Reflections on Adopting an Older Pet

Today marks two weeks since I adopted a seven or eight year old cat from PetSmart's Rescued N Ready program.  June was Adopt a Shelter Cat month, and I couldn't resist the thought of sharing my home with an animal in need.  It's been about one year since my cat, Hillary, had to be euthanized at the vets after ten years of companionship.  It was terrible to see my ferocious, athletic indoor-outdoor kitty so weak and sick at the end.  The patient, stealthy huntress who brought tokens of her skill and love by leaving me mice, birds and small rabbits at the back door, now took to staying under one of the chairs in the living room.  She was the most devoted, loyal friend anyone could have, and her passing left me feeling very sad.

So I had already decided that I would adopt an older dog or cat since Hillary had taught me what a wonderful bond ten years can forge.  Rescued N Ready rescues animals from overcrowded pounds and shelters and puts them into foster homes so people adopting have information about the animal - like whether or not the animal is housebroken, can respond to commands, or is compatible with other dogs or cats or children.  The adoption fee is the same or less than from the shelters.

I looked online at several great cats, fell in love with three or four kittens, and decided to go to PetSmart on the last Saturday of Adopt a Shelter Cat month.  I arrived early.  Rescued N Ready had not yet gotten the animals to the store but the wire crates were laid out on the floor for the dogs and stacked on the other side for the cats.  While I waited I went to the cattery that houses the cats that stay at PetSmart.  I peered inside through the holes in the plexiglass, and two sort of turquoise eyes stared back.  I read the chart hanging on the outside and learned that inside was an 8 year old female named "Butters".  I had one of the employees take her out and I petted her for a while.  She was a tortoiseshell kitty with a mostly black face.  When the other animals came in she went back into her cage and I went on to the next PetSmart to check out the animals I had seen online.

They were beautiful!  There was Malloy, a 3 year old solid white Tom with one blue and one green eye, several 2 and 3 year old Siamese cats, and so many fantastic kittens to choose from.  But none of the animals in either of the stores were anywhere near as old as Butters.  Nor were any of them as excited to be petted as she had been.  So I went back and asked to see Butters again.  This time when she was taken out of her crate she hopped right into my lap and settled down, purring.

I don't know how she got the name Butters, except when I got her home I noticed for the first time what a butterball she was.  And how she followed me around and kept head butting me for pets.  She scarfed up every morsel of her food and seemed constantly hungry at first.  When I laid down to read my book, she came running in and thanked me profusely with purring and rubbing and head butts.  She settled down right on top of me and didn't stop purring for an hour.  Wow, she was happy.  And then I noticed something else about Butters.  She couldn't meow.  She would try, but it just came out as a squeak.  Upon further inspection, she had what was either a scar, or an injury that was still healing, on her throat.  It looked as if someone might have kicked her, either by accident or design.

Her name is now Fin.  After two weeks she has relaxed, stopped eating so much and has slimmed down with the exercise she is getting.  She is still an enthusiastic love bug - I doubt that will change.   She still can't make a sound louder than a squeak, and I have a bell on her collar to help me keep track of her.  She doesn't ever bite or scratch, and is super easy on my house.  She just spends her time sleeping in the sun or curled up on a chair.  And she sleeps right next to me and waits patiently until I wake up.

For me, she is the perfect addition to my home.  She is laid back and affectionate.  I wonder how she became homeless, since she seems so domesticated and well-mannered.  I wouldn't trade her for the cutest kitten in the world.  Indoor cats easily live to be 20 or more, so Fin is really just coming into her prime.  If you or anyone you know is thinking about getting a pet, consider adopting a shelter pet and don't be afraid to adopt older animals.  Most are already trained and just need a second chance.  Here is the website for Resued N Ready:  http://www.rescuednready.com.

Sunset Time

Sunsets on the Tallgrass Prairie are not always cinematic events - but they rarely disappoint.  I sat waiting for the sun to set, munching on the big bag of  Fritos I'd gotten many miles back at a tiny gas station.  The bathroom had a sign over the sink - "push for water" - just in case you were totally stumped by the faucet handles.

The sun was scheduled to set at 6:09.  Right around that time the coyotes began to howl.  Two deer ran through the field and stopped when they noticed me.  We stood looking at each other for a while, and then they simply walked on toward the setting sun.  At a far enough distance, they stopped and stood for a long time, looking at the sun.  The coyotes began again.  I watched as the blue sky darkened and the white clouds turned pink.

