A Record of My Living

 June 26 - Through the Years:

I write this blog for my own  amusement. Which is fine as sometimes it seems that I am the only one who reads it. Even so, some weeks it is difficult to come up with a topic that would be of interest even to me. This was going to be one of those. Then I recalled something I wrote not too far back - "My photography is a record of my living, for anyone who really sees."

So, I decided to see what the record was for the date of June 26, relying on the years I was working on Photo a Day (PaD) projects. 

2005

Toy Loan: photo by Cliff Hutson

My wife and I had a house full of pets in 2005. One afternoon, Buster (a Samoyed), for reasons known only to himself, walked over and dropped his bear so Pumpkin could nap with it. The cat, having already appreciated the Orvis dog bed, did not do anything to show his appreciation for the loan of the toy.

2006

World Cup: photo by Cliff Hutson

It seems that I was watching as much of the FIFA 2006 World Cup as I could.

2009

Korean Omelet: photo by Cliff Hutson

There was a sandwich place called "The Tummy Stuffer" within walking distance of where I was headquartered in 2009. The posted menu featured 26 sandwiches (counting burritos). However, there was also a secret menu and one afternoon the owner said I could try this omelet. It was delicious. 

2010

Pepper Tree Litter: photo by Cliff Hutson

The year 2010 was my first full year of retirement and several days a week my terrier-mix Holly and I would take walks along the Thomson Creek Trail. I usually had a camera with me and would photograph anything that caught my eye. This day it what had fallen to the ground underneath a California pepper tree (Schinus molle). 

Days of the Cat

Mini and Pumpkin: photo by Cliff Hutson

This week has two days involving cats. National Feral Cat Day is observed annually on October 16. And, October 17 was the twelfth anniversary of a cat, who became known as Pumpkin, walking up our driveway while my wife was gardening in the front flowerbeds, and convincing her that he should live with us.

Feral Cats

Feral Cat: photo by Cliff Hutson

A feral cat is a cat that has been born to a stray or another feral cat and is unaccustomed to interacting with humans. They may be so afraid of people that they are unable to be handled, let alone adopted.

Many people object to feral cats as they can create problems by urinating, defecating, digging in yards and gardens. I did not really mind them  jumping on my car, but some people can see why others take umbrage at the paw prints.  The feral cats can also be upsetting to owned cats. But, perhaps the main problem is that, left to their own devices, they will reproduce like the proverbial rabbits. Since a female cat can become pregnant as early as five months of age, the number of feral cats in a neighborhood can rapidly increase if cats aren't spayed or neutered. Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is a solution to this problem. 

TNR is a program through which feral cats are humanely trapped; sterilized and medically treated. The tip of one ear surgically removed - a "tipped" ear is the universally-recognized sign of a cat who has been spayed or neutered. The cat will then be returned to the location where they were found. Those cats found suffering with terminal or untreatable illnesses or injuries are euthanized. 

My next door neighbor participates in TNR. She feeds them after their return, so they tend to stick around and form a colony. Her cats like to hang out on our adjoining wall, and in my drive. (They also liked to sleep on the hood of my car. I don’t think that they have fully forgiven me for switching to a SUV which is too tall for them to reach.) Many people on the block assume that they are mine. This enhances my reputation as "that strange old man".

Actually, only two cats, Pumpkin and Mini, live with me. Both were stays.

Stray Cats

Pumpkin: photo by Cliff Hutson

A stray cat is a pet who has been lost or abandoned, is used to contact with people and is tame enough to be adopted.

Pumpkin had a collar, but no tags nor ID. Our first thought was to find his owners by putting up posters. We took him in to the IVHS to see if he was chipped - he was not; or if anyone would inquire about him - no one did. So, he came to live with us. We thought we were really clever naming an orange cat "Pumpkin". (Especially in the month of October.) But, it seems we were not the first. "Pumpkin" is fortieth on the list of 100 popular cat names.

Mini: photo by Cliff Hutson

We adopted Mini not quite a year later. She came from a cat rescue group that had found her in a vacant house. Picking a name for her was more difficult. It seems that during the first week it changed on a daily basis, if not hourly. She was very tiny, being only about five months, and it looked like she would always be small. So, I hit up on "Mini", after the car, and it stuck. 

Cats make great companions in the right household. My cats and I have what could be called a strong bond. Both got along well with our dogs, too. The only downside for me is that they never encourage me to go for a walk, and I have gotten a little lazier as a result. 

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The Patch Cat

A type of black-and-white bicolor cat, the "patch cat" is also nicknamed "cow cat" or "moo cat". A patch cat does not have the solid black "jacket" of the tuxedo cat. Instead, it has big black patches over a mostly white body, often with a black mask over the head.  This color pattern gives them a resemblance to the Holstein, (or Frisian) cow, and is the most likely derivation of the name.

These cats are not a specific breed and are named for their coat pattern. Some say that the color of a cat determines its personality. One source posits that patch cats are thought to have the following characteristics: "a love of water, big personalities and a playful nature.”  Another states that "the black and white colored cat tends to be affectionate and lively".

I am going to suggest that this is going to pretty much depend on the particular cat in question. The pattern can show up in many breeds of cats. Behavior is probably more associated with breed. Then each cat is going to have its own distinct personality, just like with people.

Our veterinarian calls Mini a domestic shorthaired (DSH), as she (Mini not the vet) is a cat of mixed ancestry. Mini will occasionally dabble in water, but has never shown what I would call a love for it. She is affectionate, and was quite animated in her youth. 

One of her favorite tricks was to perch in a high place and jump on me when I passed by so that she perch on my shoulder like a pirate's parrot. Thus life imitated the art of the Non Sequitur comic strip wherein Captain Eddie's cat, Paulie,  rides along with him. While this was not a problem when I was wearing a heavy shirt, it could be quite painful foe me. I am glad that she has outgrown this habit.

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Resolutions

I am sure that many of us take a moment or two on New Year's Day to reflect upon the past year and to ponder what's to come in this one. And, of course, it is also a time of resolutions.

My resolution record for 2013 was not so great, abysmal even. I had only a 41.07% completion rate. While .411 would be incredible for a MLB player, it is not so good in real life where one really needs to accomplish some goals to keep moving ahead. Hopefully, 2014 will be better.



It got off to a good start. I got up, exercised, took the dog for her first walk of the year, came home, and cooked a healthy brunch. But, it is always easy at the beginning. The trick is to keep slogging away as the days drag past.

Many others had similar plans about walking, hiking, and biking. The parking lot for the trailhead was  full and the overflow lot was half full. I will bet that by the end of February we won't see that again.

Anyway, here is to new beginnings, and regular updates to this blog.

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Cats and Health

I read in Spry Magazine that owning a cat has a real benefit to my health. Cat owners are 40% less likely to of a heart attack and 30% less likely to die of stroke, heart failure, or cardiovascular disease.

The blurb said that one reason maybe that interacting with cats reduces anxiety and stress. However, I find that cat ownership certainly has its own set of demands. As the joke goes - "Cats, e.g. Pumpkin (pictured) and Mini, are alarm clocks that need to be fed."

Having a dog like my Holly, of course, encourages many people to get more exercise through taking walks, playing fetch, and the like. However, Spry maintains that pets, even fish, are associated with better health in their owners.