Cat Games

I never cease to be amazed at the ingenuity of cats and their ability to amuse themselves in new and different ways.  It doesn't take much.  For instance, Ralph enjoys the tear strips from bags and Celeste will play for the longest time with her little piece of blue fluff.  I don't know if it's one or both, but the cats have started using the bathroom throw rugs as skateboards or sleds.  I've not seen them, but from the places I am finding the rugs lately I imagine they get a running start and use the rugs to slide across the room.  Whee!!

Dogs are less imaginative on their own.  They like to play tug-o-war with a buddy and fetch or catch with their human, but left to their own devices, they seem to prefer to lie down and nap.  It takes all kinds, and I can't imagine being without both.

I am easily trained, and Missy is doing her best.  The past couple of mornings she has been waiting by her bowl.  The routine goes like this:  I get Inga, who hasn't needed a rope, out and up onto the feed stand, then go back and put down breakfast for Missy.  "Right here, lady, put the food right here."  Yesterday Inga evidently had caught a whiff of cat and spooked.  She couldn't make up her mind if it was safe to go in the little room.  I don't mind waiting her out (it doesn't take much to scare Inga), but Missy evidently got irritated by the delay and came out to see what was what.  That sent Inga into a tizzy and she ran off and never did get her cereal.  I guess from now on Missy will get fed first so Inga doesn't see her.  Why do I think that was Missy's plan in the first place?

Comes A Time

Thoroughly inculcated by Depression Era parents with the mantra, "Use it up, wear it out, make do," it's a habit that is hard to break.  I realized some time ago that my favorite quilted flannel jacket was getting raggedy around the cuffs, there were a few holes here and there, and more than a couple of buttons were missing, but it was still serviceable (no, really).  It was like reaching for an old friend each chilly morning and in cold weather I have worn it day and night.  Let's face it, I'm a little ragged around the edges, too, and who am I to judge?  There comes a time, however, and yesterday when a big tear in the sleeve happened just because I was reaching for the feed bucket, I knew it was time to retire Jacket.  I felt like I should hum Taps as I stuffed it into the trash bin.  I had to do it right away; to hesitate would be my defeat.  It's hard to let go.  Sigh.

There is a jacket in training, a blue one.  It's been held in reserve as my go-to-town jacket and it's missing only a few buttons.  It's been called to duty as my everyday barn coat now.  We don't have a relationship yet, but that will come in time.

It, it appears, is intent on building a condo under the shed.  In addition to the hole in front, I noticed he's started construction on another pit to the side of the porch, possibly a granny flat for the in-laws.  I don't need one It moving in, let alone a whole extended family.  It's time to empty the litter box and put a stop to this right now.

Enough!

Contrary to popular opinion, I am not running a home for wayward or homeless animals here.  How is the word being spread and who is spreading it?  "Go to Farview Farm and make yourself at home."  I have no idea what creature decided to move in and is making a burrow under the "porch" to the second shed, but it's too big to be a ground squirrel.  Those guys never pile up the dirt  in a mound like this, anyhow.  I haven't caught sight of whatever it is, but I've had enough and it's time for It to move on!

We've passed through a cold snap and temps up to 70 are predicted for this week.  That sounds lovely, but we definitely need more rain and snow if we're not headed for another drought year.  Depending on which coast, it's either feast or famine with the weather.

What A Way...

What a way to start the day!  The window behind the computer screen looks out to the southeast, directly where the sun rises, so I get a preview of coming attractions.  Not to be outdone by sunset of the night before, East put on a spectacular light show of her own in the morning.

Missy was in her room again.  I don't really want to get too close to her; I know me.  If she let me pick her up or even pet her, the next thing would be to bring her in the house and add her to the menagerie, and Missy is a cat with a job.  That being said, she thought about running away when I opened the stall door, but decided to stick around when I shook the can with her breakfast.  While I don't want to make her a pet, I do like it that I've earned her trust.

What a way to spend the day!  Pete had invited me to his house and I accepted.  He took me to an upscale Japanese restaurant, promising me sushi.  I love Japanese food, and it's been years and years since I've indulged.  Holy moly, he ordered a lot more than two kinds of sushi!  I don't know the name, but there were decadent crisp packets stuffed (and I mean stuffed!) with creamy crab, gyoza, and succulent, buttery ahi sashimi.  I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.  It was a leisurely meal and we had time for real conversation.  Back at his place, he proudly showed me his new television.  I thought his "old" one was big; his new acquisition is huge!  With his state-of-the-art sound system, it was like sitting in a theater.  Color and clarity were astounding, and Planet Earth II showed to the best possible advantage.  It was with great reluctance that I had to tear myself away after such good company and a great day.

