[New post] Photography 101: Mystery

I don’t know who comes up with these challenges, but the orples and I came across a mystery just the other day. Madhu is always shooting off really, really interesting subjects during her travels in her blog, theurgetowander. Being the sweetheart that she is, Madhu invited the orples and me to come play in her domain. We came across this sleeping leopard. It’s a mystery to me as how that poor cat can sleep with those noisy orples chattering away.

How does that leopard sleep with all of that chatter going on?

I think Olivia is more mystified by the size of the huge feline. And Oscar is wondering if Olivia is brave enough to wake the leopard up. I certainly hope not. I don’t think Olivia would stand a chance if he’s not a happy camper when he opens his eyes. If you want to see what other adventures the Orples and I have been up to, come with us to visit the neighbors. Today’s post will be the first subject you come to, so just toggle down to see our previous postings, from the newest to the oldest in this category. Enjoy your travels. 😉

Olivia & Oscar meet Monster

Chicky Monster is my old, faithful, no good for nothing, kitty, critter that serves as my side kick. As a rule Monster likes to sit on my lap when I am trying to work. He puts his paws on the edge of my desk. He snoozes, while I try to work around him … until I get frustrated and give him the boot.

Olivia and Oscar conversing with Monster

Monster also likes to hang out in high places, and look down on the world when he is not hanging out inside. Monster is really a big chicken. Thus his name, Chicky Monster. He has been my pal for about 10 years now. I adopted him when my son was in the Navy and his ship sailed right after 911. Somehow, I’ve ended up with this goofy creature all of these years. Hmmm, what would I do without him? As you can see, he is buds with the orples too.

Weekly Contest Photo. Love . Remembering ‘Stray’.

The sleeping child is my grandson, now 10 years old and going strong. The cat was my beloved stray. The cat is the subject of my first post on the subject of ‘Love’. You’d think I would start with my family, but this is the first photograph I came across and it said ‘pick me’, so I did. (LOL)

Stray showed up on my doorstep one day.  I fell in love at ‘meow’.

I’ve had a lot of cats in my lifetime, but this cat was like a soul mate.  He was such a true gentleman.  Stray definitely had a little piece of my heart, so I begin this week with honoring him.  Love, sometimes being a double-edged sword, turns to heartbreak as was the case the day my dear, sweet Stray died.  Our street was not particularly busy, and Stray usually stayed in our yard but I still worried that one day he would get hit.  The day it happened (Oct. 1, 2006) , standing at the window, I saw the car hit him.  I rushed outside and found him hiding under the front hedge, clinging to life.  I helplessly watched as the life faded from his eyes and his body went limp.  It took fifteen (+/-) grueling  minutes for him to die and there was nothing I could do but hold him and cry.  There was no use in calling a vet as it was obviously that he’d been crushed.  He labored to breath and blood oozed from his mouth.   I cried for days thereafter.  Finally one day, my youngest son pointed out to me that some animals never experience love at all in their entire lives.  Some animals are abused, neglected, or simply raised for slaughter.  Stray had been loved.  And even if we did only have a mere five years together, it was a bond of joy and now bittersweet  memories for me.   So today as I ponder the subject of ‘love’, I am thinking of Stray, wishing I’d brought him in the house that day.   Maybe I should have waited for ‘regret’ to be the theme of the week to post this entry.