8 Years

As I begin my 8th year as a volunteer photographer at Humane Colorado (animal shelter), I’m reflecting on what I have experienced, what I have learned and what I cherish.

Eight years ago, I walked into a situation as an introvert where I knew no one. That was scary enough; but add to that my sometimes crippling affinity for perfectionism and I was just a tad nervous. It was my love for animals, cats in particular, that gave me the courage to take that leap. 

I was happy to meet my supervisor, Emily, who could not have been more welcoming and kind. She trusted me and set me up for success. For that I am forever grateful.

Although I haven’t kept count I think I have probably met thousands of cats. And I have fallen in love a thousand times. I have saved the image of every cat and the occasional dog I have ever photographed; so yes, my hard drive is full. 

Blur the Manx cat (stubby tail) was the first shelter cat I photographed.

I have learned about FIV+ cats (and fallen in love with them countless times!). I will always remember the first FIV+ cat I met, Hans. He went home to join another FIV+ brother. 

I have learned about FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus) cats like Buckie.

I have learned about CH (Cerebellar Hypoplasia) cats like Cassie.

I have learned about deaf cats like Sylvester.

I have learned about blind cats like Sassafras.

I have learned about little tripod cats (missing a limb) like Lovey.

I have learned about the working cats like Violet who came from outdoor environments and feel more comfortable living outdoors in a safe environment like a barn or a garden nursery.

I will always have a soft spot for the Seniors. They are settled and loving and oh so grateful just to have a sunny window or a warm lap to curl up in. They are my favorites, like Buddy, 18 years old. 

I have met exotic cats like Maine Coons and Persians and Lola the Bengal

I have met too many kittens to count. Omysweetgoodness, kittens. When they come, they come in droves! 

I’ve learned to communicate with cats by doing “soft eyes” and when I receive them in return I know they feel safe with me.

I have learned to go slow when I meet a frightened or timid cat. I know how to read an overly affectionate cat who, when venturing into overstimulated territory, it’s time for a break. 

I have grown as a photographer (practice, practice, practice). I have grown as a human. I always say the bonus I didn’t see coming was the like-minded, life-long human friends I would make. What a gift. They have educated me, held my hand, with hugs along the way, cheered me on and given me the confidence to do what I do. 

In closing, here is the most recent cat I photographed. This afternoon I met little 8 month old Scar and he was a purrfect model. 

I feel honored and blessed to do what I do; and grateful to have found my calling... my passion. 

What a journey. 

And I'm just getting started.

 

52 Notes

At the end of 2024 when I was (and many of us were) still reeling from what had just happened in our United States of America (the November election) I read somewhere on social media about an idea that gave me hope.

Write one note a week about something positive and/or happy that happened to you that week, fold the note and put it in a jar. At the end of the year read the weekly notes – all 52 of them; you might be surprised what you learn.

I’m big on projects and little on follow thru. But I did it. I wrote a note about something positive that I experienced every week. Some weeks it was a stretch to find something; some weeks I noted more than one thing.

Today I opened all the notes and read them. Some were surprising. Some were touching. Some made me laugh. They all brought back memories.

I broke them down into categories.

#1 Not surprisingly over 52 weeks I enjoyed time with friends and family (some from afar) 26 times. Lunches and brunches and many art shows and concerts and holidays. And laughter – lots of laughter.

#2 Again, not surprisingly was time spent with and devoted to my “Many Paws” – Sugar, Teddi, Kobie, Kona, Kazz, Hana, Hilo and Kukki. There were many Vet visits, many pharmacy runs intermingled with cuddles and laughter and the very sweetness of them just being. Of course the year ended with the devastating loss of Teddi but even in that I found gratitude for the compassion of the medical professionals and the comfort of friends and family all of whom were so supportive. 

#3 was time spent outdoors, often enjoying the beautiful weather in my beautiful Colorado. Walks listening to books. Walks with Sugar in her stroller. Walks with my camera. Walks with a friend when I was grieving. Sitting on the deck in the early hours of a summer morning reading and listening to birds, watching the squirrels, rabbit and the occasional little mouse scatter about.

#4 centered around my volunteer days as a shelter photographer and the time spent with the cats there who became so dear to me and gave me purpose. And time spent with colleagues there who have become dear to me as well.

#5 was the health issues I encountered and being ever so grateful for good doctors who guided me back to health. The health I do not take for granted and am extremely grateful for. As I age I am aware of the things I need to do and things I need not to do.

#6 was my home life ~ simple things like cooking a warm soup on a chilly night, making a fresh salad on a summer day, baking cookies for friends (and for me). Organizing my home and feeling good about slowly but surely purging and decluttering. Nesting as the winter approached.

