Four Kitties and a loving Brother Roger

Recently I added more newer photos  from this last couple weeks, at the bottom of this older post from last year.  The new images show showing my brother cruising us around in his 4wheeler… when a month ago he could hardly get out of bed.  Hurray!

Originally posted portion below from  May 26, 2013:
I love to go visit my brother Roger and his family in The peaceful friendly little mountain town of Trout Lake, Washington. I am always greeted with love and affection from the moment I step on the front porch. These four cats have grown up in this sometimes harsh outdoor environment with extreme heat and cold, and have thrived. Growing up sleeping together in one soft little bed on top of the wood box they’re always wrapping around each other like a continuous dance. I love to bury my face and arms into the pile trying to pet every one of them and receiving love in return. They are a challenge however to get a good picture of, because they’re always moving and so curious, and because the light is not so good under the covered porch. I was thrilled to finally get this picture. I had posted it on Facebook and we had a good laugh as each person in the family claimed those are their kitties. Through winter storms with snow sometimes 10 feet deep, through summer heat with temps up to 104 F, these cats have become the healthiest cats I know.

My brother Roger Black is a kind and loving man, treating others with compassion and humor mingled with a love of others he no doubt learned from our Mother and Father. About 11 years ago he had almost died from a heart fibrillation, alongside the road while driving. His loving daughter Sarah was able to get the car stopped, call 911, and then pull him out of the car onto the road where passersby helped her do CPR until the paramedics got there 15 minutes later. They thought he would possibly be a vegetable after that but because of the CPR he pulled through and surprised them all. If you ask him how old he is he will tell you 11 years old! He has enjoyed his new lease on life and along with it his grandchildren.

Roger and his kitties are survivors full of love and appreciation for life. I learned from them things like being grateful for the moment, being grateful for a roof over my head and food to eat and those who love me. I am grateful to those who believe in my talent, and my brother Roger is one of my biggest supporters And encouragers. He carried me on his shoulders when I was two and he was 18. He carries me through hard times now when he is 70 and I am 55. In spite of ongoing CLL Cancer, COPD and other problems, Roger keeps on ticking (with a defibrillator in his chest) and always has an encouraging word for others. He has great love for his wife Connie, his houseful of kids and grandkids (daughter Sarah, her husband Mark and son Aidan; a grown grandson Bugsy), as well as his daughter Carmen and her big family in Goldendale.
And still he always has lots of loving pets for the four beautiful Kitties on the porch
In this old family photo Roger is in the middle in the back row. I am the baby on Mom’s lap
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And this is Roger today

UPDATE September 2014

Roger (wearing his oxygen MOST of the time)  took me on a drive in his 4 wheeler,  Montero Gold, recently and we had a good ol time looking for fall colors up around Goose Lake, Forlorn Lakes, and down some wild road I never could have taken my truck on.  This is him on that day, at the Ice Caves.

The next few images are from a 4 wheeling trip in the hills near Trout Lake…