Tag Archives: Calvin

What’s going on here?

Leave a reply

What a winter and spring it has been in California. After the long lasting drought and many terrible fire seasons, the heavens have opened up and the rain has inundated the land. Surging rivers, flooded farm lands, and trees bowing to the force of the wind. Reservoirs are full and the ground water tables should rejoice once the snow melt starts. A few sunny days have brought people out in droves with the emerald green hills enticing an outdoor excursion. We are said to get a super bloom this year in terms of wildflowers – a term which makes me chuckle – a rather American word if one may say so. Awaiting the arrival of our golden poppies (I have seen some blooming), I decided to start on a watercolor of our State flower.

Working from a photo, my colored pencils assembled themselves in oranges and yellows to contribute. The fun part comes when you use your brush to smooth out the pencil strokes which makes the colors glow. I have a petite heavy wine glass that I use to hold water for the purposes of making my paint brushes happy.

Continuing the project the next day, I noticed that the water inside the small glass had evaporated. Rather strange, as it is temperate inside and one only experiences such a phenomenon in hot weather.

The riddle was solved that evening, when I noticed my cat Calvin who had hopped on the table (a misdeed he gets reprimanded for immediately if I catch him, and always resulting in a quick jump off the table on his behalf) dipping one of his front paws into the glass and bringing said paw to his mouth to enjoy – in my opinion – a not all that tasty drink considering the water is mixed with color. I could be wrong of course as I have not sampled watercolor water.

I have noticed him in the past occasionally dipping his paw into his water bowl and I suspect he may have watched a raccoon mucking about with it’s paws in the bird bath outside. Calvin is rather observant if I may say so and he knows quite a bit about raccoons as well as the word itself.

Have a blessed Easter.

On a walk – a tidbit from a few years ago

2 Replies

In anticipation of a green spring to come…

I’m a bit lethargic today as sleep was disrupted last night once again by the unsolicited delivery of a stuffed toy mouse, courtesy of my cat Calvin, and thus I slept in longer than usual. I decide on a walk to shake of the remaining sleepiness, and as I’m out of milk at the apartment a stop at the grocery store seems in order too. Moo juice is still one of my favorite drinks, and is held in high regard by my cat too.

Walking under the sprawling branches of the old ginkgo trees near the library which by now all have their distinctly shaped green leaves of spring again, I can see why Goethe loved the ginkgo tree so and why he wrote his famous poem to celebrate it.

Interestingly enough Goethe omitted the letter k from the word Ginkgo in the first draft of his poem as he thought it sounded too harsh. A different era.

Coming back from the store, I opt to walk through one of the many alleys that criss-cross Benicia, rather than trudging down the main street. Next to a tall fence that obscures the view of the lot behind it, something catches my eye: some stacked firewood at the bottom of the fence and a sign up above said same that reads “Stop taking my wood!” Below this stern warning posted by the wood’s owner, the miscreant apparently guilty of this wood theft infraction has posted a response:  “Then why is the wood piled up outside the fence? – signed – the wood chuck”. Apparently a woodchuck with a sense of humor, although perhaps with a more than questionable sense of property rights I muse, continuing my walk.

Peace

Leave a reply

The wind is whipping over the mountain, and the oaks are ducking as much as a tree can duck. Sheets of rain are cascading down. It is dark now. My cat Calvin was not at all pleased to take a walk on his leash today, although he managed to chew some fresh green grass that has sprouted over the past few weeks on the way back. The hills are shimmering again. The command of “wait, I have to wipe your feet” he hears from his caretaker before entering the door is completely ignored in the rush to evade the rain, so I have to grab him before those little footprints get everywhere. It’s like having a kid, although probably not too many kids stop on a walk to chew grass.

I had to mail a package today and the frenetic pace on the roads does not exemplify what the Christmas season should be about, so I was glad to get back home. I had to think again how much more pleasant the driving in Oregon is when I visit part of my family than here in the Bay Area. Yet even here it could be so simple if everyone did their part to contribute to civility.

