SO LONG PORT TOWNSEND and PETAL

POST # 212

It's departure day today from Port Townsend.  Petal's owners arrive back this evening from their journey to Arizona.  That should make the furball happy I suppose.  Petal and I have had an enjoyable, although short time together, and I will be glad to add her to my long list of favourite furballs.  It only took about a day for her to feel comfortable with me.  She is under the spell of the cat whisperer.  Here she is getting ready to settle down for an afternoon nap.

Once she had decided that the napping location (my lap) was just the way that she wanted it, she soon settled into a deep sleep.

I don't spend the entire day inside, napping with Petal because it's an interesting neighbourhood to wander around in.  Just over the back fence is a stately old house which was just begging to have its photo taken.

I suppose that it was constructed around the same time as the house I am in, however the original owners must have lived somewhat "higher on the hog".  

After returning home, I noticed some flowers in the front yard which I have never seen before.  These are white bleeding hearts.  Apparently bleeding hearts come in a variety of colours.  Who knew??

A visit to Port Townsend wouldn't be complete without going down to the marina and checking out some of the boats.  It's a boating sort of place.  I found my favourite sailboat moored at one of the marinas.  It's a Flicka named "Scout".

 Wooden boats are also popular here, and this little gem was sitting in a yard next to the marina.  It took an artist to build this craft.

As I continued my meandering around the docks I came across these two happy boneheads waiting patiently while their owner was busy in the restroom nearby.

And not very far away from them was this bicycle which looks to be well past its used by date.  I enjoy working on bikes, however this one would be way beyond my pay grade.

After returning home, this little fellow came over to the bird feeder, and while Petal watched through the window, I was fortunate enough to get a photo.  There are plenty of birds here,  but this one was without a doubt the most colourful bird I had the pleasure of observing.  According to the bird book, it's an American Goldfinch, the state bird of Washington.

The Washington State ferry arrives later this afternoon to float me away,  back to the mainland.  My next blog is scheduled for May 7th, however I will be on a road trip to/from California during that time, assisting my friend Guy on his upcoming speaking tour, so I may or may not be able to find a wifi connection to write, although I will try my best.

Happy Trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN PORT TOWNSEND WITH A CAT NAMED PETAL

POST # 211

It's now round two of my house sit responsibilities, here in Port Townsend, WA.  I arrived at my new location, only a couple of days ago, coming into town from the countryside.  The "Big Smoke" as it were, although Port Townsend isn't really all that big has a wonderful feel to it, and I suppose that part of the reason for that is the preservation of much of the "old" 19th century architecture.  I put the word old in quotes, because when one compares Port Townsend with other places in the world,  it's really not old at all.  However, from a North American perspective, it is.

This house that I am in was built during that period.  There is a house just down the street which was built in 1889, so this place would no doubt have a similar construction date*.  Whatever year it was built, I'm absolutely sure that it is the oldest house that I have ever house sat in.  I like this place, and it's interesting to imagine some of the people who lived here back then, and what their lives would have been like.  No internet in 1880, that's for sure.  In fact, I probably don't have to imagine the type of people who lived back then, because my next door neighbours (you can see the side of their house in the photo below) live their lives as though it was the 19th century.  You can watch a video clip of them in the link below.

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/couple-victorian-era-lifestyle-corsets-34928396

Now that I look at the above photo, I probably should have removed the yellow car in front, which would have helped to make the house look more 19th century, but oh well, it is what it is.

Such a pleasant looking house wouldn't be complete without a pleasant looking furball to go along with it.  I'm pleased to introduce Petal, a rather small and quite young cat.  She still has plenty of  playfulness in her, and I've been making sure to spend as much time with her as possible.  Petal is an indoor cat, and she appears to be quite content with her life.  Why wouldn't she be?  After all, SHE'S A CAT!!!  And she has managed to "find" some humans to cater to her every need.  All she needs to do is eat, play and sleep.  It's a charmed existence for her.

Petal's favourite place to hang out is this little perch, where she spends much of her day, sleeping.  Of course, there are other prized locations as well, and the back of the couch is one of those places.

But in many ways, she's a typical furball and she uses furball logic.  An example of furball logic is illustrated in the following drawing from a book called, "All I Need To Know I Learned From My Cat", by Suzy Becker.

Anyone who has spent time with cats will understand this logic. First, the cat wants out, then it wants in, then back out again.  Fortunately for me, I don't have to deal with this problem with Petal, since her entire world exists here inside the house.

I've got another week here before I move on, and I'll certainly make the best of it.  Who knows, I might even introduce myself to my Victorian era neighbours.  

Happy Trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

*according to Zillow.com this house was built in 1887

BIRD SONG, CHRIST BASED CLEANING and MEOPLE PUMBLE

POST # 210

BIRD SONG

Listening to bird song in the morning is a wonderful way to begin the day.  It certainly is better than the sounds of the city.  I've barely completed a week here,  just west of Port Townsend on the Olympic peninsula, however my time at this house sit is rapidly coming to a close.  My friend will be returning this Sunday, and I'll be heading off to my next sit.  Fortunately for me, it is right in Port Townsend so I don't have far to go.

It's a peaceful existence here, so peaceful that even the deer like to come around for a visit every now and again.

The weather this past week has been mostly dry, however a few nights ago, the sky opened up for a while.  The following morning, I was out in the yard, enjoying the freshness of the air, and while I was doing so, I took a photo of the remnants of the previous night's rain.

Years ago, I probably wouldn't have paid much attention to things like this.  Now I make a conscious effort to be in the present moment as much as I can, so that I don't miss out on these little joyful displays that nature provides us, if we are just willing to observe them.

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And finally, when driving up interstate 5 prior to my arrival here, we passed by this van.  I had to take a photo.

Just when I think that I've seen it all, I'm reminded that I haven't.  Only in America.

And remember,

Happy Trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

POST # 209
Willy Nelson would approve of the title.  Today, I'm on the road to Port Townsend, Washington for my next two housesits at separate locations. These sits will keep me occupied until almost the end of April.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1TD_pSeNelU
Happy Trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer