# Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar, 2020



## usern4cr (Dec 3, 2020)

I'd like to post one photo of my new kitty, Ollie, with a (hopefully) funny caption for each day of this 2020 Advent season (Nov. 29 through Dec. 24) to make a "Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar". For those interested, I hope you like it and you are welcome to comment or post your own interesting photo and caption.

Around June we got Ollie from our friend Lori when he was 6 weeks old. At that time I was using my Olympus EM1_II and lenses to take the initial photos I'll post here. Later I got the Canon R5 and RF lenses which are used for most of the remaining days. All photos are handheld without flash. While I'm just an amateur photographer and no comedian, I'll do my best in hopes of making you laugh (or at least smile a little).  All comments/poems are mine, unless credited below.



Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020


"I _like_ this new scratching post.
I've got my own room with a _view _!"




Olympus EM1_II with 12-100mm f4 lens.
100mm, f8, 1/180", ISO 1250


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## usern4cr (Dec 3, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Monday, Nov. 30, 2020


"I wonder how comfy this is?
... _ZZZZzzzz ..."_

_

_

Olympus EM1_II with 12-100mm f4 lens.
100mm, f8, 1/180", ISO 1250


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## usern4cr (Dec 3, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020


"That mouse is _mine!_
Don't even _think_ about it !"




Olympus EM1_II with 12-100mm f4 lens.
35mm, f8, 1/60", ISO 1250


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## usern4cr (Dec 3, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020


"So many _toys!_
So little _time!_ "




Olympus EM1_II with 25mm f1.2 lens.
25mm, f1.2, 1/60", ISO 250


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## usern4cr (Dec 3, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020


(under the coffee table ... silently ... stealthily ... approaching the camera man ...)

"One more step, ... 
one giant leap, ... 
and his toupée is _mine! _"




Olympus EM1_II with 25mm f1.2 lens.
25mm, f1.2, 1/60", ISO 1600


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## Click (Dec 3, 2020)

So cute! Beautiful shots. Well done.


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## usern4cr (Dec 3, 2020)

Click said:


> So cute! Beautiful shots. Well done.


Thank you, Click. You've been very kind to so many on this site, so thank you for making everyone with their photos feel so well received.


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## zim (Dec 3, 2020)

Beautiful little guy looks like he's got a good personality already. Lost my boy two weeks ago missing him.


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## usern4cr (Dec 3, 2020)

zim said:


> Beautiful little guy looks like he's got a good personality already. Lost my boy two weeks ago missing him.


He's very loving and playful. We let him outside with supervision, and now he goes out on his own. He plays with all the neighbors and their pets, too.

I'm very sorry to hear that you lost your cat. We lost our most loving cat a while ago and it was a very upsetting time for us. Maybe you can find a kitten (or another cat) to raise, as it might help fill that void hopefully (as it did for us).


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## usern4cr (Dec 4, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Friday Dec. 4, 2020


"I'm _soooo _tuckered out ...
I want my _Mommy! _"




Olympus EM1_II with 25mm f1.2 lens.
25mm, f8, 1/20", ISO 6400


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## usern4cr (Dec 5, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Saturday Dec. 5, 2020


(Ollie has now become a teenager)

"_Hey, bartender!_
Gimme a _double-catnip_ and a _whiskey chaser! _"




Olympus EM1_II with 12-100mm f4 lens
44mm, f8, 1/15", ISO 6400


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## Click (Dec 5, 2020)

Very funny. Nice shot!


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## usern4cr (Dec 5, 2020)

Click said:


> Very funny. Nice shot!


Thanks, Click. I'll have everyone know that no cats were ever harmed (or tasted whiskey) for this shot. He just happened to be sleeping deeply like that and we thought of the possible photo, and went and got an empty Jameson bottle and tucked it gently under his paw - he didn't even notice that. You never know when you'll get a chance for a funny photo!


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## Valvebounce (Dec 5, 2020)

Hi. 
We have a cat that goes comatose when he sleeps. We can lift his legs and check him over, roll him over, pick him up, but woe betide you if he wakes up mid checkup, he has very sharp teeth! 

Cheers, Graham. 



usern4cr said:


> Thanks, Click. I'll have everyone know that no cats were ever harmed (or tasted whisky) for this shot. He just happened to be sleeping deeply like that and we thought of the possible photo, and went and got an empty Jameson bottle and tucked it under his paw - he didn't even notice that. You never know when you'll get a chance for a funny photo!


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## usern4cr (Dec 6, 2020)

Valvebounce said:


> Hi.
> We have a cat that goes comatose when he sleeps. We can lift his legs and check him over, roll him over, pick him up, but woe betide you if he wakes up mid checkup, he has very sharp teeth!
> 
> Cheers, Graham.


Our Ollie doesn't sleep that deep. But he's playful, and I try to be playful back to him - One time he was sleeping and I put my arms around him and my head against him real quick to give him a big hug, and he jolted awake and bit into my arm hard, and then realized it was me and let go. I learned my lesson and never did that again!


