Caught in the act

Night song

Gymnastics

Professional diving

For just a second....

Seconds count....

A gentle companion

Time spent with cats is never wasted.
- Unknown

Our gentle companion of 11 years, Chava, left this world today. During the past few years, she has coped with health problems with tolerance and dignity. But today it was time to make that last visit to the vet.

She was a friendly stray cat that had hung around an elderly lady's home near my office. When the lady moved to a care home, my office mates and I searched for the cat, and found her and 5 tiny kittens, which were about a week old. We took her and her babies in and kept them in our office until the kittens were weaned. After finding homes for all the kittens, only Mama cat was left. And she came to live with my husband and me.

She had a very good life with us; we jokingly nicknamed her "The Queen". But she was a loving, affectionate queen who enjoyed being with us in whatever room we were in. Good company.

We are already sorely missing her sweet presence. I know we'll be seeing her "shadow" for some time to come.

No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove her fur from your couch.
- Leo Dworken

Interiors

In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary. 

~Aaron Rose

About time

Who forces time is pushed back by time; who yields to time finds time on his side. 
~The Talmud 

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. 
~ Albert Einstein 

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. 
~ Albert Einstein 

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.
~ Douglas Adams

On a summer's day

Summertime is always the best of what might be.
― Charles Bowden 

If constellations had been named in the 20th century, I suppose we would see bicycles.
-- Carl Sagan 

Good things come to those who wait.
-- English proverb 

Any treats today? Whatcha got in your pockets?
-- Binky the squirrel

Lunar magic

The moon, like a flower
In heaven's high bower,
With silent delight
Sits and smiles on the night.
~ William Blake 

The moon's an arrant thief,
And her pale fire she snatches from the sun.
~ William Shakespeare 

There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.
~ George Carlin

Cloud acrobatics

Dramatic performance of clouds and light at dusk. I think Vincent Van Gogh would have liked this:

I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.
--VVG

Swirling like dancers....

Ghosts of Fred and Ginger?

For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream. --VVG

Stars, as well as clouds and light and rain, bring me dreams. How about you?

Three Birds

Singing bird

Inquisitive bird

Watchful bird

"Three birds" is a popular term. Of course, there's the Bob Marley song. And it's a trendy name for eating establishments...

** Three Birds Tavern in St. Petersburg, FL

** Three Birds Restaurant in Corning, NY

** Three Little Birds Restaurant, Charleston, SC


And then I came across this (no city listed):

Three Birds would like to thank all the Guests, Staff and Family for their support of the restaurant for the past eight years. As a result of the real estate being sold it was time for the Birds to take Flight.

It was an honor and extremely rewarding to serve such exciting food and drink at our beautiful restaurant. We could not have done it without you!

We will miss everyone and don’t be surprised if you see another Three Birds in the future...

Consider the flowers

Sundance Daisy (Such a fitting name)

So many artists and writers have been influenced by the beauty of flowers:

Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity. 
~John Ruskin

Blue flax

 I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. 
~Claude Monet

Columbine; remind me of star bursts.

Flowers open every night
across the sky, a breathing peace,
and sudden flame catching.
~ Rumi

Lavender Penstemon

Still, there's always another point of view:

 I hate flowers. I only paint them because they're cheaper than models and they don't move.
~ Georgia O'Keeffe

Things to ponder

We nicknamed this cloud, the "Zipper Cloud", although it also looks like a skeletal backbone. (Dragon fossil?)

A little unnerving to find right over your back door. Still, it's amazing how wasps build their nests.

Sometimes words just can't describe the situation....

Missing something?

Locust blossoms at sunset

To get the full effect, click on the photos to enlarge them. The way the blossoms caught the sunset glow was magnifique!

Have a beautiful week.

Feathered follow-up

Remember this post from April? Well, here are the geese families again. Look how much they've grown! 

They fed voraciously in the grass. Snorking along like feathered vacuum cleaners. 

Some of the goslings were lounging on the bank of the pond. The way their necks curve remind me of flamingos. 

Speaking of necks; check out the "neck action" of the adults. 

After a few final morsels, it was time to move on. 

An eclectic collection

The season for tulips is winding down as the weather turns toward summer. 

"A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!"  -- although I don't think this is quite what King Richard had in mind. 

"Ya better watch how you talk/ or where you walk/ or you and your homies might be lined in chalk!"  
—Coolio, "Gangsta's Paradise" 

Actually, I learned investigators rarely use chalk outlines; it's more a Hollywood thing. 

As you go into Monday, imagine sitting in this chair, sipping your favorite beverage and looking out over the creek that runs below.  
(And no, this is not where I live....) 

Have a good week.