Ode to Igor

I had to say goodbye to my buddy, Igor today.

He had a good life. He was rescued as a feral kitten, and went from hiding under the couch to running to the door when the doorbell rang to see who was here! How did I name him? Well, when I went to pick him up, he was a tiny runt. but when he got in the car, you would have thought I had 10 cats! He had all kinds of different voices. So I named him after Igor Stravinsky.  He never got over his fear of the car. I dreaded taking him to the vet because he would be so hysterical the minute he saw the carrier.  

He had a carpeted bench on the kitchen radiator by the window which was his favorite place to sit and watch the birds and squirrels in my tiny back yard.  

Last year, he lost and eye due to a condition similar to glaucoma.  A few weeks ago, he started to have trouble with  his left hind leg. A warning to any of you who have cats. They can have blood clots in their groin which cause paralysis in their hind legs.  If your cat starts to have trouble with his hind legs, take him to the vet immediately!  He was a real trooper right to the end.

A good friend , who will be fondly remembered.

My orchids

I have 6 orchid plants. Nothing very exotic, just dendrobiums which seem to be very happy here. I put them out side for the summer. When I bring them in the house for the winter, they start to bloom! They keep me happy by blooming throughout the winter.

Here is the first, it is white and purple with very distinctive veining. 

A surprise resident!

One of my favorite places is the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey.

There is a flock of peacocks there, living richly amidst all the art! On my recent visit last week, I was shocked to see this resident.