I was pleased to see lots of cool birds on my Byrne Creek Ravine Park walk in SE Burnaby, BC, this morning.
I love Pileated Woodpeckers! They’re so flashy and are amazing woodworkers.
There were a couple of Steller’s Jays flitting about the same tree.
And some Northern Flickers zooming around the park
Damn, sad news today.
Midori the Turtle has been ailing. Getting very slow and not eating much. Took her to the vet the other day, and he prescribed an oral liquid painkiller twice a day.
Today we got the results of various tests.
She has severe arthritis in all of her joints, and is also likely losing kidney function. There’s likely no treatment that her aging body can handle at this point that will improve her mobility or handle all her pain.
She’s 30 years old, pretty good for a Slider. We’ve cared for her all those years from the time she was the size of a toonie. She’s always been an interactive turtle, loving to sit on laps.
Both of our cats, our late Choco and our current Sora, have been good buddies with ’Dori.
Yumi, Choco the Cat, and Midori, circa 2012
We don’t want to let her go, but it would be selfish of us to prolong her suffering with more intervention.
It’s gonna be a tough week. . .
UPDATE: Jan. 14, 2025
Final family foto:
UPDATE 2:
Humans seize upon the smallest things for comfort. . . It was a beautiful ethereal pink sunset this evening, as if Midori was approaching the Rainbow Bridge and letting us know she’d be waiting for us some day. . .
How do you explain to Sora the Cat that her buddy Midori is not coming home? Sora checks the tank, checks the sleeping basket, and is clearly wondering where her pal is. . . And our distress adds to Sora’s confusion. . .
But we take comfort in knowing that for 30 years, we loved, and cared for, and supported Midori throughout her wonderful life.
Born in the southern States, shipped to Japan in the pet trade, chosen by us because she was the most active wee turtle in the bunch at a local home improvement store in western Tokyo. (Yes, no regulations back then. . . )
Did we know what we were getting into? No. But we fell in love, and Midori reciprocated that love by seeking our attention and wanting cuddles from the day we brought her home.
All the pet turtle books say don’t stress your turtle with changes of scene. Midori? Fah! I love to ride in the car and look out the window!
From Japan she moved to Canada with us, and travelled several times across the western provinces. She loved my late Mom’s and her husband’s acreage near Saskatoon where she’d go on long rambles.
She also enjoyed visiting a family apartment in Victoria with a solarium where she could hang out and soak up the rays. Everyone in our family was enchanted with her, as were all our friends.
We’ll be reminiscing a lot, and shedding tears, for many days.
We love you, Dori.
Never tire of the ravine behind our place. . .
Well, not fond of catkins, eh? Achoo!
Kinglets are the cutest wee birds. . .
Invasive holly
Snowberry
Japanese-style New Year feast by Yumi Kosaka. Roll your own maki sushi!
The other photo shows the preparation for thanks and blessings for a prosperous, healthy, and safe New Year.
Mochi (pounded rice cakes), Mikan (oranges), Nihonshu (sake), and candles. Our genkan, or foyer, is blessed, each of our home offices is blessed, as is our vehicle.
Happy New Year from hunting Northern Harriers on Boundary Bay, and Bald Eagles at the North 40 Park Reserve in Delta, BC, this morning.
Happy New Year!
Yumi is preparing some Japanese treats for New Year’s Eve including Chawanmushi, and we’ll end the evening with Toshikoshi Soba — buckwheat noodles in a chicken broth that have have various symbolic meanings.
Been doing my annual round of medical tests — bloodwork, FIT, ultrasound. . .
Somehow these all landed in my vacay time around Christmas and New Year’s 
. Oh well, had a bunch of vacay lined up anyway, and it’s been pretty much rain every day here on the west coast of BC.
When hundreds of millions of people are starving around the world, and tens of millions are under attack by totalitarian dictatorships, it’s stupid to be grumpy about not being able to eat or drink for 12 hours ahead of getting some tests done.
I should be grateful the tests are being done, and that a little over 12 hours from now, there’s a full fridge and cupboards to come home to after my morning visit to the lab.
Anyway, I know finding and having a family doctor has been tough for years in BC, and I treasure mine, but if you can, get your annual testing done somehow, somewhere.
It’s so much better to catch things developing than to have them discovered full blown, eh?
Sora the Cat has been very happy that Daddy has a long vacay over the year-end/New Year season. Lots of snoozing and paw/hand-holding going on . . .
From the most shy and skittish rescue cat I’ve adopted in my life, to blossoming into one of the most ardent love bugs, it’s so rewarding to have earned her complete trust.
There are many relationship lessons to learn here, and in no particular order:
Accept where a person or animal is at this moment
Give them time and space
Don’t force things on them, including yourself, despite your best intentions
Be aware of their boundaries, be they mental or physical
Be still, be quiet, let them approach you when ready
When that “first contact” happens, don’t gush, stay calm
Resist the urge to immediately initiate reciprocal contact
Wait for that tentative, shy head butt
Wait for that tail to curl around your ankle or arm
And. . . once you’ve earned all of the above, remember that there is still respect, still some boundaries, eh?
And once you share that trust, never fail them.
We took in the free Heritage Christmas at the Burnaby Village Museum in Burnaby, BC, today.
We parked at the Deer Lake beach parking lot and walked over. . .
Yumi and I went down to White Rock, BC, to check out the Christmas Lights near the pier. Blustery, cold, and busy, but twas great fun!