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## usern4cr (Dec 6, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Sunday Dec. 6, 2020


(in our van, converted to mini-RV with fold-out bed)

"_Hey! ..._
Check out my _new wheels_ and _travel suit.
Let's go!_ "




Canon R5 with RF 15-35mm f2.8L lens
15mm, f8, 1/15", ISO 100


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## usern4cr (Dec 7, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Monday Dec. 7, 2020


(Ollie, now 5 months old, on a hike in the woods)

"I'm so good, I can climb _any_ _tree!
Woa! _... How tall could this one _possibly be? "_




Olympus EM1_II & 300mm f4 lens.
300mm, f6.7, 1/250", ISO 5000


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## zim (Dec 7, 2020)

usern4cr said:


> He's very loving and playful.  We let him outside with supervision, and now he goes out on his own. He plays with all the neighbors and their pets, too.
> 
> I'm very sorry to hear that you lost your cat. We lost our most loving cat a while ago and it was a very upsetting time for us. Maybe you can find a kitten (or another cat) to raise, as it might help fill that void hopefully (as it did for us).


Thanks we absolutely will but it will take a while, my wife has a thing about cats finding her rather than the other way round and it's been a little spookily true so far. Anyway we are both loving your photos of Ollie please don't stop!


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## usern4cr (Dec 7, 2020)

zim said:


> Thanks we absolutely will but it will take a while, my wife has a thing about cats finding her rather than the other way round and it's been a little spookily true so far. Anyway we are both loving your photos of Ollie please don't stop!


Thanks, Zim, for your kind words - it's nice to hear. I've taken so many pictures of Ollie with both cameras, and the technology in them (especially the new Canon R5 & lenses) is so amazing that it can make it pretty easy to take good ones (well, as long as you have a bit of a feel for what makes something interesting while framing). The calendar idea means I have to make a funny (if possible) saying so that makes it a lot harder (soon I'll probably run out of funny sayings as many photos are of him in trees).

Having "cats find us" was actually true with Ollie, as our friend Lori happened to have a cat that just had a litter around the time we lost our very loving cat. She noticed Ollie was the most loving of the litter and kept him for us, hoping we'd take him and ease our pain. We did, and it did! I hope something similar like that might bring the right kitty to you both.


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## usern4cr (Dec 8, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Tuesday Dec. 8, 2020


(hiking in Red River Gorge, Kentucky)

"_Woa!_
Either those people are _really small_,
or that rock is _really big!_ "




Canon R5 with RF 15-35mm f2.8L lens.
24mm, f5.6, 1/125", ISO 320


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## Bert63 (Dec 8, 2020)

usern4cr said:


> Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
> Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020
> 
> 
> ...




Pics of the van please..


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## Click (Dec 8, 2020)

Nice pictures. Keep posting.


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## usern4cr (Dec 8, 2020)

Bert63 said:


> Pics of the van please..


Ok Bert63, since you asked, here's how I converted our old 2000 Honda Odyssey van to a (very)mini RV.

I built a dresser behind the driver, and a slightly shorter one behind the passenger (allowing their seat to recline for snoozing). The driver side has 10 drawers of various heights with 14" of travel (13.5" usable) and the passenger side has 2 coolers, and 6 drawers of various heights with 16" of travel (15.5" usable). The top of the driver dresser is the baseboard of the bed, with 3 more piano-hinged bed pieces folding in a shell shape above it which will tightly contain the 2" nylon mattress, sheets & two comforters.

The sytrofoam coolers are reinforced with fiberglass window screen and Glidden Gripper for glue, with 2 handles on each top. Inside them is a plexiglass partition so 1/3rd is for ice and 2/3rds for food & bottles. Two removable aluminum bars are for support when the bed is folded down over the passenger dresser.

A view from the back of the van shows a 2'x4' heavy duty Costco folding table and the bed folded down.







Last fall (2019) we took it on a long vacation from Kentucky through the Colorado mountains into Utah, California & back through Arizona (etc) back home. Everything held together just fine. Now Ollie can enjoy traveling in it with us (with the bed up or down as we drive, but he prefers the bed down as it's all his then).


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## Bert63 (Dec 8, 2020)

usern4cr said:


> Ok Bert63, since you asked, these pics of the van are for you (and for those not interested, well ... talk to Bert!  )
> 
> 2 years ago, I took the middle & back seats out of our old 2000 Honda Odyssey van (with a gazillion miles on it).
> I first bolted one long wood board to the floor, where the middle seats were. You can see the edge of this at the bottom of this photo:
> ...




This is awesome and exactly what we're planning on doing here in the very near future.

We have a full blown Winnebago 27K that we named the "camera bag.." We want to get a Promaster and turn it into a daytripper and your setup is amazing...

Thanks so very much for pasting these - you've done a really nice job with yours. I can't get over how well done it is... SO AWESOME!

Our kitty loves our camper too!

One question - just in terms of safety - have you weighed the van fully loaded, and have you weighed the axles fully loaded?


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## usern4cr (Dec 8, 2020)

Bert63 said:


> This is awesome and exactly what we're planning on doing here in the very near future.
> 
> We have a full blown Winnebago 27K that we named the "camera bag.." We want to get a Promaster and turn it into a daytripper and your setup is amazing...
> 
> ...


That Winnebago looks nice! You've got a whole world of comfortable room compared to what we have. If you have pictures you'd like to share then feel free to do so here, or directly to me via CanonRumors.

