Images from the life of Royce, part 1 of 2: The black and whites - using his tail for a sail, the fluffy kitten sets out to explore the icy seas; more
Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 12:59PM ;)
Yesterday, I promised to post some pictures from the life of Royce, the cat who was always searching for love. Well, if I do what I was intending to do, this post will not be up for awhile, for I feel rather drained at the moment and lack the energy to do it. So, for now, I am just going to a post a few of the many black and white images that I took of him before I started shooting digital and hence, color. I will pretty much let the pictures tell the stories themselves.
Here is Royce, as a very young kitten, finding love with his "Uncle" Clyde.
;)
In the first spring of his life, Royce decided that he wanted to be a sailor and sail the seven seas of the world. With a little assistance from Lisa, he set out to do so, but his boat wobbled, he paniced and jumped out.
;)
Soon, he got his courage back. Royce returned to his boat, raised his own tail to use for a sail, caught the wind and then ventured off to explore the world.
He returned with many wonderful stories to tell and he told, always using but one word:
"Meow."
;)
There used to be an old spool in the backyard. We made many uses of it, from rocket-launching pad to picnic table.
Royce made pretty good use of it, too.
;)
Royce loved his dandelions. They matched his fur and his mane. Often, he would sit in them looking just like a king.
Royce, the Dandelion King.
;)
One day an intruder by the name of Happy came from the house next door to invade Royce's dandelion kingdom. Royce was not happy.
;)
Royce hissed and he growled and he snarled and he drove that intruder right out.
;)
Royce loved it when the dandelions went to seed, because then he could leap into the air, catch the breeze, and drift about with the little parachutes.
;)
Royce drifts over the dandelions.
;)
Down he comes.
;)
Off he walks.
That's my boy.
Royce C. Boy.
That's what I often called him, "Roycie Boy."
;)
One day, Caleb felt melancholy and went out to sit on the porch. Royce saw him, went out and sat down by him so that they could be melancholy together. That's what a cat who always seeks love does - he gives love and so gets love.
;)
During the time of construction of our addition, a carpenter left a ladder against the house. Royce climbed that ladder, to see what the world looked like from up there.
;)
Melanie saw him, grew worried and went up to rescue her beloved cat. Royce would not be rescued. As the late Willow observed, he began the trip down the ladder all by himself.
;)
Royce descends the ladder.
;)
On the night of her Senior Prom, it was Royce who had the honor to dance first with my beautiful daughter, Melanie. Make no mistake, Melanie was Royce's girl.
;)
During the time of the Miller's Reach Fire, when the flaming forest burned down 300 homes and buildings and we nervously watched the advancing smoke, Royce remained calm. He and the late Little Guy took a walk into and out of the marsh, which had pretty much dried up from the almost constant and unusual heat of that summer.
;)
Royce and me, as photographed by Melanie.
There is no picture of me that I like better than this one. When I had a show go up in the atrium of the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, this is the photo that I chose to go with it.
Royce and me, together.
I will see if I can get the second post, the color post, up before the day is over. When I do, because I promised I would, I will at least tell the story of how Royce saved Jacob from getting a speeding ticket.
Reader Comments (17)
I LOVE the picture of Royce floating above the dandelions! Also the ones of Melanie and Royce on the ladder, and of course Melanie and Royce before prom. They both look wonderful! Thanks again for sharing the past with us. I loved that fuzz master!
Wonderful pictures and memories. Thank you Bill.
Thanks for the smiles you shared with us today. My sister's dog of 16-1/2 years left us today and Riana cried -- for both Maxine and Royce. We needed the smiles you provided us. Peace.
Beautiful, beautiful pictures! I do so love black and white photography. Thank you.
Biscuit the cat is a love seeking love giver too, she thinks Royce was a pretty lucky boy to have lived with such kind people.
What a beautiful cat! I'm crying when I should be working because he reminds me of two of our cats: Joey and Pumkin.
Tears are streaming again today as I look at these great pics. What a great life Royce had, and how much he enriched your whole family's lives.
What a wonderful life!
I did not know that Royce could fly until I saw him sailing above the dandelions. He was a remarkable cat, wasn't he?
On an unrelated side note: I was disappointed to see that Charlie has gone back to wearing his beard plain and unadorned by birds. So was Edward Lear.
Beautiful, just beautiful.
I love all the pictures. Now I am crying too. Royce and my Sunflower could be brother and sister. When you hold Sunflower like you would cradle a baby, she goes limp and puts her head back like Royce did, and puts her little back paws together; my hubby usually has a tall ladder propped against the roof of the back porch as he is always having to clean our gutters due to the tall trees that shade our roof: Sunflower goes on the roof and she walks down the ladder just like Royce. She knows when I call her in at night and say is it time for night-night treats that it is bedtime and she curls up next to me on the bed; head on the pillow. Such precious memories of your beautiful feline friend. Such love she gave and was given. I will give my Sunflower extra love tonight as I think of Royce.
I saw when you posted this, but I had to go to work and didn't want to look until I was in a good comfortable place. Now I am.
Royce-c or Roycie, is exactly what I've called him in my mind.
These photos Bill, are beautiful, and bring out happiness and sadness at the same time. What a beautiful kitteh that journeyed with your beautiful family.
Peace to you and your family.
These photographs are wonderful, so nice to see some of Royce's adventures in his younger years!
Thank you, Bill..I'm looking forward to Part 2.
Lovely pictures.. The one of Caleb and Royce on the porch reminded me of the cat my sis used to have.. He would wait for Mom to come home from work everyday in that very position, just outside our gate but with his tail waving inside the gate through the bars.. Mom had to walk some distance from the bus stop to our home and if he was not at his post at the gate on time, he would come tearing home from wherever he was as soon he heard the bus and take his place.. just outside the gate..
Beautiful! Cat lovers of America salute you. Kind master....loving cat. Thanks Bill. So sorry for your loss.
Again, I want to thank all of you for the comments and I'm glad to know that even after Royce has left us, he has managed to bring smiles and joy to all of you...
And Riana - I am glad that he could bring a smile to you even as you mourn Maxine.