When Kieran was new to the U of A, months before his meteoric rise to weblog superstar, he made a comment to me in the hallway one afternoon: “I see you have a ‘web-log.’ I’ve thought about one of those. But what would I do with it? I sure wouldn’t post photos of my cat!” True to his word, he has, as far as I know, restrained from posting cat photos. Kevin Drum, on the other hand, brings us a regular feature known at Friday Cat Blogging. I note that the presence of cats—or lack thereof—does not seem to have hurt either of their images in the blogosphere.

Not having a cat, I am restricted to Dog Blogging, which, while occasionally enjoyable, is perhaps less amenable to narration than Cat Blogging. “These are my dogs. They’re in a truck,” I might say. Perhaps the knowledge that cats just might cut you in your sleep makes us more likely to give them complicated back stories. I just don’t know.

At any rate, I am very happy to finally participate in Friday Cat Blogging. No, I don’t have a cat. But Heather has been doing field work lately, and two weeks ago, in the middle of abso-freakin-lutely nowhere, came upon a cat eating his lunch at a state park picnic table. It is now my pleasure to give you Frijole Negro (click image for full-size version):

Note please the bejeweled collar and matching turquoise spoon. “Frijole Negro does not eat from his dish!” says his owner, whom Heather noted wore a matching cowboy hat.

“Doesn’t he hate wearing that hat?” Said Heather.

And in a heavy Texas accent, “Well, he haisn’t never known any diff’rent!” said the women.

“Do you mind if I take a picture?” Asked my wife.

Ride on, Frijole Negro. Ride on.