Thanks for your kind words. I know there was a lot of weight removed by losing all the seats (which were quite heavy) and we only have the two of us is in (we don't weigh that much, or so I'd like to think  ). But I did build it very strong and the drawers are so efficient that you can choose to load it up with a lot if you want. I haven't weighed it, and if I did I'd assume I might be somewhat over what it's supposed to be, but I doubt if it's enough to really worry about. We chose to drive 60mph max (really!) to enjoy the view, save gas, and make sudden stops a lot safer. We use engine downshifting and hardly need to touch the brakes going down the mountains (yes, slower than traffic behind us, but they can pass when they get a chance or we pull over to let them). Our goal is to enjoy the trip as we drive as well as when we stop, and try to make it as safe as this old bucket of bolts can be. By the way, that Odyssey van is super smooth riding with a great view and high mpg, and it's very stealthy so you can just pull over and park pretty much anywhere without notice.


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## Bert63 (Dec 9, 2020)

Your build is awesome man. Very professionally done IMO. 

Yes, we love big bertha. We've had several different RVs over the decades but this one is perfect for two and she's small enough to fit almost anywhere.

And yes, you can stealth camp her, but only to a very small degree. Walmart parking lot maybe, but not much else. That's why we're looking at a smaller van for day-tripping and maybe over-nighting spur of the moment type stuff.

On non-COVID years we're in bertha about 150 days a year - March to November sort of thing.

Just two pictures in her natural habitat. That's our Jeep we drag behind her.. The rest is exactly the same as the video except we have a better color scheme IMO..

We won't talk about MPG...


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## usern4cr (Dec 9, 2020)

Bert63 said:


> Your build is awesome man. Very professionally done IMO.
> 
> Yes, we love big bertha. We've had several different RVs over the decades but this one is perfect for two and she's small enough to fit almost anywhere.
> 
> ...


Great pictures. You have 150 days a year in her? Wow, that's a lot! Do you go all over the US and Canada, I assume? You must have a ton of nice pictures with all those views to enjoy!


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## Bert63 (Dec 9, 2020)

usern4cr said:


> Great pictures. You have 150 days a year in her? Wow, that's a lot! Do you go all over the US and Canada, I assume? You must have a ton of nice pictures with all those views to enjoy!



To be honest, health issues keep us kind of close to home base, but when you live in an area like we do it’s just fine and the weather is perfect.

This picture was taken about four miles from my driveway.. haha..


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## usern4cr (Dec 9, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020


(Ollie, now 7 months old, enjoys climbing trees)

"_Wow!_
I've never been _this high_ before!"




Canon R5 with RF 70-200 f2.8L lens.
70mm, f8, 1/500", ISO 400


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## zim (Dec 9, 2020)

usern4cr said:


> Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
> Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020
> 
> 
> ...


Are you using eye af on all your shots of Ollie ? At f/8 i guess it doesn't really matter but I'm just curious


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## usern4cr (Dec 10, 2020)

zim said:


> Are you using eye af on all your shots of Ollie ? At f/8 i guess it doesn't really matter but I'm just curious


Yes, for photos of Ollie I always use animal eye AF (with R5, Olympus was more limited). I started using f8 to make sure I got good focus, but soon dropped it down to f2.8 (wide open) to get better isolation. Now I almost always try to use wide open on my lens if at all possible. f2.8 gives you plenty of DOF for a moving cat. In the last few days I got a 85mm f1.2L and am seeing how it does wide open vs. stopping down a little. While f1.2 is great if your portrait model does what you ask, for a moving cat it is hard to get an ideal photo that wide open, so somewhere between f1.4 and f2 might be ideal for it with a moving cat in the early photos I'm taking so far. I also recently got the 100-500L and it takes superb shots of a cat at 500mm f7.1 (all those will be towards the end of the calendar).


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## usern4cr (Dec 10, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020


"Was that something _moving_ down there?
... It's going to be _mine!_ "




Canon R5 with RF 70-200mm f2.8L lens.
200mm, f8, 1/2000", ISO 400


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## usern4cr (Dec 11, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Friday, Dec. 11, 2020


"Hunting's done, no _hunger pangs!_
Time to floss my _pearly fangs!_ "




Canon R5 with RF 70-200mm f2.8L lens.
70mm, f2.8, 1/1000", ISO 100


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## Click (Dec 11, 2020)

Nice shot. Keep posting.


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## usern4cr (Dec 12, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020


"Turning around on a steep & narrow branch over a sheer drop is _not easy!_
I'd like to see _you_ try it!"




Canon R5 with 70-200mm f2.8L lens.
f2.8, 70mm, 1/750", ISO 100


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## usern4cr (Dec 13, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020


(Ancient Feline Proverb)

"The birds are _always plumper_
on the _other side_ of the tree!"




Canon R5 with RF 70-200mm f2.8L lens.
70mm, f2.8, 1/1000", ISO 100


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## usern4cr (Dec 14, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Monday, Dec. 14, 2020


"_Uh-Oh!_ 
Nobody told me that claws _don't grip_ 
when you're going _down_ a steep branch!"




Canon R5 with RF 70-200mm f2.8L lens.
70mm, f8, 1/350", ISO 400


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## Click (Dec 14, 2020)

Beautiful shots.




Keep posting.


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## usern4cr (Dec 14, 2020)

Click said:


> Beautiful shots.
> 
> 
> 
> Keep posting.


