Boolie’s Blog

Another trip back to 2004, Dr. Who isn’t the only one who can travel in time! This was just a quick snapshot of me and Templeton sitting in my office.

I needed a haircut, hadn’t shaved, and was still in my pajamas. I set the self-timer on the camera and hoped Templeton would sit still for the picture. He kept squirming to get away so I had to hold him and it made me laugh right as the picture was taken.

After Templeton died, this simple snapshot became one of my favorites as it’s a rare picture of just the two of us.

When I saw Sam sleeping in the heated bed with his ears sticking up over the top, it reminded me of this picture of Templeton in a similar pose and I couldn’t resist paying tribute.

Sometimes I think I take just a few too many pictures of my cats, but this glyph in the Rinconada Canyon at Petroglyph National Monument makes me think a kindred spirit once roamed these hills. Templeton thought it might be an image made of him, but I thought no since he was far too young. He said in human years yes but in cat years no. I don’t think that’s how it works, but on the other hand …

The new cats got their first real taste of the outdoors on Sunday afternoon. I’ve taken Scout out with me a handful of times so far this year while Sam and Emma watched like tortured souls from indoors. Scout’s an old hat at outdoor time and I don’t have to worry about her trying to escape, so I can actually get yard work done while she’s out there.

Sunday I took a break from yard work to start teaching Sam and Emma how to behave during their outdoor time. Emma came out first and did quite well until she broke Cardinal Rule No. 1 and snuck under the fence into the neighbor’s yard. I yelled at her and she realized she had done something wrong, so she came back under the fence and ran towards our back door. That was the end of her outdoor time for the day, hopefully having to jealously watch from inside will be a good reminder that she’s not to leave the backyard.

Sam came out next and was pure Sam, very spirited and running all over the yard. I clapped any time he got near the side of the yard with the thin gap under the fence and he’d jump back at the noise — one escapee a day is enough. Sam had several lessons today, the dogs in the yard behind us came out and started barking furiously. He understood that the fence protected him and passed that test with flying colors. To his credit, he didn’t sit in front of them and taunt them the way a certain gray cat would sometimes do.

He also saw Public Enemy No. 1, a gray squirrel, running about in the trees next to the fence. His little kitten brain didn’t mask his intentions so I knew he was going to try to climb the fence, so I kept him towards the interior of the yard as best I could. I decided that was enough excitement for one day and I carried him back inside. He went, if not willingly, at least peacefully.

Scout went and slept under the raspberries the way Templeton used to, I wonder how much she still misses him. I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately so perhaps I’m just projecting. Today’s picture of Emma is not from Outdoor School as I didn’t want to be distracted with a camera while watching my young charges.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Templeton lately and missing the way he would curl up on my lap and purr himself to sleep.

After I got home two nights ago, Scout climbed up on me when I sat down and curled up for a nap. Last night Sam climbed up first and then Scout came up, they were purring and rubbing all over each other before settling down.

And then tonight, Sam’s curled up in my lap as I type this.

God bless my kittens.