Our Humans Went to Nicaragua and All We Got Was This Hammock

FuFu didn't really get the concept at first, to him, it seemed like the hammock was a perfect multi-colored canopy to hide under. Then, at least he humored this cat photographer by staying put on the hammock for a bit. XingXing, on the other hand, would not play along. "I won't stoop to my brother's level" he seemed to be saying. "Hammocks are for humans to sleep on and my species will have none of this. This silly touristic gimmick strung underneath the dining room table is no substitute for a real tree in the jungle or savannah which is the proper platform that my cousins have used for many millennia to sleep & stalk prey."

Once a Cat Photographer.......

So, like always I was thinking, man, you need to extend your photographic repertoire beyond cats.  One must avoid being pigeon-holed as a feline photographer, right?  What better subject matter than some amazing orchids that we got from Home Depot of all places.  Classic still life material.  Perfect.  I took this first shot on a whim, liked the result, and then set up the home studio for shot #2:

All right, now we are talking, nice artistic floral arrangements.  But then, I could not resist.  Cats were fetched, toy mice, treats, laser pointers (I am divulging all my secrets, aren't I?) were employed.  As always, FuFu was more game for the shenanigans than XingXing.  It does beg the question, though - is there any photographic composition that cannot be improved with the addition of a cat?

Hurricane Sandy Sends the Cats Uptown To a Deluxe Skyscraper in the Sky

What a crazy time its been here in New York since Hurricane Sandy hit.  We lost power the night of the hurricane.  After 48 hours without electricity, commuting uptown via taxi (no subways downtown with no power), and a forecast of temperatures dropping, we moved ourselves and cats uptown to our friend Tom's apartment on the Upper West Side which never lost power.  I wish I had better pics but I packed very light and only snapped a few with my "small" camera.  The cats loved Tom's apartment.  XingXing spent alot of time by the window enjoying the views of Lincoln Center, while FuFu cavorted, lounged and splayed himself all over Tom's furniture.  Although we got power back over the weekend the cats stayed a couple of extra days with Tom for some "quality time".  Maybe in the future Tom will babysit the cats again (under better circumstances hopefully!) and I will be able to do a better photo shoot.  His apartment was more-or-less designed for cat photography, with plenty of light, interesting city views for background, and interesting furniture for feline exploration.
Long time and perspicacious blog followers will recall that this is the second year in a row that a NYC hurricane has impacted the kitties.  Last year Irene left the cats stranded by themselves for 48 hours as we were out of town and their caretaker couldn't reach them due to the subways being closed........hopefully no more hurricanes for many years!

 

The Cats of Bhutan, Without their People (International Cat Chronicles, Volume 2 Part 2)

Wrapping up the Bhutan theme and before I move on to the feline delights of another country, here is another bunch of Bhutanese cats, this time without their people (check out the prior post if you haven't).

The People of Bhutan, and Their Cats

The cats of Bhutan have it rough - on first appearance, this is definitely dog country.  Canines are everywhere!  I missed a great shot of a dog sleeping in the middle of a busy traffic circle (no traffic lights in Bhutan!).  Here are two lounging pooches clearly unimpressed with the nice view of the capital city of Thimpu, and another doggie relaxing in the backyard of a temple.

However, although dogs are ubiquitous, an observant traveler will notice that cats are around and do have a certain status - they are present in monasteries, hotels, temples, homes, etc. for the same reason that humans have kept cats for at least several millenia - organic, cute & fury pest control. 
 Of course, Bhutan is famous for emphasizing "Gross National Happiness" as opposed to "Gross National Product".  And the people of Bhutan do generally seem happy.  But like people the world over, they seem even happier when they are holding a cat.........









P.S. - although these cats look similar, these pics were taken many miles and mountain passes apart!

My Cats, On a Tuesday Evening in May

Love the long days as the summer solstice approaches, plenty of time to capture pics of the cats after work.  But what to do when you have radically different white balances for the daylight & indoors?  Instead of dealing and trying to make it look "natural", I rolled with the punches and got a little funky :)

After Eating BBQ Spare Ribs, The Cat is Content to Sleep in the Afternoon Sun

I smoked / grilled some BBQ ribs for a good many hours this weekend, and FuFu was quite interested in the whole process.  When they were finally ready at the awkward dining time of 3pm, no one was around except for FuFu and I.  I ate a good many ribs (too many, others would protest after they returned....) along with the remnants of a bottle of Gigonda from the night before, and all the while FuFu lurked around the table, quite curious and aroused.  Feeling pity for the poor kitty, I pulled some scraps off the pile of discarded ribs to feed him far away from the table (can't be cultivating bad begging habits, right?).  He sniffed, pawed around, but would not consume.  Hmm, quite curious I thought, the gourmand feline refuses?  I then took the scraps and rinsed the BBQ sauce, spices and other flavorings off, and now FuFu happily consumed.  This carnivorous kitty regularly enjoys chicken, turkey, beef, and even the occasional duck, but this day he clearly relished his slow-cooked pork treat.  His appetite and curiosity happily satiated, he curled up for a nap in the afternoon sun, captured here with the iPhone.