Feline Friends

Friendship Takes More than One

The City Daily Photo theme this month is "friend." But it's hard to be a friend in isolation. I have chosen today to feature some of the cats I have seen befriending each other and my own best feline friend.

Peachy Canyon Tasting Room Feline Friends

Peaches and Herbie hang out at the Peachy Canyon Tasting Room on Bethel Road and Highway 46 West in Templeton. I often see them separately, but on this day in March I saw them together, helping each other as friends do. They are Maine Coon cats and I always look forward to seeing them when I visit.

This short video shows how they help each other and what good friends they are.



I have featured Peaches and Herbie in my Zazzle Store, as well as my now departed and much missed feline friend. I'll tell you about her next.

Friendship Card, Peach Canyon Winery Cats CardOrnament: Black Tuxedo Cat Sitting Metal Ornament

Sarah the Tuxedo Cat and her Sidekick Garfield

Sarah and Garfield belonged to my neighbors who live in a mobile home on the other side of our driveway, across from our house. They are two of the five cats my neighbors owned at the time. I like to make friends with neighbor cats on my property, and I set about  trying to woo Sarah. I followed her into the oddest places with my camera, speaking calmly to her and not getting too close at first.

First I tried to befriend her when I found her on her porch. When I approached her she was resting, but as she saw me she got up, prepared to run away. I snapped her before she could.

There was a refrigerator the neighbors had ready to haul away, and she jumped to the top of that. I followed with my camera.

She would not let me get too close.

About three weeks later I snapped her photo as she rested on top of the water softener inside its cabinet. Someone had left the door open. She was making me work hard in this relationship.

After close to a month of wooing, cat treats in hand, she finally allowed me to get close and pet her. Then she began to hang out on an old chair on my porch almost every day. She was always there to greet me when I came home in the evenings. She actually was probably waiting just as much for the cat treat she knew she'd get. Whichever, I always looked forward to seeing her there, until she was no longer there. I heard coyotes howling the night before I didn't see her anymore. It hurt my heart. Her owners left their cats out at night, except for their kitten. I never felt quite the same way about coming home after that.

Garfield soon caught on that Sarah got cat treats when she hung around my porch, so he began to show up, too. You can read more about my history with them and see some more photos of the two of them here. 

See my other feline friends from the past.

See how other City Daily Photo Bloggers have interpreted this theme.

Tired Cats Take Cat Naps

My Favorite Tired Cat Photo

If any creature understands what to do when tired, it is the cat. This month's City Daily Photo Bloggers theme is tired.  So today I will show you some of my favorite photos of tired cats. The one below was taken at Jack Creek Farms in Templeton. This one is so fast asleep you'd hardly know it was alive.

Napping Cat at Jack Creek Farms, © B. Radisavljevic

Tired Winery Cats

One can usually find cats when visiting wineries, but they are often outside. These two, from Grey Wolf Winery in Paso Robles, are obviously tired and giving in to that urge to sleep by the fire.  The fireplace is out of sight, but they are facing it.

Cat Naps at Grey Wolf Winery, Paso Robles, © B. Radisavljevic

Tired Cats in my Zazzle Store

Sticker: Tabby Cat Resting Classic Round StickerMug-White-kitten-asleep, I NEED MY COFFEE! Coffee MugCard-Tuxedo Cat Lying on Man's Suit Coat Card

Two More Tired Cats

The cats at Jack Creek Farms in Templeton must work hard because I often find them asleep when I visit. This photo was taken in autumn when all the pumpkins and squashes were on display a few years ago.

Another Cat Nap at Jack Creek Farms, © B. Radisavljevic

The cat below is Garfield, who belonged to my neighbor across the driveway. He decided there should be no property boundaries and felt free to take naps in my yard and on our cars whenever the mood hit him. He's a bit grumpy since I disturbed his nap here.

Garfield Taking a Cat Nap on Our Car, © B. Radisavljevic

Here's another view of Garfield sleeping on our car. In this photo all his feet are on the car, but he's not as fat here as this angle makes him look. He just pretends to be a tiger.

