sunny but cold

The region’s in a deep-freeze, currently, but I’m burrowed deeply in my editing cave in front of a warm computer and wearing a pair of knock-off Mukluks that are doing a good job of keeping my feet warm.

Brrrrrr….

sunny but cold

I also have a cat who loves to snuggle, in case the Mukluks fail me.

sun worshipper

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hello snow

There’s a skylight right over my bed, so I know what the weather is like as soon as I open my eyes. It’s a far cry from yesterday, when I was driving a patient in the early morning — it was pouring rain then and continued into the evening.

Not today. The walk home is going to be messy!

Xena checking out the new white world

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Xena's observation tower

In case you’re watching for Santa, Xena’s taken it upon herself to monitor the situation from my attic flat.

Xena's observation tower

This is the closest I got to a Xena portrait:

those bells are annoying me!

Merry Christmas, Silly Humans

Time to hit the road! For those with the password, my whereabouts can be found at the Where page.

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Beano (RIP) gets busted for drinking out of my mug!

Yesterday was so crappy I was in bed by 10pm so it would be over sooner. But a special mention: yesterday morning a neighbourhood coffee shop owner took pity on me while I was on the phone dealing with unpleasantries and made me the best Americano I have ever had in my life, along with a fantastic toasted bagel and cream cheese and an amazing muffin with goat cheese, walnuts, organic butter and his ‘secret ingredient’ — Tabasco sauce! It sounds bizarre but it was incredibly tasty.

Good food and beverages (and sympathetic coffee shop owners) make life better. Also, entertaining pets like Beano… I miss that little scoundrel very much!

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dessert-fest

When I found out on Thursday night that Pennsylvania was out of the question for this weekend and I’d have to forfeit Helma’s home cooking, I shamelessly played the orphan card and got myself invited to dinner today to enjoy the company of others over food. Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays simply because it does not involve gifts, only people and food, two of the best things in life. It seemed rather sad to be only working and eating in the company of my cat this weekend. No offense, Xena, but we don’t eat the same food!

Xena, looking angelic

Now it’s midnight and I’m in a food coma from all of us completely overeating (we went overboard with the desserts!), but I feel much better about having to work through the rest of the weekend with the thought that at least I had one home-cooked dinner and it wasn’t alone. Most of time being alone doesn’t bother me, but for some reason Thanksgiving is one of those weekends when it does.

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This is what she’s like every single day: a purrbox who craves attention.

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Xena's cornered

Xena's cornered

Over the past four weeks, the House of Fielding has been transitioning from a one cat-staff, one-cat household to a two cat-staff, two-cat household. Xena hasn’t been happy about it and neither has her nemesis, Professor. She’s hissed so much at him I think the only thing stopping her from hissing even more is that her (mostly toothless) mouth goes dry.

Professor, aka Mr. Kitty

It probably doesn’t help that Professor is twice Xena’s size while half her age.

so not impressed

Despite all the highly vocal protesting from both cats, they’re curious about each other (natch, they’re cats after all) and day-by-day I observe a little less feigned hostility and more curiosity. Maybe one day I’ll come home to find them snuggled together as if they were friends for life, but until then they’re more like The Odd Couple.

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I followed you into the bathroom, because you're not listening to me!!!

I’ve been working a lot lately out of the house, inciting cries of protest from the other official house member, who is not used to being alone (RIP Beano). Notice her teeth are bared — the only ones she has left (two on the bottom, three on the side). Xena’s pretty toothy for a nearly-toothless cat. I think she’s trying to tell me something.

Harumph!

Ears are down. Xena is an 11-year old pulling a tantrum. (Yes, she’s actually 11 in cat years and according to this site, she’s 60 in human years.)

I’m shooting a wedding outside of Toronto tomorrow, I wonder if she knows and will sleep on my camera bag? She does that when I’m about to leave town.

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As I was compiling a list of my annual pilgrimages south to fly for David’s birthday on May 30, it struck me how fortunate I’ve been over the years at getting myself up in the air six years in a row. Since scattering David’s ashes on May 30, 2006 (a major feat* in itself after all that happened on that trip), there’s been all sorts of weather challenges — from stormy skies to major haze to high winds. But every year I still manage to do it, and I’ll keep doing it until I face some real inclement weather. So far I’ve been lucky it hasn’t been bad enough to call off a trip yet.

David’s B-Day 2006 – scattered his ashes
David’s B-Day 2007 – flew with an instructor at Brampton Flying Club in low visibility conditions
David’s B-Day 2008 – first flight with Alan in his Super Cub
David’s B-Day 2009 – flew with Alan in his Super Cub, landing in windy conditions [original post]
David’s B-Day 2010 – flew in a helicopter at Mount Pocono Airport
David’s B-Day 2011 – flew with Tyler and Tiffany in a Piper Arrow

The video above was from my flight with Alan two years ago, when the winds picked up so fiercely we braced ourselves for a bumpy landing. Here’s what I wrote in Flickr in the description:

Sunday, May 31, 2009

It wasn’t windy when we left Cherry Ridge Airport, but after returning from a stop at Mount Pocono Municipal Airport the winds picked up tremendously and we were landing in a crosswind. (Look at the windsock with 11 seconds to go.)

Our first attempt at landing turned into a touch-and-go and this was the second attempt. If this was a couple of years ago, Alan wouldn’t have attempted it, but he’s come a long way as a pilot and I had every confidence in him that we’d land safely. David would’ve been so pleased! (They flew a lot together in Civil Air Patrol.)

When we taxied by the airport, there was a line of pilots cheering — it was pretty funny. Rick said the people in the airport gave Alan a standing ovation.

I have yet to upload the rest of the flying photos from a week ago with Tyler as PIC (pilot in command), but it’ll have to wait until I get back. For now I’ll leave you with a video I shot three years ago on David’s birthday of his Snoopy the Aviator music box from his baby days. Aww, Beano’s in this one, too (and Xena’s in the back).

* the car broke down less than half an hour outside of Toronto, then I had to tow it, get a rental car, continue to Allentown to pick up the ashes, back to Scranton, and got a call at 7am from the museum when they found a pilot to fly from Connecticut, round up everyone and drive the 2.5 hours to Rhinebeck, NY in stifling humidity.

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Xena agrees.

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