Wednesday, July 15, 2009

What we see..

Black Jack sees cats wherever she goes.  In the building where I live, several people walk their cats regularly, in the way that most people walk their dogs.  There are lots of neighborhood cats as well.  Black Jack cannot walk by the corner of Alma Street and 4th Avenue without checking on Fat Cat at Amy's "Garden Party" shop.  Fat Cat lives at the shop.  He is getting old but he has a good life and he is happy.   Normally, when Black Jack looks in the window after business hours, Fat Cat is sound asleep on a nice soft couch, but last night, he came to the window, and they took a good look at each other.
Speaking of Black Jack, she has been a sick little dog today, and this evening, I see a subdued shadow of her normal self.  I didn't give her any supper, hoping to get her digestive system back on track, and although she looked a bit disappointed, she didn't object as I expected.  She has slept most of the evening in my arms.  I am worried, but have decided to hang in until tomorrow.  If she is still the same in the morning, a visit to the vet will be necessary.

I see these flowers everywhere I look lately.  They are all around my school in North Vancouver.  
A lady walking her dog saw me taking pictures of them, and told me they are called Butterfly flowers.  Lovely name.
This little bird seems to like them too.
I sit on this ledge when I get a chance.  It is about a 3-minute walk from my school.  
From that ledge, I watch the seals.  There are at least 25 of them.  I like these two, end to end, with a third watcher trying to figure out how to fit into the picture.
This one looks for fish.  I see its whiskers, and for some reason, my heart melts.
The crow and seal take a good look at each other.  They are quiet, but I think they are having a conversation.  Any thoughts on their dialogue?
The seabus goes by, as the father osprey eats his fish.  Maybe a sunfish?

Here, mama calls to the father before she leaves the nest.  
I think she is telling him that she needs a short break, and reminding him to watch the nest while she is gone.  She never seems to stay away more that about two or three minutes.

For the past few days, I have seen only tiny glimpses of the baby.  Mostly I hear it.  The moment mama stops handing over the food, it calls out in an incessantly demanding voice.  Today, I saw it sit up tall for the first time.  It seemed to be checking me out.  So did Mama. 
Can you see the food in its mouth?
Papa arrives with more food.
Mama and baby watch him leave.  He is an excellent provider.  He is never gone long, and he always seems to have a successful hunt.  I wonder how many trips he makes in a day.  I would guess at least four or five in an hour.  No wonder the baby is looking so strong.
A minute ago, Black Jack jumped off the bed, thinking she heard something outside.  We looked together, but I guess whatever it was decided to leave when I opened the patio door.  I am hoping her excitement is a sign that she is on the mend.  We will see tomorrow.

8 comments:

  1. Hello, I hope Black Jack will be fine. Sometimes dogs feel that way, they feel so slow and doesn't have any appetite. Scott does it too when he was still around, I noticed he just go to the garden and eat some grass looks weird but I think it's their way of medicating themselves whenever they dont feel well.

    The photos of the butterfly flower was taken perfectly as well as the seal! Thank you for sharing. And btw who is Carol? I have an award waiting for you. It's on my blog.

    AL

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  2. Poor Black Jack! Have you considered easing her back into eating with the tried-and-true hamburger and rice method? It works quite well for minor digestive upsets, and I find it therapeutic for me as well, since I feel like I'm doing something useful for my sick pup when I'm cooking up a batch.

    Beautiful osprey-with-fish shot! Also, seal to crow (polite but firm): Stop pointing that dangerous beak at my butt, please.

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  3. "The Crow and the Seal" a conversation:
    "Hey! I'm hungry. Get me a fish."
    "Get your own bloody fish!"
    End of story.
    (You may assign the characters according to your pleasure.)

    Hope BJ is feeling better. We go to the vet this morning to have the "drains" taken out of Sandy's wound. She's going stir crazy!

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  4. Al, thanks for the award, and also for your good wishes for Black Jack. You are oh so kind!

    Carole, your comment made me laugh. It was the "polite but firm" that put the icing on the cake. And, no, for some reason, I didn't think to try the hamburger/rice method, although it is one I used to use for my last dog. Thanks for the suggestion:) I'm glad you liked the osprey-fish shot. I'm still wondering if that is a sunfish.

    EvenSong, I hope Sandy's wound is healing well. I'm thinking her stir craziness is a good sign. And, thanks for the dialogue. Youre right that I think it could work either way, but perhaps the seal's expression makes it work best with the crow requesting, and the seal refusing.

    Black Jack update: Her symptoms were even worse yesterday morning, and as that was the 3rd day, I began to panic. Wouldn't you know that was my biggest day of the semester, with the school bands booked for two outdoor performances, one in North Van in the morning, and an afternoon one in front of the art gallery in downtown Vancouver. There was no way to change our permits and school insurance adjustments, and short of a life-threatening emergency, I had to be there. I called Bill at 7:30, feeling absolutely awful to start his day off so rudely. He, being the sweetheart that he is, took her to the vet as soon as the clinic opened, left me a message not to worry (which I received just before the first performance), brought her home at noon, came back again at three to take care of her, and never once made me feel guilty. Bill is a gem! This morning, Black Jack looks MUCH better. Thanks for the good wishes.

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  5. So glad Black Jack is better. That Bill is a keeper, that's for sure. :-)

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  6. And, all animals get sick at the least convenient time. It's in the handbook.

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  7. I hope Black Jack is well on the road to recovery. My sensitive-tummy dog is frequently out of sorts, and I fast 24 hours then introduce rice and boiled chicken. When she has the runs I also give her a Pepto Bismal (or 1/2 for my smaller shelties). It is safe for dogs, and seems to do the trick.

    I love the picture of the three seals - it looks like they are rehearsing for a synchronized swim meet!

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  8. Thanks for good wishes, Jean and Carole. Yeah, that handbook - it's never wrong:) Synchronized swimming! Now why didn't I think of that?

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