73/365: Last minute cat

73/365: Last minute cat, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 14th

Radesh at almost-midnight.

63/365: Zulka and Radesh

63/365: Zulka and Radesh, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 4th

The weather was so warm, I had to open the windows. Now, Radesh knows all about heights, but I'm concerned about Zulka and Oli. I watched them like a hawk. I think this year I will try to get someone to help me build a little fence around the windowsill, and see if that's enough. I really don't want to have to put a net over the window.

Oh, and they were watching the workmen next door cutting down some trees.

3/365: Just us three

3/365: Just us three, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

January 3rd

It was significantly more difficult to take a cat-and-selfportrait this year. Two cats are more fidgety than one. I had to set up a tripod and everything, and this is still the best I could do!

I do this every year on January 3rd. This is the first time Radesh and I are not alone. Zulka joined us last year and even though Radesh was very angry at first, we're a happy little family now. But they don't really like being forced to take a picture.

Below are the photos from 2008, 2006, 2009 and 2010:

346/465: Deconstruction

346/465: Deconstruction, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 12th

A bad photo (it's dark there) of the current state of my hallway. There used to be a closet on the left but the stupid thing was that if you hung your coats on the hanger, you'd have to take them all down in order to open the closet. So, we never used it. So, I decided to get rid of it and put the coat hanger in the nook it left behind. The carpenter said he'd even make a little bench to sit on so no one has to hop around on one leg putting their shoes on anymore. And of course this means we have gained valuable lane space for bikes traffic.

The cats are just there because they follow me around.

341/365: Yes, I am a cat person.

341/365: Yes, I am a cat person., originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 7th

Zulka on the left, Radesh on the right.

307/365:Sleeping together

307/365:Sleeping together, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

November 3rd

Radesh and Zulka. 'Nuff said.

But it's never safe...

279/365:Playing with the kitties

279/365:Playing with the kitties, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

October 6th

After a long (oh so long) day at work it's a pleasure to play with the cats and admire their minimal needs for happiness. It would have also been nice if I could focus properly, but win some, lose some.

277/365: At home with the cats

277/365: At home with the cats, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

October 4th

Back from Berlin. I got to the Hauptbahnhof, and they told me 'Keine Platze'. Not only that. Keine Platze heute, keine Platze morgen. And I have to be at work morgen bis zum Morgen!

So my inestimable friend Linlen got on the internet and found me a ride via a hitch-hiking network. Amazing. I got in at two am, but I got in.

135/365: Radesh plays

135/365: Radesh plays, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 15th

The cat in question, in my mother's kitchen, playing for his dinner.

89/365: Radesh and the red mouse

89/365: Radesh and the red mouse, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 30th

This was just after midnight- he leapt up on my windowsill with a gift in his mouth. I buried it in the front yard next to all the others.

75/365:Drawing board

75/365:Drawing board, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 16th

I made it yesterday for my birthday. It's pretty basic, not at all like the one I meant to make, but that didn't work out as planned. It's good enough for now. And the cat likes it, because it allows him to make stealth attacks on my eraser.

And here's the doodle from the pad, a quick and rough selfportrait with yesterday's enormous sun:

72/365: He sings, too.

72/365: He sings, too., originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 13th

I say he sings, too, because Radesh has a dulcimer which he plays for food.

No, really. It's a toy I got when I was younger, and I brought it over to the new apartment hoping to find a tuning key. One day, Radesh started fiddling around with it.

Since then I've decided the best use of that instrument would be to give the dear cat an alternative to meowing desperately when he is hungry. I've tried to capture the results on camera many times, but my musician is elusive, and camera shy. I have not caught anything substantial until today.

And here, at last, is proof of Radesh's musical talent:

46/365: Someday I will have real shelves

46/365: Someday I will have real shelves, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

February 15th

Another day at home. My knee doesn't hurt so badly that I can't walk but I want to give it as much rest as possible by staying home. I don't want the spring bike season to find me with an injury!

Anyway, this is yet another last-minute photograph of my place. I recently rearranged my sparse furniture and got rid of some junk and now I have, shock-horror, free space on my bookshelves (there is a third bookshelf on the other side of the room, behind the camera). I love books. These are almost all of the ones I bought myself, some which were lent or given to me, plus quite a lot of my childhood books.There are several hundred more of those back at my parents' house and it will be a long time before I move them all. I don't have a car- I've been moving over to this apartment via train for the last four years. (see how the room has changed over the years in the photos on the left)

Anyway, to paraphrase Terry Pratchett, a person who has enough shelf-space for all their books is not worth talking to. Ergo, I need more books.

Unfortunately, I'm unemployed right now, so I am trying to read what I have before buying any more. Right now I am very slowly making my way through J.M. Roberts' 'Short History of the World'.

45/365: Valentine's day

45/365: Valentine's day, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

February 14th

I gave my cat a Valentine. He loved it.

43/365: At home

43/365: At home, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

February 12th

I spent all day at home today, sorry, I don't have anything interesting to show you.

21/365: The fantastic Radesh

21/365: The fantastic Radesh, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

January 21st

I put up the ladder so that I could hang my washing to dry. Radesh was so delighted to have his favourite play area back that I decided to leave it up for the few days I would be gone. He was happy to see me when I got home tonight!

8/365: A day at home

8/365: A day at home, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

January 8th

A rather bad day which ended up somewhat better around 11 pm. My cat found an old ball he had lost behind a couch and chased it around the room before finally collapsing by the wall. I didn't have energy for a better shot.

5/365: Headache

5/365: Headache, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

January 5th

Every project 365 has off-days. Today I woke up very early, caught a train, then went to see Avatar. A lack of sleep plus three hours in an IMAX watching a 3D movie gave me an incredible headache, so I'm afraid all I can manage today is this shot of my cat and my pizza.

3/365: Just us two

3/365: Just us two, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

January 3rd

The only recurring theme in my project 365 falls on January 3rd, when I take an obligatory self-portrait with Radesh. I started my first 365 soon after picking up Radesh and Garia from the shelter. Unfortunately that very New Year's eve I had to rush Garia to the vet, and they told me there was nothing I could do except save him a lot of pain and put him down. It was the worst New Year's ever, and two days later, Radesh and I were left all alone. I took a picture.

We're still together, and getting him to pose is still as difficult as the first time.

2007, 2008 and 2009, respectively:

Gifts from Radesh

My cat friend Radesh is a prodigious hunter. Since we have known each other he has brought me many gifts:

butterflies



moths



frogs



rats



and yesterday, a mole



Some of them, like the mole, I have rescued and set free. Some he ate on the spot. Some were resurrected in the middle of the night to scritch and scratch around my bedroom.

There was one morning when he woke me up at dawn, bringing a sparrow through the window. The thing was dead. I crawled back into bed and watched Radesh eat the bird whole, bones, feathers, beak and all.

Ah, nature.