West put in a weak bid last evening, but couldn't really compete with East yesterday.  E for Effort, but no cigar.

I realized I hadn't seen Waldo in days and looked in the wastebasket.  There he was.  Celeste is crooning to him as she walks the halls.

All's right in my world.  What a day!

Crescendo

If yesterday was a piece of music, everything that happened during the day was a prelude to this fabulous crescendo at the finale.

Bessie's eyesight isn't quite as bad as her hearing, and she caught sight of Missy crossing the pasture while I was in the barn in the morning.  Intruder!!  Between the cat in the pen and the dog sounding the alarm, the goats were spooked and feeding did not go as well as could be hoped.  Bess and I walk back up to the house together after chores.  If she finds something interesting on the way, she comes to the door and asks to be let in a few minutes after I go in.  I got busy with one thing and another so it was awhile before I realized she hadn't come to the house.  That pushed my worry button.  Bessie Anne is getting up there in dog years, approaching fifteen, and this break in routine scared me.  I went out to look for her, afraid of what I might find.  My goofy girl was at the fence line, keeping an eye on the strange cat.  It was cold out there, so Bess took my word that we would be safe and decided to come home.  I don't need this kind of drama.  Whew.

My friend Arden was coming for a visit in the afternoon, so I dusted (no, really!), did some other prep stuff, and pretty much kept on the move all day.  Arden arrived bearing chip and dip and we munched while having a nice chat, talking of "shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings."  We walked out together as she was leaving (those are her taillights on the left) and we stood in awe for a moment at the blazing sky.  She drove off and I put the girls to bed.  The music died down and day was done.  It was a good day.

Catnapping

If abducting a person is kidnapping, I guess taking a cat is catnapping and I'm guilty without intent.  At any rate, Missy seems to have settled in to "her" room.  I did take the cat bed down to the barn.  It's not large, but neither is she, and it has a semi-covered section, perfect for a drafty building.  When I went down yesterday, Missy was snuggled down and comfy, so much so that she just looked up at me and wasn't willing to get out of bed simply because I showed up.  Hey, I'm happy she's happy.

The predicted snow passed us by.  I'd actually hoped for a flurry or two; it never lasts long and is so lovely over the fields and trees and I didn't have to go anywhere.  It wasn't that we were having a heat wave because it was bloody cold all day.  Stove did his best to keep up, but it was hard work.  I learned my lesson and gave him an early start again today.  I'm drinking a lot more hot chocolate these days.  Holding a hot cup is one way to thaw out frozen fingers after chores.

The house critters and I are guilty of catnapping in the more traditional sense.  Wrapped in an afghan with a couple of cats on my lap, getting warm and sleepy come at about the same time.  I'm not on any timetable, so I nap whenever without apology.  The cats and Bess Anne fall asleep if they close their eyes for two seconds.  They may dream of many things, but apologizing is not one of them.

Luck Of The Draw

It was a cold, cold morning and I stopped on my way to the barn to pick up that bed for Missy.  She was out hunting in the pasture and I imagine the breakfast I put down for her was welcome, too.  The girls double-timed it through their cereal and were out in the weak sunshine in no time.  I was wrong about Stove not needing me; who else would feed him and baby him along?  Another couple of loads of wood to the porch were in order to keep him satisfied.

Having put so much into the freezer, it seemed prudent to take something out.  I'm very good about putting a date on a bag, but I need more discipline about putting a label on food.  Rummaging around, there was a lot of, "Hmmm, I wonder what that is."  Pork chops and hamburger are readily identifiable, but there were a lot of unknowns in there.  I was hoping to find some split pea soup or maybe some stew, but settled for a bag of some purply stuff and hoped for the best.  It turned out to be borscht!  Talk about the luck of the draw on a wintery night.

The phone rang well after dark.  Nobody calls me at night.  It was my oncologist with the results of that CT/PET scan done a few weeks ago.  I wasn't going to get my knickers in a twist until I heard one way or the other, because...well, just because.  I will admit, however, to relief when she said that almost two years after surgery, there was absolutely no sign of cancer.  Hey, when Lady Luck is with you, you're on a roll.

The rain held off all day then poured all night.  There is no sign of snow yet this morning, but Bess Anne sure didn't dawdle on her outing.  I've already fed Stove his appetizer to get him going.  It will be nice to come back to a warm house after chores.

It was a good day.