The highlight of my evenings the past few weeks has been to light the Advent candles before going to bed and to listen to Christmas hymns. Thank you God for the peace that comes. Often my cat will come and sit on my knee, silently watching the candles too.

I have decorated some of the vegetation outside with simple strings of white lights and they lend such a glow to the dark evenings. I am rather happy to say that Calvin has learned the words “Christmas lights” – I have a very, very smart cat.

Have a blessed Advent season as we wait for the coming of Christ.

Cat-astrophic

Leave a reply

Knocking over three quarters of a pint of heavy cream with it splattering everywhere on your kitchen floor (accompanied by colorful language I normally don’t use), is a major mishap. Having half of the contents land on your cat below who then dashes off in a panic is an UNMITIGATED DISASTER.

Unintentional

Leave a reply

It was my turn to fix dinner yesterday. I had procured some rockfish for only $6.99 a pound, that may have been strategically placed next to the $29.99 a pound halibut. A simple budgetary decision. Seeing the rockfish, I remembered a recipe I have probably not made in over a decade. It’s an easy and tasty recipe I found at a fish counter or in a magazine – I don’t recall. All the vegetables as well as the potatoes (except for a red bell pepper) were readily available in Patrick and Hannah’s garden and basement respectively, so my shopping list was of a short nature.

Mushrooms, the aforementioned red bell pepper, and zucchini seasoned and sautéed in olive oil, mashed potatoes, a butter and orange cream sauce – all complementing the fish which I baked in foil.

As we started to eat, I noticed that our napkins were missing, so I got up, turned around, and grabbed a few paper towels from the paper towel roll holder and tore them into three sheets to use as a substitute. Now I’m guessing I may have been a bit fatigued from cooking as I handed them out automatically, first one to Hannah, then one to Patrick, and a third to my cat Calvin who was sitting upright on the couch next to the dining table. I then caught myself retracting the paper towel for recipient number three and started to laugh as did everyone else. If I may interpret the surprised look on my cat’s face, it may well have been a response of “rather kind of you, but I don’t think I will be needing one of those”.

New Book!

Leave a reply

I am happy to announce my third published book. It has been a long time in the making and has finally seen the light of day. Hey, Roberto Hu is a collection of travel stories: the primary one takes place in Venezuela, with further explorations of California and the Pacific Northwest. The author’s cat Calvin dispenses his two cents worth in the introduction.

Barnes & Noble

Amazon.com

Winged Visitor

2 Replies

Memorial Day. As the sun is setting and I see the silhouettes of the dry oak trees, I am grateful for the quiet day. It was almost 100 F. today and a good day to stay inside with the AC on. I wish I could have been with family to have a BBQ, but they are far away. Sigh. Well, at least I was somewhat productive in tending to the cleaning of the shower, kitchen sink, and restroom. Sheer excitement you say no doubt. As I briefly perused the news earlier, I saw the honor and respect President Biden paid to the people in whose honor and memory this day is. I was also grateful to see that in Texas injustice did not prevail, but rather that it was defeated. I have high hopes that liberty, justice for all, and freedom will once again become the fabric of what this country was meant to be.

Sitting in a lawn chair this evening under the hummingbird feeder, one of these tiny lovely birds suddenly appeared out of nowhere, despite the fact that my cat Calvin was on my lap, and after briefly inspecting the feeder, started chattering at me. I do believe his or her exact words may have been: “hello, it’s a hot day and I’m thirsty – however this feeder does need some attention”. Thus, after placing Calvin inside, I took down the feeder and brought it to my now sparkling clean kitchen sink. Indeed, after opening the feeder a musky smell greeted me. I wouldn’t want to drink from that either. A cleaning was most definitely in order.

Hanging the freshly cleaned and refilled feeder back on it’s hook, I sat back down in my chair once again with Calvin on my lap, and we enjoyed the twilight again. What do you know, the sound of fast beating hummingbird wings could be heard and then my little friend appeared directly above me and flew straight to the feeder to drink – quite a few sips too I might add. He or she then flew over to me, chirped briefly, and flew off into the evening sky. I do believe it was a thank you.

