The Big Snow 2018

We got 9 inches of snow in Durham, NC this week. NINE! As far as I can remember, the last time central NC got this much snow was about 30 years ago when I was 5 years old. I've lived just east of Charlotte and in the Triangle for my whole life and these are the only two occasions I remember more than 5-6 inches (and I confirmed with my parents also!). So suffice it to say, this was a very special occasion!

Despite being warm and cozy by my fireplace with two cuddly kitties, I convinced myself to walk down to the lake in my neighborhood with my camera once the snowfall died down just a little.  And, boy, was I so happy that I did.  The silence and stillness surrounding a big snow is just such a zen experience. Despite hating to be cold, the gorgeous views and 2 miles of exercise after sitting on the couch all day were well worth it!

Thankfully, the next day was gorgeous and sunny and I was able to take my camera out to my back yard and capture a few more beautiful snowy images. I am so in love with this serene series of my eucalyptus tree that was struggling to stay upright under the weight of NINE inches of snow!

This snow was so much fun! But can it be Spring now? (Apparently mother nature agrees because now, only a few days later, it is 60 degrees!)

These photos, along with the rest of my work, can be purchased in a variety of formats in my online shop.

My Sweet Kitty, Indigo

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On Christmas Eve 2014 I took Indigo, my 11.5 year old black kitty, the namesake of my business, in to the vet for a routine checkup.  More like not very routine, because my two cats have always been fairly healthy, so they've not been to the vet very much.  But Indigo was looking a bit thinner than normal and it had been a while, plus I had a free coupon for a trip to Banfield. 

After some bloodwork and lots of waiting, I found out my sweet kitty was in severe renal failure.  The vet was shocked he had been acting normal.  I was shocked that I couldn't tell he was so bad.  The vet insanely offered euthanasia as one option.  And I spent an incredibly depressed Christmas with my family, two hours away from my kitties.  One site that gave me a lot more hope after the abysmal demeanor of the vet was Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease.  It gave me hope and also had a ton of great resources so I didn't feel quite so helpless.

A couple of days after Christmas we went in for a full day of IV fluids.  And then I was told to give him subcutaneous fluids twice a week.  He was NOT having it, and after having the vet tell me to bring him in and pay $15 each time for them to do it, I turned back to Tanya's site and found this simple contraption to make it easier.  It worked, though now, a month later, he's getting worse and he's becoming more difficult.

Indigo has been with me more than any other living being over the last 12 years.  I raised him from a 2 lb kitten and he's been my cuddly companion ever since, there by my side when I'm upset, feeling lonely, or having a bad day.  He's like my child, so when I was referred to a specialty vet hospital and told that if we could figure out what is wrong and treat him for a few different things I may have another couple good years for him, I felt there was no question.  I had to do what I could to make him feel better and have more time with him. 

We're two weeks into the treatment now and things have not improved much.  I am getting poorer and poorer with each massively expensive visit and while his anemia only gets marginally better and he seems slightly worse.  We still have a few weeks of anemia shots and antibiotics, though, so I'm still holding on to hope that he will improve.

All that being said, I am trying hard to promote my artwork and make some money to cover all of the vet expenses.  I have great gifts for Mother's Day, graduation and birthdays. 

Check out my Esty shops www.etsy.com/IndigoArtsPhotos and www.etsy.com/IndigoArts and use code INDIGO for free shipping.  Check out my Zazzle Store for awesome products with my photographs on them.  And check out my Fine Art America store on my site for a variety of sizes and print types with option matting and framing.  Thank you for reading!