It was as if everything in the prairie was celebrating the moment, the last rays of light, the coming of night.  This is my capture of the evening.

RED - EXHIBITION Emotion in Color

It's been a long time since my last blog.  As I look at the photos from my last blog post, they have already been published in my book TULSA'S ZIGZAG STYLE, which is now sold through Blurb.com.  Amazon Books charges a commission on the books they sell, and art books are already very expensive because of the cost of printing artwork.  So to keep the cost down I now sell through Blurb.

As my title suggests, the new exhibition at Lovetts Gallery @lovettsgallery.com is the inspiration for my return to blogger.  RED had it's private showing and client party last night and it's now open to the public.  I always love the shows.  If you love art, be sure to take in the show, which will hang for the next few weeks.  Watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings, bronze and wood sculpture, jewelry and wood turning are all on display, as well as a few installation pieces.  I am delighted to see such fine work.

A couple of standout pieces for me were the amazing landscapes by Romona Youngquist.  Fields of bright red poppies in rural settings with incredible skies.  Solid, masterful brushwork and a total command of the entirety.  Two busts by Chad Awalt blew me away; Obatala and Pana.  He sculpts wood that turns out looking like marble, but with the gorgeous wood grain.  Obatala is a pale, almost white sycamore, and then he comes up with the cojonas to etch and paint the finished piece with the lightest turquoise and yellow detail.  Mind boggling.  

I got to meet Robert Caldwell, a wildlife artist from Virginia.  He had his easel set up in the gallery and was working on a very detailed close-up of an elephant.  Interesting to see the hours of focus and concentration that go into a finished piece.  And I love wildlife!  

The person I spent the most time with was Bill Evans, a wood turner.  I knew pretty much nothing about wood turning when we began talking, but I liked his large burled piece sitting next to my photograph of Red Canyon.  He had three pieces in the show, and his last piece is just amazing.  He combines wood of different colors and grains and then turns it by increments to reveal the shapes that are formed.  I can't even describe the process, although he attempted to give me an idea with pictures of the steps that led to the finished piece, Bowl with Lip.  Look for yourself at  http://www.lovettsgallery.com/artists/147.

Although I took a dozen pictures at the gallery, I'm sorry to say that my old iphone is junk.  This has convinced me that I do need to upgrade my phone -- just for the camera.  Here are the two pieces that I have in the show.  They are both 48" X 32", dye-infused photography on metal.  Both were taken during my trip last December, through Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. 

Red Canyon, Dixie National Forest

Elevation

Natural Light Interiors

In my first group exhibition of 2016, I chose two natural light interior photographs.  Both are hanging in the "OKLAHOMANMADE" Architectural Photography Exhibit at the IAO Gallery in OKC.  It is sponsored by the OKC Foundation for Architecture, and runs through April. 

Kansas City at Night

This photograph is a composite of several shots taken on a pleasant evening in 2014. Union Station was about to celebrate its 100th Anniversary Gala Event, and the entire city was excited about that.  In addition, the Kansas City Chiefs were set to celebrate their 23rd edition of Red Friday.  My nice night shot was elevated to epic proportions by all the celebration.  This makes my realize how long its been since I made a night shot of a city outside of Oklahoma.

Sunset, Christmas 2015

The last full moon of the year falls on Christmas day, an event that hasn't happened since 1977 and won't happen again until 2034.  I went to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve hoping to capture this rare Full Cold Moon.  Clouds prevented the picture I had envisioned of a spectacular full moon rising over the vast emptiness of the prairie landscape.  But, waiting between the time when the sun slipped below the horizon and the moon peaked over the edge of the landscape, I made this simple picture of the unpretentious beauty that exists all around in the prairie.  A block of stone, an earth stirred by bison tracks, a sky slowly darkening, and the far away, excited howls of coyotes, a planet unadorned and unaware of celebration, changing with the constant rhythms of the universe.  A beautiful way to end this special day.    

Christmas Eve Peace

Some moments stand out more than others.  This image taken just before the storm is one that feels magical and significant to me.  May your Christmas Eve be filled with peace and joy.

Storm Clouds.  Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, 2015.