Thanks, Click! Before Advent's over, I've got some shots with the 2 new lenses I recently got and I'm looking forward to posting them. (too bad there aren't any green leaves on the trees as they make a lovely smeared background)


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## usern4cr (Dec 15, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020


(Ollie sees all the birds at the feeder next to the tree)

"OK, now I've climbed up within _striking distance_ of the feeder
and am _completely hidden_ from them! ...
_Hey!_ - Where'd they all _go?!_ "




EM1_II with 300mm f4 lens.
300mm, f5.6, 1/250", ISO 1250


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## usern4cr (Dec 16, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Wednesday Dec. 16, 2020


"_Hey!_ 
This is _my yard!_
And I've got the _fangs_ to _prove it!_ "





Canon R5 with RF 100-500 f4.5-7.1L lens.
500mm, f6.7(in exif), 1/90", ISO 50


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## usern4cr (Dec 17, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Thursday Dec. 17, 2020


"As gatekeeper to _Ollie's Yard_,
I hereby announce the _tolls for entry:_
* Cats: 1 plump _mouse_.
* People: 1 can of _tuna_.
* Dogs: _Ain't gonna' happen!_ "





Canon R5 with RF 100-500 f4.5-7.1L lens.
400mm, f5.6, 1/180", ISO 1600


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## Click (Dec 17, 2020)

So cute. I love your cat.


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## usern4cr (Dec 17, 2020)

Click said:


> So cute. I love your cat.


I'm sure Ollie thanks you - (especially if you come bringing tuna!  )

But seriously, thanks for the kind words. I'm glad to start posting some photos from the new lenses. These were among the first ones taken and I'm getting used to what speeds & ISOs to use - even shutter types and FPS settings. So I may post some less-than-ideal combinations before I knew they could be improved. But anyway, it's the content of the photo that really makes or breaks it, so you just have to get out and take them and see what you get.


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## zim (Dec 17, 2020)

usern4cr said:


> Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
> Thursday Dec. 17, 2020
> 
> 
> ...


Woof


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## usern4cr (Dec 18, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Friday Dec. 18, 2020


"Look into my _eyes_ ... my _eyeees_ ... my _eyeeeeees_ ...
You are getting _sleepy_ ... _sleeeepy_ ... _sleeeeeepy_ ...
You are opening a can of_ tun_a ... _tuuuna_ ... _tuuuuuuna!_ "





Olympus EM1_II with 300mm f4 lens.
300mm, f4, 1/250", ISO 400


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## usern4cr (Dec 19, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Saturday Dec. 19, 2020


"_Officer! -_ I _know_ someone unrolled all the toilet paper and _Tee-Pee'd_ the _whole house!_ ...
But it _wasn't me!_ - It was the _one-armed cat!_ "





(inspired by "The Fugitive": "It wasn't me, it was the one-armed man!")
Canon R5 with RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L lens.
300mm, f5.6, 1/1000", ISO 3200


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## usern4cr (Dec 20, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Sunday Dec. 20, 2020


"Cats have great night vision, and think _color vision is_ _overrated_.
I mean, _how many colors _out there could there _possibly be?_ "




Canon R5 with 85mm f1.2L lens.
85mm, f1.4, 1/500", ISO 50


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## usern4cr (Dec 21, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Monday Dec. 21, 2020


"I'm _chillin'_ like Bob _Dylan_
on a _pound_ of _penicillin!_ "




(a saying I heard from my son-in-law)
Canon R5 with RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L lens.
300mm, f5.6, 1/1500", ISO 3200


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## Click (Dec 21, 2020)

That's a beautiful portrait. Well done!


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## zim (Dec 21, 2020)

usern4cr said:


> Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
> Monday Dec. 21, 2020
> 
> 
> ...


Gorgeous boy, love the colours, how much processing do you do?


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## usern4cr (Dec 21, 2020)

Click said:


> That's a beautiful portrait. Well done!


Thank you, Click. I was torn between this picture and others, since I've only a few days left. But there was something about this one I loved, and the surface he was laying on made me think of how he was "chillin' ", and I remembered the saying and the concrete he was laying on looked like penicillin, and I knew I just had to choose this picture.


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## usern4cr (Dec 22, 2020)

zim said:


> Gorgeous boy, love the colours, how much processing do you do?


Thanks, Zim!

I use DXO PhotoLab4. After I rank the images and delete those I don't want to keep, I assign a standard lens correction profile plus deep prime noise reduction to all of them. I then re-rank them to decide which ones to work further on and for them I make a duplicate to work on. For those, I adjust the overall exposure if it's needed. I always use daylight temp when I take the photo, so if the color cast is off (not often) I adjust it as needed. If there's unusual things needing fixing, like horizon or perspective(in the Elite version), I do that. Then I usually up the shadows if needed, and lower the highlights if needed. Usually the mid tones stay the same unless they need adjusting, too. Then I adjust the contrast as needed to make it look good to me. Then if there is a single point of interest (like Ollie's face) I use a single local adjustment circle, with the size of the full-ish power circle around the area of interest and increase the micro-contrast and sometimes up the shadows if that area is too dark. If the eyes are too dark, I add another local adjustment circle for the dark eye(s) and up the shadows and maybe add microcontrast to them. On rare occasions I make a local adjustment mask that follows the shape of an unusual subject to work on. Note that I don't add micro contrast to the whole image as I try to have blurred backgrounds and they look better with no (or negative) micro contrast. Then I adjust the saturation a little if needed, then a final re-adjust of contrast to look good. Then I decide what kind of crop to use, which is often square (I just like those) or unconstrained to frame the image as desired. I output that as 99% jpg (saving a little space). If I'm posting to CanonRumors, I output three 90% jpgs with 4.5K, 4K, and 3.5K pixels longest side and upload the largest version that CanonRumors allows.

