Tux Tyranny and Trees

She looks sad, right? It's not just me – right?!

My angelic princess Coco’s neediness seems to be growing – she requires near constant lap time. Is she depressed? Maybe, this is just a phase or possibly she was always like this BUT it was The Amazing Bob’s lap she commandeered.

It could be she knows that, in my dark mourning over TAB and Rocco, I’m in big need. She’s doing all she can to provide comfort and support.

Probably it’s a little of everything.

Yesterday morning at 2AM, I woke to find her settled in on my tummy. I don’t usually sleep on my back – how'd this happen? Either she saw a rare moment and snatched OR she craftily, clandestinely tipped me over from side to back. Coco’s a talented, sly thing – she could pull this off. Rilly!

When our girl noticed that I was semi-conscious, she began her meticulous bathing rituals. Afterward, she curled up right over my kidneys and began purring like a freight train. Wonderful – yes. By the time she nodded off though I was wide awake, doing my usual o-dark-thirty fretting (followed by endless rounds of deep breathing exercises) and HAD to wiz. I really hated to displace her but…no choice.

Rocco came home in a box this week. Dr. Jo had brought my poor, precious warrior king’s body to Angell Memorial, the big animal hospital in Boston, to be cremated. Is this what’s unsettling my girl or is that just me? Projection – damn, I’m good at that shit.

My paparazzi avoidant, beloved boy

It’s tree planting season here in Massachusetts. I bought a Black Tartarian Cherry tree for TAB. We’ll plant his ashes at the base so he’ll grow into and become a part of it. My man was big on feeding the birds. He always made sure we had plenty of black oil sunflower and Niger seeds in the house. While I fed the stray cats, he fed the birds. The Black Cherry is very popular with birds so, in death, TAB will continue to care for his feathered friends.

The Black Cherry isn’t self pollinating so I bought another cherry, a Bing. Plus I’ll be planting a lot more bee attracting flowers and herbs to surround them. Rocco will be under and within the Bing. He’ll enjoy watching all the wildlife from the safety of his bark covered new home.

From her indoor perch, Coco will enjoy watching all the cherry gobbling blue jays, cardinals and sparrows – Cat TV.

We don’t have much of land here in Valhalla so these are, most likely, the last trees we can plant. Seems appropriate.