THE LETTER Z ~ ZOOLATRY, of course ~ with a visit from Angel ZOEY

Yes, we've been around awhile now, 16 years as of this coming June. We've never been a blog to carry advertising, and have no interest in any of the stats (not sure I'd believe them anyway).  But, curiosity did make me check one thing for this post today, discovering that we have posted 5,428 times.  A lot of pictures and a lot of words.  

Starting out way back when, I struggled to find a "name", only knowing I didn't want to associate the blog with anyone or any pet in particular, but wanted it to be reflect all animals in some way.  Looking up "zoo" in the dictionary, scrolling down from there led to zoolatry and that was that.  

Way back then, my husband insisted "well, you also need an identity, a brand", but I sure didn't know what!  As a pet owner for both cats and dogs, and not at all conversant at that time with the intricacies of image design ... he said, "oh just use your stripey sox that you always wear"!  How silly of him.  (but sometimes you let them win, thank you, dear)  So, he suggested I get up on the kitchen stool, turn my feet thisaway and thataway, and he took a lot of pictures.  Of course, the sox and the stripes are admittedly "generic", not having much to do with animals and pets ~ but allowing me to veer off into other directions on our blog from time to time, which I've certainly taken advantage of over the years.

Those "real" sox were reimagined into ones sleeker and slimmer, becoming our little logo and yes, here we are 16 years later and I do have quite a few pair (albeit newer ones) of stripey sox in the dresser drawer.  The sox, maybe with dog fur or cat hair have often appeared here.  And all sorts of other items-and-objects in red and white stripes have been showing up on Zoolatry now for years.  

Red and white stripes ~ beyond sox ~ then evolved as our thing (admittedly, red being a favored color of mine).  Here, there, sort of everywhere, all kinds of graphic designs ~ cartoons, costumes, Christmas ornaments and more.

Then one day not too long ago a new kitty moved in and now ~ you'll see lots of

blue and white polka dots, too!

THE LETTER Z ~ ZOOLATRY

THE LETTER Z ~ ZOEY

We could not complete the Letter Z without mention of one particular little cat who dominated our blog for many years ~ Zoey ~ ZoZo, the Zozster, our resident clown.  A blue point himmie, a forever-kitten in her behaviors, likely using up her "nine lives" on a monthly basis with her adventuresome spirit.  Famous for her little snaggle toof, she squeaked, no meows.  But don't be fooled, she'd make you love her with her brilliant blue eyes and fluffed up furs, love of the camera and show-off attitude. Zo... think of her and sing "Send In The Clowns".

 

 

THE LETTER Y ~ YELLOW

THE LETTER Y ~ YELLOW

A soft yellow glow fills the magnificent two story grand entrance hall of the Garrett Jacobs mansion as I enter on this sunny afternoon.  Built in 1853, and located on Mt. Vernon Place in Baltimore it is just around the corner, and an easy place to stop and enjoy the grandeur.  

The stained English oak glistens like warm gold, enriched from light streaming through Tiffany windows, wall sconces and the elaborate Venetian lamps high above.  On other days the hall may offer up tones of deep red, yet whatever colorings one sees the detail and carvings of the wood and every appointment please the eyes.  

The property has an extraordinary history and its original reconstruction by the Garrett and Jacobs families lasted over 32-years.  Around 1939 and into the 1950s, it sat largely empty, falling into disrepair with lack of consistent ownership until 1962 when purchased by The Engineers Club (Engineering Society of Baltimore).  Fundraising and a dedicated effort to return the home to its original beauty, always a work in progress, were achieved and today the Garrett Jacobs mansion offers public and private events and has received recognition as a National Historic Landmark.

  

 

THE LETTER X ~ XANDER

THE LETTER X ~ XANDER

And here I thought finding a post for The Letter X would be hard!

Xander, he'll be a year old near the end of June, he is so loved and cared for by

his sisfur Fiona (top) and brofur Chewy (bottom),

 even though these smiling Sammies outweigh and out-tall him, well, hugely.

And it goes without saying (though of course, we must say it), he is so loved by

his beautiful Mommy, my beautiful granddaughter.

Xander is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel,

Chewy and Fiona are Samoyeds, all three are my Florida grandpups.

 

THE LETTER W ~ WOODIES

THE LETTER W ~ WOODIES

Clockwise from top left: the Yellow Bellied Woodpecker, the Downy Woodpecker

and the Pileated Woodpecker.  I am now an apartment dweller, but enjoyed

 backyard birding when living in a home some years ago.