While I have used ClearViewPlus in the past, I find that it can muck up the image and that I can usually do a much better job by doing the process (above) myself.

It really goes pretty quickly once you get the hang of it. Hope this helps. If you have any other suggestions, I'd love to hear them as I'm not an expert on using DPL and there's a lot more it can do that I haven't bothered to learn.


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## usern4cr (Dec 22, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Tuesday Dec. 22, 2020


"Up a _tree_, down a _tree_.
Full of _life_, full of _glee_.
When I _go_, birds do _flee!_
So I _rest_. There I'll _be_."




Canon R5 with RF 70-200mm f2.8L lens.
95mm, f2.8, 1/500", ISO 100


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## zim (Dec 22, 2020)

usern4cr said:


> Thanks, Zim!
> 
> I use DXO PhotoLab4. After I rank the images and delete those I don't want to keep, I assign a standard lens correction profile plus deep prime noise reduction to all of them. I then re-rank them to decide which ones to work further on and for them I make a duplicate to work on. For those, I adjust the overall exposure if it's needed. I always use daylight temp when I take the photo, so if the color cast is off (not often) I adjust it as needed. If there's unusual things needing fixing, like horizon or perspective(in the Elite version), I do that. Then I usually up the shadows if needed, and lower the highlights if needed. Usually the mid tones stay the same unless they need adjusting, too. Then I adjust the contrast as needed to make it look good to me. Then if there is a single point of interest (like Ollie's face) I use a single local adjustment circle, with the size of the full-ish power circle around the area of interest and increase the micro-contrast and sometimes up the shadows if that area is too dark. If the eyes are too dark, I add another local adjustment circle for the dark eye(s) and up the shadows and maybe add microcontrast to them. On rare occasions I make a local adjustment mask that follows the shape of an unusual subject to work on. Note that I don't add micro contrast to the whole image as I try to have blurred backgrounds and they look better with no (or negative) micro contrast. Then I adjust the saturation a little if needed, then a final re-adjust of contrast to look good. Then I decide what kind of crop to use, which is often square (I just like those) or unconstrained to frame the image as desired. I output that as 99% jpg (saving a little space). If I'm posting to CanonRumors, I output three 90% jpgs with 4.5K, 4K, and 3.5K pixels longest side and upload the largest version that CanonRumors allows.
> 
> ...


Wow wasn't expecting such a comprehensive reply, cheers! 
Your workflow isn't all that different from mine actually i also use PL4 and our global adjustments are the same. We differ in that I don't tend to spend much time doing local adjustments in DXO, tend to stick with globals (then batch) and do the local stuff in Affinity Photo. The only 'advice' I'd give is don't stop what you're doing I think you're getting lovely colour and just the right amount of sharpness, not over doing either. Really enjoying jolly Ollie's advent adventures!

All the best and have a happy and safe holidays


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## usern4cr (Dec 23, 2020)

zim said:


> Wow wasn't expecting such a comprehensive reply, cheers!
> Your workflow isn't all that different from mine actually i also use PL4 and our global adjustments are the same. We differ in that I don't tend to spend much time doing local adjustments in DXO, tend to stick with globals (then batch) and do the local stuff in Affinity Photo. The only 'advice' I'd give is don't stop what you're doing I think you're getting lovely colour and just the right amount of sharpness, not over doing either. Really enjoying jolly Ollie's advent adventures!
> 
> All the best and have a happy and safe holidays


Thanks again, Zim! I also have Affinity Photo, but tend to use it sparingly - after stitching a pano resulting in a huge file, or doing some detail work I don't know if PL4 can do (or how to do it if possible). I think AP is really great, reliable & affordable, but I just haven't had enough time to master it (and don't need it much, so I'm not forced to master it). I used to overdo the contrast & saturation a bit but I'm getting better at using just enough to look good but (hopefully) not "burning out" the image anymore. It's really amazing how much better PL4 can make an image from an R5 and especially from a M43 EM1_II (with less dynamic range & more noise), and all with a minimum of effort or expertise (well, for me at least!  )

I'm glad you like Ollie's adventures. I'm having fun making up rhymes (been a long time since I did that). 
All the best to you, too, and have a happy & safe holiday to you & your family.


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## usern4cr (Dec 23, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Wednesday Dec. 23, 2020


"The sun will rise, at _night will doze_.
Our Advent days are _soon to close_.
You gave to me your _sunny smile_.
I give to you my _portrait pose_."




Canon R5 with RF 70-200mm f2.8L lens.
135mm, f2.8, 1/1000", ISO 100


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## ethanz (Dec 23, 2020)

Does he always wear the vest? and what purpose is it for? 

Beautiful cat and pictures.


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## usern4cr (Dec 23, 2020)

ethanz said:


> Does he always wear the vest? and what purpose is it for?
> 
> Beautiful cat and pictures.


Thanks, ethanz, for your kind words.

We got Ollie the vest so that we could use a harness and keep him under control (from running away) when we first let him outside (to avoid being hit on our street mainly). On trips we use it so he doesn't run away, and even if off the leash when he wears it he behaves better and isn't as tempted to just run off exploring. Now we let him out at home without it most of the daytime, so he hardly ever wears it now. We also bought a "cat backpack" where we can put him in it and take hikes and then let him out to wander when we find nice spots to hang out. He got used to it quickly and likes to explore with us (like in the picture at Red River Gorge).


