Well not that blue. . . I had a good birthday despite sleeping much of the day fighting a summer cold.
It always helps to have Sora the Cat’s devotion, eh? She knows I’ve been ill and has been giving me extra cuddles.
A delicious Yumi-made fruit cup with ice cream, Studio Ghibli 40th Anniversary T, and Samurai Cat T! Woot woot! 
Yumi suggested we go to Maplewood Farm in North Vancouver today. It had been many years since we last visited, and it was a great day to be there.
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. . .
Byrne Creek blossoms
Varied Thrush in Byrne Creek Ravine Park
Kinglet in Taylor Park
Wind-blown clouds viewed from Taylor Park
And later. . . Sora the Cat asking if I’m ready for cuddly/sleep yet . . .
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.
She loves “holding hands” and needs some cuddle time before she’ll fall asleep and I can gently transfer her into my recliner and get back to work.
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.
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.
Never tell me cats show no love, eh?
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays. . .
We intend to emulate Sora the Cat for the next few lazy days
Yumi suspended a few of her crafty decorations from the living room fixture, causing Sora the Cat to stare in amazement, and even yowl.
You never know what will trigger the kitty .
A few of these hung over the dining room table for months without any such response. . .
But that takes a lot of play and interaction.