  These woodies were among our regular visitors.  

Although the Pileated Woodpecker was most often spotted high in the 

large trees on the property or in the neighborhood, a few fallen logs,

 flush with bugs had provided splendid meals for this one and it 

spent a great deal of time feeding at this ground-station.

 

THE LETTER V ~ VICTORY

 THE LETTER V ~ VICTORY

Soccer has grown in the U.S. in popularity in recent years.  

My children were largely unfamiliar with this international sport but today, 

my youngest grandson is shown in active play over several seasons.

Play hard.

Disappointment in defeat.

Proud in victory.

THE LETTER U ~ UNDERWATER

THE LETTER U ~ UNDERWATER

Both of my Sunshine State grandchildren were water-babies from the start, and in their early teen years learned to scuba dive.  Both are now certified scuba divers (underwater photography by their Dad, my son).  The pictures are likely from around 2015-2016, and at some date I don't recall, I played with Photoshop to cartoonize one image of my grandboy for an Art Gallery post. 

 

 

THE LETTER T ~ TIME

THE LETTER T ~ TIME

Time.  Is it your enemy, or your friend?  Sometimes both, sometimes it is what you choose it to be.  Sometimes you are so very aware of it and sometimes it goes by so fast you wonder 'where did it go'?  We waste it.  Rush through it.  Complain there is not enough of it.  But we celebrate it on special days!  And just curious ~ how often do you check each day to see what "time" it is?

As I wondered what might be my LETTER T, and scrolled through files of photos, I found these pictures from maybe about 5-years ago, a crazy-grandma on a Florida vacation, thinking she could actually get on her grandboys pogo stick and apparently doing so for about 5-seconds of time!  Fast forward to that grandma 2-months ago. Hope time has made her not just a little older, but a little wiser. 

[I do think I'd reverse Dylan's lyrics though, at least for myself, and say that the the slow one now, she was once fast ... or maybe he meant ... the days and time were slower then, and are going faster for us now, I'll have to spend some time thinking on this.]   

The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast

The slow one now, will later be fast

As the present now, will later be past

The order is rapidly fadin'

And the first one now

Will later be last

For the times they are a-changin'

Songwriter: Bob Dylan

The Times They Are A-Changin' Lyrics ☺ Universal Music Publishing Group

 

 

 

THE LETTER S ~ SUNRISE

THE LETTER S ~ SUNRISE

It is said there is no yesterday, tomorrow has not yet arrived and we have only today, the present.  To see the new day arrive lifts the spirit.  We may not always be in a place as beautiful as this when it begins, or clouds may cover the horizon we see, yet it is always right to be thankful to have been gifted another day.  

Today is Earth Day, we have a responsibility to ensure sunrises and sunsets are there for all who follow us.

 

THE LETTER R ~ REAR and ROCK

THE LETTER R ~ REAR

In the pet community we're rather silly about photographing our pets nether regions a/k/a the rear end or what we tend to call their tocks!  Even going so far as to celebrate on a special day in October that is called TOCKTOBER.  Do our pets care, we may never know.  

THE LETTER R ~ ROCK

Well, this is more about a bird than a rock.  An American Bald Eagle, age 31, name of Murphy, who lives at the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri and he's a 'rock solid guy' so to speak.  If you've not followed his story, we suggest you check in for the latest episode ~ it will warm your heart!  Murphy is doing just what he is meant to do, that rock he sat upon for so very long ~ well, some way, somehow, there are times when everything does work out wonderfully.  If you're not able to open the link below to the story from Thursday's Washington Post, just search out Murphy online, you will find his story.  Rock on, Murphy!

WASHINGTON POST

 

 

THE LETTER Q ~ Q-TIP

Q-TIP

June is not a cat who favors many traditional cat toys and doesn't care for nip in any form.  But she does have a penchant for many "no no" things and searches out household items for her playtime.  It's a thing of hers to sit on the edge of the tub, or in the bathroom sink while I shower, and stay there when I'm finished, carefully watching my every move.  Early on she seemed fascinated by Q-tips and when she tried to grab one from me, I tossed another for her to play with ... well, it became a regular thing from that time on.  She'll toss it into the air, carry it around, chew on it until it's soaking wet, and finally bored with it ... ignore it ... or I take it away. 

