Category Archives: Pets

Adding Nikon D500 To Photo Arsenal

My first ramble with my new (to me) Nikon D500 DSLR body.

I’ve always wanted one of these tanks that are great for wildlife/action photography. Yes, the D500 is old, but it’s still a superb performer that got a Gold rating from DP Review.

Got the body, two batteries, charger, manual, and original strap for less than half of what a D500 body cost new at its introduction.

Oh, yes, and  81,000 shutter activations, with a rating of 200,000, so lots of life in it yet. . .

Buds on Byrne Creek in Burnaby BC
Byrne Creek blossoms

Varied Thrush in Byrne Creek Ravine Park in Burnaby BC
Varied Thrush in Byrne Creek Ravine Park

Kinglet in Taylor Park in Burnaby BC
Kinglet in Taylor Park

Wind-blown clouds as seen from Taylor Park Burnaby BC
Wind-blown clouds viewed from Taylor Park

Sora the CAt
And later. . . Sora the Cat asking if I’m ready for cuddly/sleep yet . . .

Cats Adding Character to Desks

This is the corner of my desk next to my computer stand, where I spend most of my time in my home office.

desk corner cats rubbing on

That’s cat rub. Two generations of cat rub.

Our beloved late Choco, and our current Sora, both like(d) to sit on my lap when I’m on my computer, and reach out and rub their gums and teeth on the corner of the desk to my left.

This does not upset me. I just love them more.

This was my late mother’s desk, at which she was incredibly productive over a long professional career.

She loved cats, too. I can imagine her smiling, looking at this, eh?

Loving Sora the Cat

Friday Nite Foto.

Moi with Sora the Cat, back in Nov. 2020.

It took months to earn her trust after we “rescued” her from the BCSPCA in 2019.

Here you can see her well down the road to blossoming into the cuddle bug she is today.

paul and sora the cat

Murko the Cat, My BFF

Murko, my BFF. . .
Murko the Cat my best friend ever

Got a Throwback Thursday tonight.

My beloved Murko the Cat, circa early 1970s.

Recently found a few home-developed and enlarged-in-a-bathroom darkroom black & whites in a trunk in the garage. (Most of my early photos were destroyed in a basement flood in the early 1980s . . . .)

Murko and I were bonded.

When I went into hospital for scoliosis surgery in my early teens and was away from home for over a month, my parents said he lost half his body weight in depression.

When I got home, he sat on my body cast 23/24 hours a day.

Never tell me cats show no love, eh?

BTW, “Murko” means “he who purrs” in Ukrainian.

Sniffing the Night Air With Sora the Cat

Oh my, that was fun!

Holding Sora the Cat at the front door for about 10 minutes as the rain began to lightly fall not long before we go to bed in south  Burnaby, BC.

Sniff the air, sweetie. Enjoy the smells, the sounds of the pattering droplets.

Sharing the fresh air with an animal with senses seeking is such a joy. Her body tense in anticipation, eyes panning the darkness. . .

She’s happy being a totally indoor cat — better for her and for the wee beasties out there. . .

But that takes a lot of play and interaction.

Cuddling Cat Turning the Solstice Corner

I think one of the most wonderful sounds is when Sora the Cat comes to bed and cuddles after her 5:00 am breakfast. She waits for me to lift a corner of the comforter, and then she slides in and curls up in the crook of my arm.

sora cat cuddle

After she fidgets for a minute I feel her relax, and she gives a wee, whistling sigh of contentment that melts my heart every time.
 
We snooze together for about another hour, and then she grumbles when the alarm goes off :-).
 
Wishing everyone a lovely sleep as we turn the solstice corner. . .