Critter Talk

Leave a reply

Its that time of year again: the annual vaccinations are due. A breakfast can of turkey just consumed, and now lounging on the bed and grooming his undercarriage, my cat Calvin suspects nothing. I will give him a few more minutes of this, as I finish my delicious cup of coffee and lightly toasted buttered bread with home-made jam, the sunshine streaming through the kitchen window.

“OK, time to go”, I tell Calvin, as I pick him up and carry him down the stairs on my arm, locking the door behind me. As I open the car door, I get a look of “this can’t be good” from my cat, but he sits silently on my lap, as we drive to the shopping center nearby, where the “mobile veterinarians” set up shop in the pet store on Saturdays.

I’m delighted to find parking in front of the pet store, and we walk in the door as I hold Calvin close to my chest and get in line with all the other pet-owners who are waiting to see the veterinarian with their four-footed friends. There is a couple in front of me with a bashful dog – a reindeer chihuahua I am told – and surprisingly completely quiet. Calvin pays him no heed, but his tail gets bushy as he sees two large dogs come up behind us. I ask the owners to please keep some distance, as I can tell Calvin is stressed. A couple of unruly dogs, so this precaution is well advised. One of the workers comes up to me with a mobile device and tells me I need a cat carrier for my cat. But I have already waited 15 minutes in line and last year I held him in my arm just like this, I protest to no avail. A bureaucrat. I ask the reindeer chihuahua owners to please hold my place in line, and walk to the cashier who I remember from yesterday, when we chatted about Calvin’s extensive “vocabulary”, when I bought a new bag of “crunchies”. She is kind enough to lend me a cardboard carrier that she takes down from a shelf. I thank her and we take our place in line once again. I sure didn’t want to come back next week and put my cat through this again. This time the bureaucrat is satisfied as she takes down Calvin’s information and the coupon for his shots. As is to be expected, the rates have gone up again. I’m also glad Calvin is spared having to look at the brutes around him (excluding the reindeer chihuahua). When our turn in line comes, the box is opened and Calvin gets three vaccinations, while sitting perfectly still as the veterinarian administers them. “You have such a good kitty”, I’m told. “Kitty” – an ignoble remark, I ponder. I’m proud of  my “tri-lingual” cat’s demeanor today. I return the cardboard box to the girl in the front and thank her, also purchasing a special pouch of “Cats in the Kitchen” and a new collar. Perhaps a cardboard box is a good idea for next year.

We arrive home, and Calvin gets the pouch of “Cats in the Kitchen” which is devoured instantly to erase the memory of this unsolicited extensive visit. I also set out a small bowl of heavy cream, and mix an egg in another bowl. You deserve this my little companion – you did just great today.

Have a blessed Sunday

 

Tunafish and a hummingbird

Leave a reply

Tunafish salad is something quite delicious in my opinion, and since I haven’t made it in a while, the thought occurs to me to make some when glancing into the produce section of my refrigerator, and spying some celery that looks like I better use it, before it goes bad.

I don’t know if it is his sense of smell, but after cutting up the celery, and opening up the can of tuna, my cat Calvin miraculously appears in the kitchen. He was soundly sleeping on the bed just a few minutes ago! Maybe it’s the auditory aspect of opening the can that comes into play here, much like with Hobbes the tiger from the cartoon. So: now a sandwich for me, and some leftover tunafish from the can for Mr. C.

As I sit down to eat the sandwich on the steps leading up to the apartment (the sunny section that I was made aware of earlier), Calvin sits next to me, wondering if I am going to finish the sandwich. “Yes I am, so don’t get your hopes up, and besides you had your share”, I tell him. A half a glass of leftover peach sirup with a few leftover peach chunks in it, makes a good complement to the sandwich.

As I’m taking my second bite of the sandwich, a hummingbird flies by, stops, and starts to chatter in mid-air just a few feet away. Now I don’t know if this is in regards to Calvin’s presence, but I suspect it is to make me aware of the fact that the hummingbird feeder has not been re-filled or cleaned in a few months. So sorry little chatterbox — I shall tend to it right away — after lunch!

Have a blessed Easter tomorrow!