Author's note: with Q-tips and other no-no's, I keep a close and constant watch and toss away the forbidden item quickly to ensure she is in no real danger, plus her allowed playtime with such things is usually quite brief.

 

THE LETTER P ~ PIRATES

THE LETTER P ~ PIRATES

Pirate. Picaroon. Plank. Parrot. Plunder. Pub. Peg-leg. Pistol. Privateer. Puns. Parody. Paws. Photoshop! 

September 19 for over twenty-five years has been internationally celebrated as Talk Like A Pirate Day. Just do a minimal internet search and you'll find more than you ever wanted to know about pirates and how to be part of this fun day.  The pet community Meows and Barks like pirates too!  

For me it's a purrfect opportunity to play with Photoshop ~ making the kitties and woofies I know into pirates for a day.  

Here, Angel Zoey, Grand Dog Dougie and of course, June.  So let's begin the countdown to 9/19/2023 . . .

 

THE LETTER O ~ ON/OFF

THE LETTER O ~ ON and OFF

See my little green ball.
It is on the table.
Any minute now I will knock it off the table.
I am a cat, and when something is on something we enjoy knocking it off.  

See those spectacles behind me?  I might just turn around in a minute

and knock them off the table too!

THE LETTER N ~ NIPPER

 
THE LETTER N ~ NIPPER

If you visit Zoolatry from time to time, you might have met NIPPER before, he lives just up the street from us.  We first met him when moving here, during the height of the pandemic and he was masked and reminding us all to wash our paws [bottom photo].  Today when we walk by and bark hello to him, of course, he is no longer "mask muzzled" thankfully!  

NIPPER, 18-foot tall sits proudly above the Maryland Center for History and Culture in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore.  The center is also home to the original "The Star Spangled Banner" manuscript and documents of many signers of the Declaration of Independence.  

We've done a series of posts about living in Baltimore called Walk With Me.  Our post on July 27, 2021 was devoted to the full story of NIPPER so if you'd like to know more about his history, just CLICK HERE.

 

 

 

 

THE LETTER M ~ MOM

THE LETTER M ~ MOM

I was always the welcome recipient of old family photos when offered by others who might be downsizing and ready to pass on to the next generation.  I'd scour the secondhand and thrift stores for antique or old-looking frames for each and when I had a home, always found a place to display my collection.  A time came when I handed these on to the next generation, but not before photographing and saving many in my computer files.

Here, a favorite of my Mom and Grandma ~ circa late 1914/early 1915, likely taken in Wichita Falls, Texas where they lived at the time. Photographs then were precious, formal portraits.  This image remains special as my Mom is dressed in her baptismal gown, preserved by Grandma and worn by my own children 60-years later for their christenings.

Please visit the March edition of

Our Rainbow Friends

to remember our pets loved and lost.

Thank you.

 

THE LETTER L ~ LOVE and LOSS

THE LETTER L ~ LOVE and LOSS

We love our pets, knowing when they arrive to become part of our homes and our hearts that our time together will never be long enough.  And when the time of parting comes, we remember them in many and differing ways.  Over fifteen years ago, for our pet community, I began designing Memory Images to share of the pets loved and lost.  These are not easy to do.  Often I know the pet parent through our mutual blogging and know their pet well, and there are times when neither are known to me.  Yet all touch my heart and creating images is an honor but equally a process that hurts, for I feel and share the sadness.

But what of the pet who loses the parent?  The gentle hands that have held and caressed it for so long.  The consistent feeder, the mender of wounds.  The responder to needs.  The one who tossed the ball.  The one who held that feather wand high in the air.  The one who walked by his side come rain or cold.  The one who she may have shared a bed with each night.  The one trusted and loved.  Unconditionally.  

There is great controversy among animal behaviorists about anthropomorphism, and yet I think many of us who live with pets do tend to give them human-like characteristics ~ sometimes we just cannot help ourselves.  We see it in their eyes, hear it in their animal-speak and how they interact with us.  It seems so natural.

~ ~ ~ 

Once upon a time in Florida there lived a little Himalayan cat named Zoey, she had a rather odd little snaggle tooth, it went up not down, and she was pretty much the "star of Zoolatry" for a long time.  No question she was a Daddy's Girl, following him everywhere, all the time.  He had a home office, she'd be seen in his in-box everyday as he worked at his desk, sleep at his side every night.  Zo was about two-years old when Daddy first got sick, and for the next four years she was his good nurse, giving all she could.  One night, in the fall of 2012, Daddy suddenly left home and she slept alone that night because the Mommy went with him.  He didn't come home.

