From the Archives: Peaches and Kelly and other Senior Torties Keeping Warm, 2009-2011
Hi girls! It’s sweet to see you together again!
On this date back in 2009, Peaches uses Kelly as a pillow as the two bask before the furnace vent on the fleece blankets everyone still loves so much. Peaches was 19, Kelly was 16, and I often found these two cuddling together, often with Peaches on the receiving end of a vigorous bath by Kelly. Kelly loved Peaches, and Peaches loved everyone, but was always glad for Kelly’s attentions. Peaches has her tail “up” and her hind legs stretched because I’d just reached down to pet her and ran my hand down her back. She always put her tail up when even when I just reached toward her. Despite the cattitude typical of calicoes and tortoiseshells, Peaches and Kelly were as sweet as they look. So nice to see them looking up at me again. And they give us just a little break from the “all black cats all the time” look. The photo was grainy enough it was difficult to see details, so I touched it up with the “dry brush” filter in Photoshop.
This is in my studio before I “remodeled” it, just cleaning it up, painting the walls and putting down the finished plywood flooring that’s there now. You’ve seen plenty of other cats sharing this spot in photos from the past few years, from Cookie to the amazing cat piles of the Fantastic Four and Five—this spot has been a favorite from the day I moved in here!
From looking at the other photos from this day, all the rest of the household, Cookie, Namir, Mimi and the Fantastic Four at 18 months old, were in the “really remodeled” bathroom, newly sporting its mint green and white and not even finished yet.
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Winter Reflections, 2011
Every 18-year-old kitty deserves to nap in the sun on the table curled into an old flannel bathrobe.
Why do I have a bathrobe on my kitchen table? Doesn’t every cat owner have some sort of feline comfort area on their table? It was warm in the kitchen when the sun was shining so I took it off and laid it on the table to grab when I went upstairs; instead, Cookie settled on it. How dare I consider moving it? And what a wonderful reflection, both literally and figuratively.
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Cookie Al Fresco, 2011
It’s a warm afternoon, just like 2011.
We’ve been going outside every day all winter long, but Cookie found the snow and ice just weren’t fun anymore on her 19-year-old paws, so we mostly stayed on the deck. But today we explored the yard in all its winter tatters.
Cookie knows I prefer her to wait for me to come with her into the yard, so she pauses at the top of the steps—but her expression is, “As soon as you turn around, I’m going to run down these steps.” She did. I followed. Sometimes my position of authority means nothing.
But after a little sojourn of the weatherfish, under the deck, the fallen branch, picnic table and park bench, our favorite thing is just to sit together.
I’m so glad Cookie and I can share this time—it’s nice to have a buddy to walk around the yard with. She and I also remember other friends who used to share our time in the backyard.
Plus it’s only February and the tomorrow weather will change and I know it will be a while before we get a day this nice again.
While Cookie and I were sitting on the steps, we were being very still so we could count the birds in our yard for the Great Backyard Bird Count, February 18, through Monday, February 22 (2011).
Meanwhile, back in the house, Kelly was showing the wooden shelf in front of the window a thing or two! My cats have always enjoyed clawing wood, from my very first drafting table supports to this shelf that gets their butts up off my desk surface and gives them a better view out the window. Kelly is no different, and after getting a nose full of the sweet spring-like air she had a good energetic scratch all over the shelf.
What Mimi and the Fantastic Four were doing that day I don’t know—there were no photos of them! Likely they were all piled up on the bed napping, lazy bums.
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Just a few days later…
Cuddling, 2011
The weather is unpredictable, and my tortie girls were glad I tossed the old flannel bathrobe back on the table for them to cuddle into as the sleet clicks against the windows.
My senior girls aren’t terribly close but they certainly don’t mind each others’ company when the weather turns bad!
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Kelly has been stepping out into the back yard with me now and then, even asking at the door to go out. She’s never shown any interest in the 15 years she’s been with me until this spring, and I can’t help but think she associates the outdoors, and the spring forget-me-nots, with Cookie, as I do. 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:
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Wednesday: Commissioned Portrait or Featured Artwork
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