November Day

Leave a reply

I slept long this morning, but the sun awoke me blinking through the window shades with persistence from the east. It’s funny: When I yawn and stretch, my cat Calvin does exactly the same. Not that I make it a requirement for him to do so — he must assume that we should arise at the same time. Either that or he knows that feeding time is not too far off now. He did miss this little “stereo” routine once, but that was when he was hiding from the “blue monster” (the garbage truck). Who can blame him?

In just a matter of two weeks and with the cold nights that now about, the leaves of the two maples sitting in their pots on the stairway have turned from green to golden-yellow and carmine just like that. They have decided that it is indeed fall, a concept that many California trees fail to grasp.

A two-for-one coupon encourages me to make a trip to Jamba Juice. And no: my cat does not drink Jamba Juice. As I enter the store, I see Christmas decorations. Sigh — tis the season of merchandising again. As I point this out to the manager, he shrugs his shoulders: “corporate”, “but I wont’ put on the Christmas music until after Thanksgiving”, he adds. I give him a high-five as I leave with my juice.

On my computer calendar I notice that it is only 10 days until the 1. Advent. The year seems to have gone by fast, at least part of it for me. I almost miss the beautiful sunset as I’m typing, as God tells me to pay attention and I look toward the west out of my office window to catch the last dance of color in the sky. 

The Missing Sock

Leave a reply

Well, the washer in the apartment complex is still out-of-order, so the laundromat it is once again. As I set my basket on one of the numerous large washing machines that crowd the laundromat, something catches my eye: a small sock imprinted with the word “LOVE” in big, bold, colorful letters, sitting on top of one of the washers. Its partner however is nowhere to be seen — perhaps it is hiding in one of the dryers. Whose tiny feet belong to this sock?

After I load the laundry and feed the machine with its various demands for detergent and quarters, I head across the street to get a free smoothie, for which I have a coupon. Smoothies to me, are like light to a moth.

After the washing machine finishes its duty I dump the laundry back in the basket, to take it to the apartment where it will hang outside on the clothesline for the sun to dry it.

It is one day after Earth Day: my son Christian picked a fine day to celebrate his birthday. I called him yesterday and we had a nice long talk. (Yes indeed — the astute reader has noticed — this post was supposed to appear in April — we are indeed a bit late). I received an interesting link from him via e-mail after our chat: a link to the music of the composer Holst, who I was not familiar with. Holst wrote music about some of the planets, but poor Pluto has been ignominiously ignored once again. My friend Gary was familiar with those compositions. Naturally — he is a musician. I much prefer Bach or Mozart though.

Making a rather abrupt transition from planets to food, I recently remembered that my mom used to prepare  butter lettuce with lemon juice, when I saw some lettuce at the market. Since a few lemon are sitting on my kitchen table doing nothing, the plan for tonight is to replicate this recipe. My juicer however resides in a storage locker, so I decide to go and free it from its imprisonment and put it to good use.

Also on the dinner menu for tonight is baked whole chicken. Calvin my cat, as he likes to do, has snuck in the kitchen once again, and is observing my doings at the counter, I feel his presence, and turn around to see him looking at me. Good timing buddy. He is rewarded with the chicken livers. Bon appetit! You are lucky, I will have to wait another hour or so for my share of the chicken.

Have a quiet blessed Sunday.

 

 

Another Year

Leave a reply

6Well, here I am, another year older. Six I am told. I wonder how many that is in human years. My caretaker was gone all day (“work” he said, and “go play outside” I was told in the morning, before I was rudely shoved out the door). About time he finally showed up this evening. Things started to look up from there though: first, I received a, in my opinion, rather well proportioned piece of sliced turkey. It was very palatable I must admit. However, (and here I must protest in no uncertain terms) I was forced to wear this ridiculous “birthday hat” once more for the amusement of my caretaker. I tried my best to take it off, but that proved to be to no avail. I did notice the candle and more importantly, the can of tuna fish below it though, much to my delight. I vaguely recall a similar looking can last year. Once again I had to listen to singing though, before said can was finally opened. Oh the things one puts up with.

Sincerely,

Calvin