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## ethanz (Dec 23, 2020)

He certainly looks like a cat that would love to explore!


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## usern4cr (Dec 23, 2020)

ethanz said:


> He certainly looks like a cat that would love to explore!


Yes, he loves to explore! I've been having him go up trees as often as I could so that he could learn how to get down them (as well as up them) and also to be able to escape from dogs (or whatever) if he was being chased. We also take him in the car whenever we can so that he gets used to traveling in it, and he enjoys it and is usually looking around at everything as we drive. He's also very loving - we are really lucky to have him!


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## usern4cr (Dec 24, 2020)

Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar
Thursday Dec. 24, 2020


"Tis the night before Christmas.
Saint Nick is _in sight!
Merry Christmas_ to all,
and to all a _good night!_ "





(inspired by "Twas The Night Before Christmas")
Canon R5 with RF 85mm f1.2 lens.
85mm, f1.2, 1/125", ISO 1600


Merry Christmas, and I hope you enjoyed Ollie's Advent Calendar.


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## Click (Dec 24, 2020)

Very nice portrait. I love your cat. Thanks for the pictures.

Merry Christmas!


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## usern4cr (Dec 24, 2020)

Click said:


> Very nice portrait. I love your cat. Thanks for the pictures.
> 
> Merry Christmas!


Thanks, Click!

Merry Christmas to you, too!


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## ethanz (Dec 24, 2020)

Merry Christmas and God bless.

May I have your cat? So cute.


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## usern4cr (Dec 24, 2020)

ethanz said:


> Merry Christmas and God bless.
> 
> May I have your cat? So cute.


Ollie thanks you, ethanz (he says "Don't send Christmas cards, but tuna is accepted!") 
I've been very lucky to have him. After all, where would my photos be without my little cutie-pie?

God bless you, too, and stay safe!


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## zim (Dec 24, 2020)

That was great!

Happy Christmas Ollie and may all your wishes turn to tuna!


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## usern4cr (Dec 24, 2020)

zim said:


> That was great!
> 
> Happy Christmas Ollie and may all your wishes turn to tuna!


Thank you, Zim! We're glad you liked it!
Ollie is very happy, but as he goes outside today he's wondering what all this "ice-cold white stuff" is floating down?
Looks like "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas" is coming true here. 

Happy Christmas to you, too!


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## usern4cr (Dec 28, 2020)

Christmas-Snowflake Ollie!

It snowed for Christmas (a rare event here in Kentucky).
Ollie went out on our porch for the first time in snow, and after a couple minutes he quickly came back in!
But not before I could catch a photo of him coming in, with some pretty snowflakes hitching a ride on his head:




R5 & RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L lens.
123mm, f7.1, 1/125", ISO 100, 4961 pixel square uploaded as 4K square


I hope you all had a Merry Christmas,
and that you & your families are well!


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## zim (Jan 1, 2021)

Happy and safe new year Ollie! (And to your humans)


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## usern4cr (Jan 1, 2021)

zim said:


> Happy and safe new year Ollie! (And to your humans)


Thanks, Zim!
Ollie wishes you a happy & safe New Year as well, with plenty of tuna! (anything left over he's glad to take care of)  
And he says "Not to worry" about his humans, as he's "got them trained pretty well!"


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## dolina (Jan 11, 2021)

You live in a good place away from people.


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## usern4cr (Jan 11, 2021)

dolina said:


> You live in a good place away from people.


Well, Kentucky has it's charms as well as drawbacks. But it's not too crowded where I am, so that's a good thing!

What's it like where you are?


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## dolina (Jan 11, 2021)

usern4cr said:


> Well, Kentucky has it's charms as well as drawbacks. But it's not too crowded where I am, so that's a good thing!
> 
> What's it like where you are?


Manila's 111,002 people per square mile

Kentucky's 109.9 people per square mile



I have to drive 1-3 hours before I get to a botanical garden or a national park.


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## SteveC (Jan 12, 2021)

dolina said:


> Manila's 111,002 people per square mile
> 
> Kentucky's 109.9 people per square mile
> 
> ...



Kentucky's numbers are pulled up greatly by the cities it has.

Out in the countryside I'm sure it's a lot less than 109.9.

I know where I live it's probably less than 10 per square mile (but I am in rural Colorado). The state overall has 52.0 people per square mile, and that's WITH the Denver metropolitan area pulling the numbers up greatly (most of the people live in that city). 

EDIT: My county within Colorado is not really a good yardstick because it has a big city in it, but the two adjacent counties nearest to where I live have 2.1 people (not a typo) and 12.0 people per square mile.


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## dolina (Jan 12, 2021)

SteveC said:


> Kentucky's numbers are pulled up greatly by the cities it has.
> 
> Out in the countryside I'm sure it's a lot less than 109.9.
> 
> ...


Lucky you. If I lived in such a sparsely dense place I'd feel safe from COVID in the outdoors. Will probably wear a space helmet when entering places like Costco/Publix/Trader Joe

Least dense place here is 7,600/sq mi


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## SteveC (Jan 12, 2021)

dolina said:


> Lucky you. If I lived in such a sparsely dense place I'd feel safe from COVID in the outdoors. Will probably wear a space helmet when entering places like Costco/Publix/Trader Joe
> 
> Least dense place here is 7,600/sq mi



I actually live in a rural development...sixteen lots, each 40 acres/16 ha, per square mile (a square mile being roughly 2.56 square km.). With, therefore 16 houses per square mile (once it all gets built on) it's dense for rural but ridiculously empty by city standards.

