Time – Page 47 – Robot Claw

Very Dearly Departed

August 14, 2012

I’ve always lived in homes with cats, ever since (and long before) I can remember, including in New Guinea.

Growing up in Australia we had a long line of cats, all of whom were outdoor. Their names will never be forgotten: Louis, Chookhead, Boris, Sarah 1, Sarah 2, Nelson, Momus. These cats were an important part of my life, and I loved them dearly. However most of them they existed only as dim memories for me, until now.

That’s Louis. He was the first cat I remember, and lived until I was in my mid-late teens. He was a massive and friendly fellow, equally happy outside or in. As the friend of two boys through their growing years, Louis put up with an awful lot, but he was always good natured about it and always came back for a hug even after we’d teased or tormented him too much! If I recall correctly, as with many of the cats pictured here, Louis ultimately lost a fight with skin cancer. I can remember vividly his final trip to the vet, even though it was probably over 25 years ago.

We think this is our only photo of Chookhead, ‘my’ first cat (for some reason, I think of him as mine), who we had for a short time around when I was about 10. I remember Chookhead used to get under the covers with me at night and fall asleep, even when he was full grown. Sadly, I don’t remember much more about him, or his eventual fate 🙁

That’s Boris, happy as she always was in the sun. Boris was aloof and mysterious, and as I recall spent the vast majority of her time outdoors. A fond memory was the time she almost passed out on our hot tile roof and I had to climb up to ‘save’ her (she was probably amused by the fact I thought she was even in trouble). Like her brother Louis, Boris also succumbed to skin cancer, the evidence of which is visible in some of these photos (look at her ear tips).

And this is Nelson. He’s a charmer isn’t he? I loved this cat so much, since he was a replacement for one that had died. He used to sleep on my bed when I played C64 games in my bedroom. Sadly Nelson’s life was cut short far too early. I’ll remember him warmly forever 🙂

Four Non-Blondes

August 14, 2012

In an old and dusty album I found some old and dusty polaroids. These date to 12 years ago, when I visited Australia and stayed with Bernard and Adam who were at the time living in the same apartment (that Adam still lives in) in Randwick. I was a bit different then…

I can assure you…

that at the time…

I thought it looked great 🙂

Another polaroid confirms that I wasn’t the only one swayed by the light side:

Sorry Adam 🙂

Pictures From Yesteryear

August 12, 2012

These past few days Bernard’s been scanning in some old photos. Here are a selection, in approximate chronological order…

Mum and Dad in 197X. I’m guessing Dad’s goal on that day was to look as much like Grinderman-era Nick Cave as he possibly good, and he succeeds well. A beautiful photo of our parents!

Taken at our home at the time, a flat in Jamieson street in Gateshead. Obviously that day our family had plans to either go for an alpine hike or spend the afternoon at a Bavarian beer festival. I appear female 🙂

Part of an audition for an ad campaign for a popular brand of soda. Ultimately we were not chosen. One of the selector’s comments said “The youngest child has a suspiciously large head”.

Here we are riding a horse, with dad watching. This would have been before 1975. The horses name was ‘Horsehorse’ according to my brother, but I seem to recall calling him ‘Hecatonchires’.

Probably about 1978 or 1979. In those days school photos would also include brothers and sisters, if they went to the same school. I’ve got no jokes with regards to this shot; I actually think it’s pretty good. At that time Dad was still cutting our hair 🙂

In Canberra in the late 1970s. This remains the only time my brother has ever seen snow, and was (obviously) the first and only time before I came to the USA. My shoes look gargantuan, and I’m using them to ski-without-ski’s. Even then I was an exceptional athlete.

Back in the 1980s yellow was my favourite colour. Given a choice, it was always yellow for me, including a yellow Sharp tape deck. In time this love of yellow worked it’s way into my clothes, and the above shot is perhaps the quintessential example. This was taken at my Dad’s 50th birthday in 1985, and is representative of what I chose to wear when told to ‘dress up’. Have you ever seen a yellower 13 year old?

Unquestionably the worst family photo ever taken. So bad in fact, that it is sublime in it’s beauty. There’s just so much that jumps out and punches the viewer in the face:
– My coat (which was woolen, and which I once wore to a school dance)
– My hair & glasses (I’m surprised I wasn’t instantly punched in the face every day when I got to school)
– Bernard’s tie & faux tweed coat
– Mum’s shirt & hair (she looks like the lead singer of REO Speedwagon)
– The composition (dad’s head is growing out of mine and he looks hydrocephalic)
And I could go on. This abysmal shot was taken in the late 1980s.

Taken in 1992 by KLS when she visited Australia before we were married. Bernard is holding our then-cat Momus. We look like a homeless family. Even though I was quite skinny then I look tubby, and Bernard’s hair is a sight to behold. It’s a funny shot indeed, and I have good memories from that time so I like it 🙂

Do you like this post? I have other photos I may blog, including a few from my first trip back in 2000 and some of our cats back in the days I was growing up.