Garfield Taking a Cat Nap on Our Car, View 2,  © B. Radisavljevic

 Now that I've been watching these cats nap, I'm going to follow their example and go to bed.

Photos from the Rio Seco Vineyards and Tasting Room in Paso Robles

The Rio Seco Tasting Room and Vineyards 

The Rio Seco tasting room is surrounded by vineyards. As you head east on Union Road from North River Road, you will enjoy a beautiful drive through wine country. Just before you get to Penman Springs Road you will find Rio Seco's entrance road. The tasting room is at the end of that road. This is where I parked. 

The Rio Seco Tasting Room

Below is the overview from the entrance road. On the way, you pass some of the vineyards. I love the big oak, but you knew I would, didn't you.

It was a cloudy day, and I arrived about 4:35, just as the sun was about to set. The sky views were spectacular. I felt I was at the bottom of a big bowl of clouds. 

A View of the Rio Seco Vineyard and Oak Near Tasting Room

Unfortunately, it's impossible for me to capture such a panoramic sky view in a blog post. I felt a bit like this lone oak under the sky. 

A Lone Oak High in the Vineyard

The closer it got to sundown, the more interesting the sky became. This view was facing west, and it looks back at Union Road, the way we came. 

A View from the Rio Seco Vineyard. Union Road  is heading west back to town. 

The Winery Cats I Met

Most of the wineries I visit have working pets. Some have dogs, some have cats, and some have both. As I approached the tasting room, Midnight greeted me. Actually, the photo is deceiving. He really was friendly. He was meowing a greeting and let me pet him. He reminds me of the feline P.I. Midnight Louie in the mysteries by Carole Nelson Douglas that bear his name.   I love those books. 

Midnight, the Rio Seco Feline Greeter.

This is the other tomcat I met while he was dining. From his size I imagine he dines often. 

Winery Cat Enjoying Dinner

A Restful End to a Busy Day

I normally rest on Sunday, but due to circumstances beyond my control, I spent a good part of the day working hard physically. After a late lunch and some rest, I was determined to get back into Union Road wine country this afternoon, even if it was late. I like the cloudy days because they work magic on the sky. 

I would encourage you to make the drive yourself if you haven't done it yet. There are wineries all along the way if you enjoy wine tasting. It's only a short way farther to get to Steinbeck Winery from Rio Seco. We visited Steinbeck twice this week. They have rearranged their tasting room historical exhibits a bit since our first visit. See it as we saw it in March 2015. 

***

Looking Back at Peachy Canyon Tasting Room, 2013

It's no secret that I think the grounds of Peachy Canyon's 46 West Tasting Room are beautiful and peaceful places to roam with my camera. It's a bit more lively inside the tasting room itself, but if you step behind the tasting room to the park-like area for picnics it is tranquil. I especially love the large oaks where I sometimes see squirrels playing. Often the winery cats will come to say hello and ask to be petted, and we all know petting a cat is calming.

Peachy Canyon Gazebo and Picnic Area, ©B. Radisavljevic,  ©B. Radisavljevic

Autumn is one of the most colorful times to visit any vineyard. I took these photos in early November, 2013. Just click on them to enlarge them.

Ripe Grapes on the Vine at Peachy Canyon,  2013,  ©B. Radisavljevic

Grape Leaves Dressed for Autumn, Peachy Canyon, 2013,  ©B. Radisavljevic

Guardian of the Vineyard, Peachy Canyon, 2013,  ©B. Radisavljevic

I'm thankful I have such a generous neighbor who allows me roaming privileges when I need to find a few minutes of peace in the midst of a hectic life. Next time you approach the corner of Bethel Road and Highway 46 West, stop in and taste some wine. Then take it out on the grounds to sip in tranquillity in the shadow of the oaks as you look out at the vines.

Friendship Card, Peach Canyon Winery Cats Greeting Card
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