Backpacking, Cats and Nurturing Plants
We should be in the Grand Canyon. We have a permit and our packs are ready but..... I tried to finish too much work this morning and caused us to get a late start. We stopped in town and when Julie got out her foot began hurting with a sharp pain. We had planned two nights so we decided to cancel tonight and leave early in the morning.
The temperatures have dropped and there's a 50% prediction of rain in the canyon with some healthy winds. Many years ago I learned bad weather is the best time to hike and backpack. Fewer people are out, streams and waterfalls are flowing and the world takes on a different look. Personally, I hope it rains. I have some good memories of camping in the rain. In fact, I asked Julie to marry me in a tent during a downpour. Good memories!
Last week I got curious and started counting plants. In the house and on the deck we have 107 potted plants -- peppers, tomatoes, chinese evergreen, philodendron, african violet and several other species.
Research indicates people who have pets live longer. Recently I read that research revealed that people who care for house plants live longer also. It appears caring for plants can have the same health and longevity benefits as caring for a pet. That's a surprise -- a welcome surprise.
Julie is fostering two cats, a black one and a white one. Well, technically they are both black but one does have a small white patch on it's belly. It's the only way to tell them apart. Whenever one cat did something one of us would ask, "which one was that? the black one or the white one?" In the first two weeks it was almost impossible to catch them since they had been born as feral kittens. "Which one? Beats me."
Curious Cats. (Larger version)
We bought two identical collars and put a black ring on one collar. The black cat has the pink collar. The white cat has the pink collar with a black ring. There was no logic to which cat received which collar.
I had one flower pot of which I was fond. I bought it at Habitant for Humanity for one dollar. It was hand painted with an scene from Africa, a large tree, a rising sun and an elephant. One of the cats toppled it to the floor. Darned cats!
Flower pot broken by a cat. (Larger version)
It's an old joke. "Do you like cats? I like cats too. Want to swap recipes?" I told Julie but she failed to see the humor and replied, "That's terrible!"
Each week the cats are put on display in town and are listed on a website as available for adoption. No takers yet.
Truthfully, every week I'm relieved when they come back home. In spite of their destructive curiosity and playfulness I've grown attached to them.
The temperatures have dropped and there's a 50% prediction of rain in the canyon with some healthy winds. Many years ago I learned bad weather is the best time to hike and backpack. Fewer people are out, streams and waterfalls are flowing and the world takes on a different look. Personally, I hope it rains. I have some good memories of camping in the rain. In fact, I asked Julie to marry me in a tent during a downpour. Good memories!
Last week I got curious and started counting plants. In the house and on the deck we have 107 potted plants -- peppers, tomatoes, chinese evergreen, philodendron, african violet and several other species.
Research indicates people who have pets live longer. Recently I read that research revealed that people who care for house plants live longer also. It appears caring for plants can have the same health and longevity benefits as caring for a pet. That's a surprise -- a welcome surprise.
Julie is fostering two cats, a black one and a white one. Well, technically they are both black but one does have a small white patch on it's belly. It's the only way to tell them apart. Whenever one cat did something one of us would ask, "which one was that? the black one or the white one?" In the first two weeks it was almost impossible to catch them since they had been born as feral kittens. "Which one? Beats me."
Curious Cats. (Larger version)
We bought two identical collars and put a black ring on one collar. The black cat has the pink collar. The white cat has the pink collar with a black ring. There was no logic to which cat received which collar.
I had one flower pot of which I was fond. I bought it at Habitant for Humanity for one dollar. It was hand painted with an scene from Africa, a large tree, a rising sun and an elephant. One of the cats toppled it to the floor. Darned cats!
Flower pot broken by a cat. (Larger version)
It's an old joke. "Do you like cats? I like cats too. Want to swap recipes?" I told Julie but she failed to see the humor and replied, "That's terrible!"
Each week the cats are put on display in town and are listed on a website as available for adoption. No takers yet.
Truthfully, every week I'm relieved when they come back home. In spite of their destructive curiosity and playfulness I've grown attached to them.
posted by Paul at 8:12 PM
2 Comments:
You enjoy camping in the rain, huh?
Causes me to wonder which one of us is insane.
Don't listen to Buf....like he never rode his hog in the rain..yea.....
Anyway, pack up the black one and send it here. We promise not to lose it this time.
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