“Did you say you wanted to go to Walgreen’s?”
“Um…maybe…”
Actually, I had gone off the idea, but I thought if we went in that direction, we could return via ….
…the pussycats.
Yesterday being one of those brilliant days, all the more lovely in that it was book-ended by grey wet gloom, we went off for a scenic drive.
In truth it was an expedition to a chocolate shop!
The route took us along a not-yet-discovered section of road.
Suddenly, as we passed a big red barn:
“OH! Pussycats! Dozens of them!”
“Where?”
We had to do a U-turn and come back. But now the owner was there and stopping would have been awkward, so the photographs aren’t much.
There must have been a dozen at least, all enjoying the sun in the open barn door and in every window.
It was 10 am, so I noted the time and this morning I thought we could go take another look.
Except, as I mentioned, gloom, wet. No cats basking…
But we’ll be back.
As a result of this slight diversion from our route home, we took a different road.
Thinking of getting cat photos only, I had brought just my little camera which is in need of a new battery. The charge soon gave out.
Not before I got more railroad tracks.
We seem, these days, to be forever crossing tracks.
How neat would it be to walk along them?
In some places unused railroad corridors have been converted for cyclists. Not that this would help me.
Grant is a keen cyclist. Perhaps I could acquire a cyclo-pousse such as they had in SE Asia.
I would sit and he would peddle.
The new road took us through previously undiscovered countryside.
We will return on a fine day, with a fully charged camera.
.
Facing east, as we do, we don’t often witness sunset.
So last night was a treat.
Everything turned pink.
.
Not too many hours later
Pink petered out fast.
Dawn became a more or less black and white affair.
Toby had not come to pull my hair this morning.
Not a reason for concern.
The right to change behaviour abruptly and completely is the First Law of the Cat Constitution.
Withhold the right at your own peril.
Getting their breakfast, I asked Grant if Toby was downstairs.
Nope. Not there.
Time to search.
“You shut me in!” he wailed as I opened the spare-room door.
“Well how did you get in there?”
We close the door at night. Part of Grant’s heat management plan, which I confess to not fully comprehend.
We are having trouble with our power supply at that end of the house. Radiators get turned on and off. Mercifully, Toby had his radiator on, not that he would have perished as it was not too cold last night. Still, he is an elderly gentleman and deprived of his warm bed.
Poor boy.
If it was one of the girls they would have complained loudly and battered at the door.
But Toby is a stoic sort of cat.
So he sat on the table and waited patiently.
Glad to say that he seems to have recovered from his recent malaise.
As I mentioned, we took a trip to a chocolate shop.
We had discovered it years ago when I went to Arlington, VT to get a picture framed. The Chocolate Shop is next door.
Grant is a serious chocoholic.
He knew I was assembling an assortment of items to go in a Christmas box for the nice people at our veterinarian’s clinic.
We should go to Vermont!
It sounded like a fine idea.
We set off, passing the Airport. Note the sign.
People think winter is drab. I do not find it so.
Nights are long and dark and some days are grey.
But there are many fine days and it is possible to appreciate trees in a whole different way.
Their naked form can be so dramatic.
How pretty is the sunlight through bare branches?
One of my favourite drives, along the Battenkill River.
Arriving in Arlington, VT.
Across the street from the chocolate shop, a babbling brook.
Any self-respecting chocolate shop sells teddies too!
And other creatures.
Grant was drooling over chocolate and urging me to buy some chocolate covered pretzels which he assured me everyone loves.
But I thought this little moose was much sweeter than chocolate.
And somehow it ended up coming home with me.
My real confession though, is that there were two of these little moose toys and as I picked one up, I said “but now the other one is alone!”
The temptation was to take them both, such is my separation anxiety.
But I was able to persuade myself that these are toys and any anxiety I felt was a matter of my mind attempting to hijack my common sense.
Today’s WordPress request: List five things you’re good at.
No.
Thank you, Carolyn, for the mish-mash of things. No picture of chocolate shop,
Joanna
Repeat after me – I must not offer to take on all those extra cats. I must not offer to take on all those extra cats……..!
I’m looking at that ‘cyclo-pousse’ and thinking by myself: Imagine how many photos you can take while Grant is doing all the hard work! Lovely roads once again (and can’t believe you have not seen some of these roads before)! Poor Toby – maybe he should get the cute little moose 😉. And no chocolates … made me think of our own little trip yesterday. We went to a home shop (you know, where you buy stuff for your home) – I wanted to buy a guest towel (my mom will visit us soon) and as I was standing in the queue, Berto wandered off. Only to return with a container of chocolate coated biscuits. I said: “In a home shop of all places” … he just can’t resist a chocolate/sweetie!
A man who loves chocolate can always zero in on it like a homing beacon!
😄
Could you not have spoken to the people with the barn cats and asked to go and see them?
Seeing the cyclo made me think of this film. Worth-watching, if you can find it over there.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112767/?ref_=tt_urv
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112767/reviews
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks for that link. I’ll try to find it. The cats all sitting around in the sun was such a pretty, natural sort of picture. It would have seemed a shame somehow to disturb it and the truth is we sort of mind our own business.