She waited.  She slept where he slept.  She sat in the in-box each day, waiting.  People she did not know came and went from the house and Maggy, the other Himalayan just seemed not to be bothered by it all.  Zoey knew something big had happened, had changed, but she did not understand at all.  All she knew was that she missed her Daddy, very much.  She still sat in the in-box every day.  Her Mommy was very quiet much of the time, but Zoey really wasn't interested in her Mommy.  She wasn't sure about time, time doesn't mean much except for meals, but a day came when strange people came and took a lot of furniture out of the house.  Again, she did not understand.  Daddy still hadn't come home.  And all of the furniture now from his office was being taken away, even her in-box.

Mommy knew some months had passed, it was spring of 2013, she knew that this home would soon be sold and she would move away, though Zoey and even Maggy did not know this. There would be no need for an office now.  Zoey did not know this.  Months had passed, and yes, Mommy was still sad and hurting.  But, yes, Zoey was grieving.  Zoey now spent days, in that empty office. No in-box.  Love and loss.

THE LETTER K ~ KITE

 K I T E

Ooops.

Photographed at Sherwood Gardens, Baltimore, April 2023.

THE LETTER J ~ JUNE

JUNE

 

THE LETTER I ~ INDIGO

INDIGO

INDIGO is a deep, rich shade of blue and violet, though these foam building blocks are really a bright true blue.  Photographed on a large, lighted play table their true color had altered but created a dramatic photograph. My image is from a visit to the PLAY WORK BUILD room located at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.   

The museum building was formerly the historic Pension Building (built 1882-1887). Entering the main floor Great Hall one cannot but be impressed by four Corinthian columns, among the tallest in the world.  The architecture of the hall was inspired by 16th century renderings of Michelangelo. Exhibits today are both permanent and rotating.  The Great Hall is often the site of special events, and continues as the venue for one of the many Inaugural Balls given every four years.  

NBM is a museum I have been to many times, and always suggest for family and friends who are visiting our nation's capital.  I've never found any exhibit wanting, but my favorite is PLAY WORK BUILD.  Yes, meant for children ~ though I'd have to suggest it is for children ages 2 to 99.  

If you ever played with Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs ... saw a Lionel Train go round and round the tracks ...  Hey, maybe you'd like to take a peek at the first generation LEGO's from 1949?

Back to INDIGO!  The highlight of the Play Work Build room are it's foam building blocks.  Small, medium, large, extra large, huge, gi-normous!  Sit on them, stand on them, throw them, jump up/jump down.  Stack them, knock them down, dance around.  Whether you're that 2 year old ... or the grey-haired grandparent, you'll see everyone playing with, working with, or building with BLOCKS.  Or, maybe stretching out and taking a short nap on one of them ...

Seriously, it's pretty amazing ... please, take just a minute or two, watch this video.  

It's fun!  I promise!

PLAY WORK BUILD

 

THE LETTER H ~ HAPPY

HAPPY, HAPPIER, HAPPIEST

I am always happy when spending time with any of my grandchildren,

here with my youngest.

Photo, late autumn 2022.

 

THE LETTER G ~ GRAND

GRAND

The DC metropolitan area was my home for nearly 23-years, living in northern Virginia but commuting daily across the Memorial Bridge (pre Metro days) to work downtown.  Our nation's capital city has an abundance of grand and beautiful memorials to the famous, some now infamous, and amazing architecture, yet it was always inspiring to me to view the Lincoln Memorial early morning, and again in the evening, often at sunset on the drive home.  It may be that the Lincoln Memorial, at the West end of the National Mall, facing the Reflecting Pool, the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol has been the site of more events than any other place in the city ~ concerts, demonstrations, political speeches, impromptu gatherings, official ceremonies and more.  

As "grand" as the Lincoln Memorial is, did you know that within all the writings on its walls, there is a spelling error?  In quoting from Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, the stone carvers misspelled a word.  Of course, attempts were made to cover up this mistake, but if you search, if you look closely, you will find it. 

Authors observation: in this great city, with all its grand monuments, it's not unusual for those in positions of power (power given by our vote, others by appointment) to try to cover up their missteps.  This is disingenuous at best as these actions were/are not errors of judgement but intentional and self serving.