Cats, Dogs, and Ducks

But mostly Cats

Greetings again readers, back again. Work has been pretty busy, to the point where I could actually justify a vacation to lower the stress levels and re center myself. I took myself on a road trip through the Pacific Northwest, with a large stop in Portland and a brief visit in Seattle.

I’ve obtained loads of material for reviews of the places I’ve visited and the food I’ve eaten, and it’s a bit of a daunting task. So instead I present to you a bestiary of the savage beasts I encountered in my travels northwards.

I would be remiss if I did not share the local savage, by name of Fran, who has been lulled into tameness by the provision of warm laps and chin scratches.

 

Upon my arrival in Portland, I encountered two hounds.

I was exhausted so I do not recall their names, but I assure you they were regal creatures.

Edit: The big black dog was Fu, and he loved attention and made an excellent barricade against getting to food.

This one seemed to tolerate petting fair well.

Edit: This beautiful girl is Brienne of House Longlawn. She was very good at acting aloof.

Upon my next evening I met this regal fellow, named Morris. He took up residence upon my lap without much ado.

As you can see, he was of great size in both length and girth.

The home I visited on Tuesday featured ducks. I believe one of them was named Brownie, but I do not recall the names of the others. They were timid creatures, but bold when hungry, known to stare into the faces of their captors who dwelled in mysterious caverns when they demanded sustenance.

I also encountered this seemingly harmless but villainous creature named Leelu.

Vacate a seat and you shall be robbed of it.

Much harder to track down, I was still able to befriend a Mr. Azrael. Shy and elusive, after much coaxing I was able to take this picture. Note: I took this picture, not the cat, so it still belongs to me.

See, his paws are nowhere near where the camera would be.

This would be the last creature I would be able to take a picture of in Portland. It would be days before my next creature sighting.

It was finally in Milton, WA that I was able to observe a Ramses in its native environment, struggling against the clutches of its master.

Later that day, we visited a market where many creatures were safely ensconced, awaiting future freedoms.

This one seemed to love posts.

Two creatures at “play.”

This one was as confused as I was by our mutual observation.

A truce was observed finally after the “play.”

While not of the Northwest, this Yaga Baba von Rendingmeow was sighted in Davis, CA, and had a vicious character that was worth noting.

Finally, upon my return home, I saw that Fran was quite happy to see me again. Look at the clear affection upon her face.