#7 coming in as a last positive note was writing again. I started a new blog which, in retrospect, I didn’t need to do. I had a pretty good one going here so I’ll probably merge them at some point this year.

It was a really good exercise and one that I will continue in 2026. I am also adding that, me the photographer who forgets to take pictures of anything other than flowers and cats, am going to up my game on photographing more memories, more people in my life and the things we share.

What this experience has shown me is what a blessed life I am living and the importance of gratitude.

Life is a series of thousands of tiny miracles. Take notice of them. 

To Everything There is a Season

 Is it climate change? Or is it aging?

Well I know for sure that climate change is happening because the berries on the trees in my front yard used to turn orange, then red, then fall off the tree in late September. This year I noticed them beginning to turn orange in late July. By early August they were turning red and by mid-August they were falling off the trees. 

My studio window faces southeast. Typically summer sunrises are out of my reach and don’t come about until mid to late September. November and December bring the most brilliant sunrises… I got lucky this morning and caught a pink sunrise – only for a moment. I don’t accredit that to climate change as much as a fluke, but nowadays? Who knows.

I am sensitive to the seasons and grateful that I live in a place where we have seasonal changes. But those seasons are changing. I feel it. The summers are hotter and drier; the winters colder and drier, yet with bursts of surprise blizzards. Fall lately seems to come a bit earlier and sometimes stay a bit longer. Which is fine by me as it is my favorite season. Spring is fleeting and that makes me sad.

 I tend to nest and hibernate when the weather turns cooler – and I relish that. I can’t wait for that. Maybe my Norwegian/Danish genes are why I am so drawn to Hygge. This year – here we are, mid-August and I’m craving Hygge.

 Or is it 70 in the offing?

 I recently read:

“Research has shown that when people get older, they commonly recalibrate their goals. Though they might be doing less, they tend to prioritize what they find meaningful and appreciate. A decline in openness to new experiences could reflect someone relishing their routine rather than seeking new thrills… a decline in extroversion could indicate they are satisfied spending time with people they already love.”

I’ve never claimed to be an extrovert, quite the opposite. But I can relate to that statement. I’m settled. I’m content. I do what brings me joy. I spend time with causes and people (and animals, of course) who bring me joy. And I am oh so grateful to have the gift of time to do all of that.

Climate change and aging. There is some symmetry there.

Three Things

Long time no blog.

Maybe it was just too hard to return and see A-choo's precious face in my last post.  Or maybe life got busy. Whatever the case I'll give it another go. 

I have good intentions with every new year. So on the eve of 2016 ~ here we go.

I woke early today feeling inspired. I long ago gave up making New Years Resolutions. I prefer to call them Goals. Same thing I guess, but goals seem more achievable. What I thought about this morning although seemed less like goals and more like a shift in attitude.

I now aspire to do three things each morning: Positive Thought(s), Positive Action(s) and Gratitude.  By this I mean I plan to start each day by jotting down a positive thought for the day, followed by positive action (my plan for the day) and three things I am grateful for. Easy peasy. But I do think it will set the day off on a good foot.

I dug out an empty journal (I collect them with good intentions...) and made my notes. 

Awake and inspired, with puppies sleeping at my feet I picked up a book from my bedside table. It is one I started a few months ago and never finished. I don't allow myself a lot of reading time so saving reading for nighttime is a mistake. I always fall asleep two pages in. 

The book I grabbed just happened to be another inspiration ~ "the life-changing magic of tidying up" by Marie Kondo. A timely read as January is typically when I think about things like tidying up. 

Only a few chapters in I found myself nodding in agreement with the thoughts on the pages. It comes down to three things (there's that three things thing again...): 

Discard (read that ~ get rid of a lot of stuff you don't even realize you have), Store (read that as things you really need like ~ oh I don't know ~ food and clothing) and keep only things that bring you joy (that one is self-explanatory).

That last thought resonated with me because ironically I had just heard it last night. In an episode of  "Transparent" Shelley (the Mom character brilliantly played by Judith Light) was in the process of a major purge and reorganization of her home. Her daughter, Ali, (the fabulous Gaby Hoffman) was upset that her Mother had tossed out some of her childhood art. Shelley's response? "It didn't bring me joy."

Boom. There it is. Surround yourself only with things that bring you joy. And as I looked around the room I saw a lot of "things" that are just that - things. They don't necessarily bring me joy; they just kind of take up space. And I am reminded of something I learned in photography ~ there is something to be said for negative space. 

On that note ~ I will leave you with someone who's space is positive (usually...) and definitely brings me joy.

Cheers!