Snapshots

I keep finding random pictures to fill in the gaps.

Kitty wasn't exactly neglected during B.C.'s illness, but she didn't get much attention, either, and she's never been demanding... until now. Seems she was always sort of standoffish because she didn't want to draw his attention to herself; he could be a bully, and he harassed her a lot. Now that he's gone she's extremely vocal, much more content and active, but still fairly crotchety. Brent calls her the Mouthy Broad. I'm just trying not to love her fur off while she's here.

I took her to the vet for a once-over since she hadn't been in forever, and at nearly 12 she's in very good shape. Great teeth, extreme groomer, eyes and ears and paws intact. We did a blood draw just to see what "normal" is for her, however, and the news came back: early onset renal failure. Apparently her kidneys have been failing very slowly for quite a while, but her body is adapting and her urine is concentrating normally. So there's no reason she shouldn't be around for quite some time, unless things suddenly pick up the pace... powdered phosphorous binders twice a day and lots of clean, fresh water, and she'll be comfortable and active for the long haul. She shows absolutely no signs of decline.

Rainy sunset, flight into Ontario, CA, August.

Neighborhood trees, October. I worried that Sacramento wouldn't be very interesting during my favorite season, fall, but I worried for nothing. I can't believe the area doesn't get more press for fall foliage... it's absolutely gorgeous, pulls out all the stops. We have a lot of hardwoods like maple, elm, and oak, and lots of flowering, fruit-bearing, flourishing trees. We had every color of the autumn rainbow, from deep reds and browns to bright yellow, and coupled with evergreens like Redwoods and our date palms and certain leafy trees that are apparently not deciduous, the place was a riot of color. So gratifying.

Auburn, CA, on a technical assistance visit to a small water system in October.

East Sacramento's East Portal Park, October afternoon.