Caturday #1

Thomas, our favorite guest, enjoys the sunshine on one of his daily visits.

Afternoon Relaxing

Oh to have time for an afternoon nap in the sun! Thomas found a sunny spot on the patio yesterday and hunkered down to take advantage.

I've been a bad blogger lately, so just in case I have to ignore the blog for a little while, I thought you might like to see this guy.  Now, if only we could teach him to help pack orders...

A Morning Visitor

 The other morning I pulled the curtains back, surprised to be greeted by none other than Thomas perched on top of the porch.  Usually he's fearful of heights and wants help back to ground level, but not this day.

 He was content to hang on with his tail, listen to the birds and take in the elements.

 Eventually I retreated to make tea and breakfast, leaving my favorite visitor to greet the day in his own way.

A Visit From Thomas

Thomas, the cat who lives across the street and visits us frequently, has been stopping by in the evenings for a little exercise. I keep a shoelace draped over the back fence for just such occasions.

Thomas likes our heavy gardening, too. With so much bare soil he can roll in the dirt and run through the dried lawn all he wants. Above, he thought attacking a calla was more fun than the string...

I got his attention though and pretty soon he was in hot pursuit.

He'll play "I'm not watching you" then, with a leap, he's up and on the hunt, chasing as fast as he can move. Even though we've played countless times, his speed and agility never cease to amaze me!

A Surprise Visit

Thomas, the cat that lives across the street, showed up at my door this morning. He led me outside, proceeded to find a patch of dirt and took a furious, dusty bath.

Sometimes he stops by to chase a shoelace I leave on the fence for him, but not today. He was content to have a pinch of catnip and relax in the shade of the patio.

An Almost-Spring Neighborhood Walk

click to enlarge

A few days ago blue skies drew us outside for a long-overdue stroll around the neighborhood. With cameras in tow and at the ready we set out on our favorite loop that includes a couple of good hills and plenty of pretty views. Funny thing... every single picture I took was a flower shot or had blue sky. Guess I'm more ready for spring than I thought!

Be sure to visit Mary at Little Red House for more mosaics.

Neighborhood Walkabout Part 3: A Little Structure

Continuing with photos from our neighborhood walk....

My mom moves in for a better view of an interesting statue as I covertly snap another "I'm taking a picture of you taking a picture" shots.

This house has always reminded me of a lodge, well, except for those surrounding palm trees.

This adorable cottage received a remodel some decades ago by one of our favorite people. I'm partial to the tree house platform in the avocado tree to the right.

Looking northwest over the tennis courts of a house with a grand view toward the blue Pacific.

We passed this little U-Haul conversion about a block from home packed to the gills with a gardener's stuff. Was just about to put my camera away and couldn't resist a last shot.

Neighborhood Walkabout Part 2: Flora

Here are a few more shots from the blustery spin my mom and I took around our neighborhood.

This stay of horsetails was the largest I've ever seen -- about 6 feet tall and packed stalk-to-stalk. I have a couple of these growing in pots (my grandmother had cautioned me against planting something so invasive in the ground, "They're horrible, they'll break concrete!") but mine are downright tame compared to these.

Up the road, an avocado tree had dropped the world's tiniest avocado -- poor thing was lime sized and probably all pit.

At the risk of shooting side by side and ending up with similar pictures, I took a sneakier approach and tried to capture my mom while she was occupied and unaware.

Past the farthest houses in the distance is the Pacific Ocean and a cliff that slopes about 100 feet down to the beach. Also in the distance down the hill are the train tracks and Coast Highway.

A short cut for pedestrians along a private drive led us to a fence covered in the most beautiful purple blossoms.

Tomorrow check back for a more structured view of our neighborhood.

Neighborhood Walkabout Part 1: Curious Creatures

Yesterday afternoon I invited my mom to walk on the beach while I surfed, but the winds blowing down from the north had other ideas. The waves were whipped into a mess and, despite the warm summer water still hanging around, stiff winds promised that even the most brief dip would be a chilly one. Instead we opted for a walk around our neighborhood with cameras in tow.

Despite living in crowded Southern California, pockets of agriculture dot our area. Behind the bushes below are rows and rows of greenhouses that have been there as long as I can remember.

This pretty butterfly caught my eye as I took the above shot. He landed just long enough for me to snap his picture before moving on to a more flowered yard.

Our neighborhood is a series of slight slopes and a few steeper hills. At the very top we passed this mailbox decorated with a modern art twist.

The honking geese are a favorite stop: it doesn't matter how many times we pass, they always honk and approach the fence. My mom moves in for the shot.