[Yes it's true: With a mile = 1.6 km, a square km is an APS-C square mile.  ]


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## usern4cr (Jan 12, 2021)

SteveC said:


> Kentucky's numbers are pulled up greatly by the cities it has.
> 
> Out in the countryside I'm sure it's a lot less than 109.9.
> 
> ...


OK, this is the first time I ever looked this up. The population density in the small-to-mid size town I live in is 1,780 people per square mile. That's not counting the much larger county it's in which has less population.

Dolina, do you have a lot of hills or mountains in Manilla, or is it more flat-ish? I'm guess that there are lots of islands near you?

SteveC, are you in the mountainous west of the state, or the flat-ish east side? It's quite a beautiful state. I daresay your mountains are just a "tad" higher than ours!


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## SteveC (Jan 12, 2021)

usern4cr said:


> OK, this is the first time I ever looked this up. The population density in the small-to-mid size town I live in is 1,780 people per square mile. That's not counting the much larger county it's in which has less population.
> 
> Dolina, do you have a lot of hills or mountains in Manilla, or is it more flat-ish? I'm guess that there are lots of islands near you?
> 
> SteveC, are you in the mountainous west of the state, or the flat-ish east side? It's quite a beautiful state. I daresay your mountains are just a "tad" higher than ours!



You have mountains?  The highest point in the US east of the Mississippi barely reaches the bottom of my well. _And I'm not even in the mountains_.

I'm in the flat-ish area, but close to the Front Range--which is both the first string of, really foothills except for Pikes Peak, and also the name for the string of cities running just east of it from Pueblo up through Fort Collins.


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## usern4cr (Jan 12, 2021)

SteveC said:


> You have mountains?  The highest point in the US east of the Mississippi barely reaches the bottom of my well. _And I'm not even in the mountains_.
> 
> I'm in the flat-ish area, but close to the Front Range--which is both the first string of, really foothills except for Pikes Peak, and also the name for the string of cities running just east of it from Pueblo up through Fort Collins.


Fair enough! I once lived in Florida - I was the highest point in the state when I climbed up my step-ladder and raised my arms!


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## dolina (Jan 12, 2021)

usern4cr said:


> OK, this is the first time I ever looked this up. The population density in the small-to-mid size town I live in is 1,780 people per square mile. That's not counting the much larger county it's in which has less population.
> 
> Dolina, do you have a lot of hills or mountains in Manilla, or is it more flat-ish? I'm guess that there are lots of islands near you?
> 
> SteveC, are you in the mountainous west of the state, or the flat-ish east side? It's quite a beautiful state. I daresay your mountains are just a "tad" higher than ours!


In my part of Manila it's hilly. No where as flat as in Southwest Florida. North east from me is where Sierra Madre . Directly south of me is an active volcano. Directly east of me is an extinct volcano. We have more than 7,000 islands


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## SteveC (Jan 12, 2021)

dolina said:


> In my part of Manila it's hilly. No where as flat as in Southwest Florida. North east from me is where Sierra Madre . Directly south of me is an active volcano. Directly east of me is an extinct volcano. We have more than 7,000 islands



Yeah, your mountains go "kaboom" whereas the ones in Colorado don't.

On the other hand, we aren't that far away from Yellowstone...which really goes kaboom, when it wants to.


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## Del Paso (Jan 12, 2021)

usern4cr said:


> I'd like to post one photo of my new kitty, Ollie, with a (hopefully) funny caption for each day of this 2020 Advent season (Nov. 29 through Dec. 24) to make a "Jolly Ollie Advent Calendar". For those interested, I hope you like it and you are welcome to comment or post your own interesting photo and caption.
> 
> Around June we got Ollie from our friend Lori when he was 6 weeks old. At that time I was using my Olympus EM1_II and lenses to take the initial photos I'll post here. Later I got the Canon R5 and RF lenses which are used for most of the remaining days. All photos are handheld without flash. While I'm just an amateur photographer and no comedian, I'll do my best in hopes of making you laugh (or at least smile a little).  All comments/poems are mine, unless credited below.
> 
> ...


one of the best cat pictures I've ever seen !


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## usern4cr (Jan 12, 2021)

Del Paso said:


> one of the best cat pictures I've ever seen !


Why, thank you, Del Paso. That means a lot to me! We really miss those early days when he was sooo cute.


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## ethanz (Jan 12, 2021)

usern4cr said:


> We really miss those early days when he was sooo cute.



I won't tell him you said that now.


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## usern4cr (Jan 17, 2021)

(I thought my boxes were safe stacked high, up to the ceiling)

"OK, here's the deal:
*YOU* can have the _camera_,
but *I* get the _boxes!_ "




Canon RF 70-200mm f2.8L lens.
115mm, f5, 1/200", ISO 6400


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## Click (Jan 17, 2021)

LOL Nice shot!


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## usern4cr (Jan 17, 2021)

Click said:


> LOL Nice shot!


Thanks, Click!


