We lost our Pollinator Partner today.

Xena the Warrior Princess, a 16-year-old tuxedo cat that we rescued from the pound, crossed the Rainbow Bridge today in a local veterinarian's office. We had her 16 years, or if cats have staff, we were her staff for 16 years. She allowed us to feed her, pet her, and love her.

A black outline of a butterfly adorned her left hind leg, the mark of a pollinator partner. She followed me from blossom to blossom as I captured images of bees, butterflies, dragonflies, sweat bees, spiders, praying mantids and every other little critter imaginable in our pollinator garden. She'd sit beneath my garden chair, just glad to be there, just glad to be alive.

Xena never hurt a pollinator, although we can't say the same for rats and mice in the neighborhood. She never chased or batted the pollinators, either, although we can't say the same for the dogs she encountered. She would look at a honey bee and let it be. She would look at a butterfly and watch it flutter away.  She stared at dragonflies staring at her.

That's what a Pollinator Partner does.

Xena the Warrior Princess was part warrior and part princess: a cunning predator and a purring princess. A predator that would delight in showing us her trophies, and a princess that loved to snuggle.

Then on Leap Year Day, Feb. 29, 2016, Xena the Warrior Princess suffered a debilitating stroke. Sixteen short years, and she's gone. She didn't want to go and we didn't want her to leave.

Rest in peace, Pollinator Partner.