Vin Suprynowicz

For several years now, we’ve opted for live trees that we could plant in the spring . . . here’s our little Xena standing guard, after I finished decorating. Had to be careful not to use glass ornaments or other breakables, thanks to our furry little helpers. 😉

Fortunately, it’s still usually warm enough during the afternoon to open their favorite window a few inches: we call it ‘Smell-O-Vision.’ The cats love to watch the quail parade (and/or other local critters) go by — those quail have gotten so fat this year that they waddle; do they know it’s supposed to be a hard winter?

Xena again, with her sister, enjoying Smell-O-Vision:

And here’s Vin, with our resident Goofball-in-chief, Strider. Yes, that selfie-taking Strider some readers might remember.

Strider is surprisingly camera shy. Vin’s mom asked for pictures of the cats, since they all hid under the bed when she visited back in late October. OK, no biggie, I figured: can do in time for Christmas. But November was a busy month for us, with our going out of business at the brick and mortar store (which Vin and I both felt was increasingly an old ball and chain). It was in December when I finally got out the camera to take some snapshots of the cats, and it soon became apparent that Strider wasn’t going to be an easy subject — he’d run as soon as he saw the camera. So I’ve had to sneak up on him a few times to get any usable photos at all.

Strider is more Vin’s cat than mine, and (much as he hates being held) here seems as happy and comfortable as I’ve seen him on camera — so it feels like I successfully caught an intimate moment between my two favorite guys. Since so many Strider photos turn out hopelessly blurry, I’m ecstatic over this one. 🙂

We’ve got lots of hummers, and for years have had two hummingbird feeders in the courtyard. Despite some territorial squabbles, the hummers seem to get along OK and take turns feeding amidst usually friendly rivalries. But this year, we have one hummer who decided it’s his (or her?) job to chase off any and all competitors. That little bird is determined! So Vin had the clever idea to hang a third feeder out front, and this aggressive hummer promptly adopted it — easier to guard ONE feeder than two simultaneously, I guess. 🙂

That hummer takes up his post first thing in the morning, and occupies it — when not at the feeder, or chasing off interlopers (as he does frequently) — until dusk. It’s a great source of entertainment for the cats, who love to sit in the window and watch its antics. It’ll even buzz Vin and me, to warn us off if we get too close . . . that hummer buzzed me several times when I was trying to get a photo for this blog post.

Hopefully all of our hummers are happy now . . . 😉

My next mission — I’m hoping to get a photo of our elusive roadrunner. We often see it out the window: I’m afraid I don’t have the patience to be a great nature photographer, but perhaps someday I’ll get lucky . . . 🙂

Merry Christmas to all, including your furry and feathered friends!