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## zim (Jan 17, 2021)

usern4cr said:


> (I thought my boxes were safe stacked high, up to the ceiling)
> 
> "OK, here's the deal:
> *YOU* can have the _camera_,
> ...


My caption would have been...

"She thought you got them ALL on sale!"


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## Click (Jan 17, 2021)

Catnon lens.


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## usern4cr (Jan 18, 2021)

zim said:


> My caption would have been...
> 
> "She thought you got them ALL on sale!"


Oh, all the Canon gear didn't cost that much, ...
... I just had to _not_ buy a car for the next decade!


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## usern4cr (Jan 18, 2021)

Click said:


> Catnon lens.


Yes, maybe it should be "Catnon". After all, I hear Ollie is the star of a whole thread named after him!


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## usern4cr (Jan 23, 2021)

Most every morning, we enjoy reading the morning newspaper.
Most every morning, Ollie gets _"wrapped up"_ in it, too!




Canon R5 & RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L lens.
114mm, f4.5, 1/250", ISO 2500




Canon R5 & RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L lens.
186mm, f5, 1/250", ISO 3200


While the 70-200 f2.8 lens would have given a bigger background blur, the 100-500 lens was on the camera since I often try to take bird photos out our window. Since _"A photo taken beats a photo missed! "_, it's a great thing that this lens goes down to 100mm.


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## usern4cr (May 5, 2021)

I'm sorry to have to send this out.

Ollie had a wonderful day outside, playing with Dora, and later going for a ride with us in our mini-RV Odessa. Susanne and I, with Ollie & Dora, enjoyed our evening meal on our front deck.

Shortly after that Ollie suddenly ran across the street and into an oncoming car. Within a few minutes he died in my arms.

He's laid to rest at the bottom of our yard, near where Ozzie was laid to rest a little over a year ago. Ollie was the most loving and wonderful cat possible, along with Ozzie. We got Ollie when he was just 8 weeks old, and raised him with all the love and attention a kitten could hope for. In many ways I was the "mother" figure to him. While his time was short it was also the happiest a kitten could hope for. We will never forget either of them.

John


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## Click (May 5, 2021)

My heart aches to hear this news. I'm so sorry for your loss.


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## ethanz (May 5, 2021)

Sorry John. You at least have many beautiful pictures to remember him by.


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## usern4cr (May 5, 2021)

Click said:


> My heart aches to hear this news. I'm so sorry for your loss.





ethanz said:


> Sorry John. You at least have many beautiful pictures to remember him by.


Thank you. From the moment we got him, through every day, he was a part of me in particular.
Susanne is still crying, and I'm in shock. Part of me is gone.


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## 10-8-244 (May 5, 2021)

usern4cr said:


> Thank you. From the moment we got him, through every day, he was a part of me in particular.
> Susanne is still crying, and I'm in shock. Part of me is gone.


I'm so sorry to hear of your loss! I very much enjoyed your pictures. If 2020 wasn't bad enough we lost our baby Bonnie, a black and white cat I got on a call for service at a veterinarian clinic where someone had burglarized the business in 2006. She was so important to me. She suddenly became ill and died within two weeks. I buried her on our property and a part of me died that day as well.


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## usern4cr (May 5, 2021)

10-8-244 said:


> I'm so sorry to hear of your loss! I very much enjoyed your pictures. If 2020 wasn't bad enough we lost our baby Bonnie, a black and white cat I got on a call for service at a veterinarian clinic where someone had burglarized the business in 2006. She was so important to me. She suddenly became ill and died within two weeks. I buried her on our property and a part of me died that day as well.


Thank you. I'm sorry to hear of your loss, too. I know how it feels to have part of you gone. This is the 2nd time for such a tragic loss for us in a little over a year - first with Ozzie and now with Ollie. They were both the kind of loving cats that you rarely find, and are the hardest to lose.


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## AlanF (May 5, 2021)

usern4cr said:


> I'm sorry to have to send this out.
> 
> Ollie had a wonderful day outside, playing with Dora, and later going for a ride with us in our mini-RV Odessa. Susanne and I, with Ollie & Dora, enjoyed our evening meal on our front deck.
> 
> ...


So sorry to learn of your loss.


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## usern4cr (May 5, 2021)

AlanF said:


> So sorry to learn of your loss.


Thank you, Alan. Ollie bonded closest with me, kind of like his Mommy and play buddy all in one, while being loving to Susanne and anyone around him. We were his life from 8 weeks on and we all had such a wonderful year together. We'll always remember how happy that year was.


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## Valvebounce (May 12, 2021)

Hi John. 
So sorry for your loss, we have these friends for such a short time anyway, to lose him so early is tragic. The good thing is time leaves us with the happy memories and softens the pain.

Best wishes, Graham.


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## usern4cr (May 12, 2021)

Valvebounce said:


> Hi John.
> So sorry for your loss, we have these friends for such a short time anyway, to lose him so early is tragic. The good thing is time leaves us with the happy memories and softens the pain.
> 
> Best wishes, Graham.


Thanks, Graham.

Yes, our pets are with us for a short time, relative to our own time. The memories were so wonderful, and I'm happy for all the fun & love Ollie had while he was here, and the same for us. 

We've decided to enclose our backyard with a 6 ft high black chainlink fence that our (hopefully) future new kitties can't climb, so they can safely enjoy our trees and each other and chase the birds I like to photograph. We'll still take them for walks in the country, or on a leash if along streets.


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