresay you’ve started THE cat fashion trend of the 21st century ~~~~~~ hugs from dai$y =^..*= ♥♥♥
Who knew a little former feral was going to become a fashion trendsetter?