The Valley

This is another in a long line of Dave's outdoors-themed napping strategies, The Valley. It makes for a very small valley, but if you look at how the two pillows are oriented, they make a perfect valley for Dave to nap in. He looks like a giant cat the size of a mountain, but that isn't far from reality anyway. This isn't the kind of position that Dave can employ at any time he chooses, like RocketDave or The Conch. Rather, it is dependent on opportunity.  If he sees an opportunity, he will seize it, but it is unfortunately rare that Dave is presented with such an opportunity. The terrain has to be ready for him to adopt this pose, much like it must be for The Crevasse. He can't just force it any time he wants. That's where patience becomes a useful trait for an artist like Dave. All the great artists in history have had patience. Da Vinci, Picasso, Monet, McCartney, Schwarzennegger, Rodman, Dave. What do these artists all have in common? Patience.

The Conch, Volume IV

You might think this photo is a repeat, but it is not. Dave just really enjoys this pose. While he is always on the lookout for newer and better napping techniques, he also subscribes to the idea that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." He tries to strike a balance between staying in his comfort zone and taking chances on new ideas. That's why you might often see Dave doing the exact same thing several times. It's not that he is uncreative or lazy, he just wants to enjoy the fruits of his labor. All that work developing new techniques has to pay off some time. This is that time.

The Conch, Volume III

Over the years, Dave has developed several variations of The Conch technique. Sometimes he curls up without much assistance. Sometimes he uses surrounding objects to better position himself. Here, you can see one of his favorite Conch strategies: using the fold of the couch. This strategy allows Dave to fold his big-boned frame into a semi-circle. You might question Dave for striking this pose, thinking that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense that Dave would find this position comfortable, but he clearly does. Furthermore, you should not question Dave's genius. Clearly he is comfortable. 

CSI: Dave, Volume VI

As you might remember, Dave really gets stimulated when things are happening around him. Here you can see a picture of Dave when he recently had some unexpected visitors. Dave really enjoys unexpected visitors, which, as you might also remember, is most of the time that he has visitors. One thing Dave does when he has visitors is put his detective cap on. We're speaking figuratively here, because Dave doesn't have any caps, but he figuratively puts his detective cap on and investigates who the visitor is, why they have entered his home, and what, if any, danger they present. Being a good defender of the home requires constant vigilance if you ask Dave. That's why he investigates every visitor thoroughly. He even used to include an investigation of whether visitors had brought any food, but he has sadly learned that visitors rarely bring him food, so he doesn't investigate this any more. After all, he doesn't want to get his hopes up. 

Dave Taking It Easy

Dave is such a creative napper that sometimes you can't even describe his techniques. Take the example below. With a few small modifications, this could easily become a RocketDave, but it isn't really a RocketDave as currently situated. You would really have to force it to put this under the umbrella of RocketDave or something else like The Plateau. So this is just a Dave, getting ready for a good nap. No shame in that.

Dave likes bedtime.

RocketDave, Volume III

This RocketDave is on top of the couch. Dave likes to keep things interesting by employing the same napping strategies in a variety of locations throughout his abode. Sometimes, that makes his napping positions look a little different. In this case, it has made RocketDave look a little silly. He is on top of both a pillow and a blanket, which were well-placed on top of the couch for Dave to lie on. Dave likes to make the most of every opportunity, such as this one. It's not every day that he'll find a pillow and a blanket on top of the couch. If he had let this opportunity pass, he may have never had another chance to be the RocketDave you see here.

RocketDave! She packed my bags last night, pre-flight!

RocketDave, Volume II

This RocketDave is not quite ready for liftoff, because in this instance Dave took the form of a rocket while draped over a pile of blanket and pillow. This definitely still qualifies as a RocketDave though, although it could easily be mistaken for a TobogganDave. You might think Dave is getting a little sloppy when you look at this pose, but a keen Dave observer knows that Dave's goal is comfort. It might not look like the perfect RocketDave, but it sure does look comfortable.

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time ‘til touch down brings me round again to find!

RocketDave

Dave's great girth causes Dave to find comfort in ways that other cats don't understand. Normal cat poses often don't work for Dave, and Dave's poses often don't work for other cats. One such Dave pose is RocketDave. This is a pose that Dave will employ anytime, anywhere. He just stretches his arms in front of his head as if he is preparing to launch like a rocket or a bobsled.

RocketDave! Burning out his fuse up here alone.

CSI: Dave, Volume V

Dave really gets stimulated whenever something is changing. Recently, his cat-tree was being disassembled and reassembled, for reasons unknown to Dave. Dave, always the investigator, ventured forth to see what he could ascertain about the situation. While Dave's investigative skills are superb, he never quite figured out what was going on. Within about 15-20 minutes, the cat-tree had been completely reassembled. The only difference Dave could detect was a slight tilt of the tree that hadn't existed before. 

Dave will be continuing his investigation until all the facts are clear.

Happy New Year, from Dave

Dave is starting off 2014 with a bang, the only way he knows how, with naps. He encourages you to join him. Naye! He demands that you join him in enjoying as many naps as possible today. Nothing beats a good nap on New Year's Day. Dave will also be making time to eat food, and look out the window pondering his existence, the passage of time, and the meaning of life.