I know I've been a tad bit consumed with the new little one in my life, and who wouldn't be, him being so adorable and all. But we have another little one that we've tried hard not to forget about. Our Vader girl.

An introduction if you haven't ever met her. She's a cat.

She's all black. She has long hair and likes to spend all day lying in the sun (when it's out). She was a stray that Brian had since kittenhood and had no problem accepting me into the household, probably because I could pet her and give her food. She was, Brian tells me, nameless for a while, but was always fiercely protective of her house, yard, etc. One day a goat came to stay in the backyard next door. Vader approached said goat, decided she didn't like it, swiped its nose, and drew blood. She was named that day, in honor of Brian's favorite villain. She consistently runs off all other cats from our property, along with any dog that is equal to her size or smaller. We have received presents of dead birds, a shrew, and a rat at our house. Her food used to be kept on the back patio until one day Brian heard noises, looked out the back window, and found three raccoons eating her food. Vader was less than a foot away from them, hissing and ready to take on three full-grown raccoons. Needless to say, her food has been inside since then. We love her courage, worry about her safety, and brag about her to everyone. She is our defender and our entertainment.

Since we brought home our little man, she has shown a few signs of neglect and jealousy, but overall is weathering the transition quite well. This post is in celebration of her and her curiosities. One thing about our Vader is that she never stops exploring and never settles into a routine. Of course, once she picks a spot, she'll stay there for ten hours, hardly budging an inch. Over the past few months, I decided to document some of the many spots I found her sleeping in. Any indoor pictures are from last winter (she's outdoor-only during flea season).

Here's a nice shady spot behind a bush, a favorite on sunny days.

She also likes this spot...

and this one....

One day, I found this view...

Here's a better look.

She's been staying in the garage more, now that it's raining. Evidently, she couldn't find a better spot to sleep than this...

Oh wait, dirty work pants! Perfect!

A clean table! Half on and half off sounds good.

A spot just my size.

If I can't be ON the mattress, I'll lie next to it. But not long enough to get a picture taken.

Stinky shoes, outta my way. I claim this chair.

One of the best spots of all.

And the other favorite:


She doesn't mind being tucked in.

We love you, Vader.