Thought we were done with Winter?
There is still a risk of overnight frost but that is not where I found these formations.
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Like our new draining rack, our freezer must be properly stacked, otherwise – frost.
Which I can never resist photographing.
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“Spring, missus? Is so cold my dose is dwipping.”
It is still handy to have a heater under my desk, but I am savouring these last fresh days before the onset of hot weather.
As I was writing, I glanced up and was startled to see a large, dark brown shape streak across the grass. I thought it was a dog but there are none nearby. Perhaps it was the bear. I got up to look and soon the shape reappeared tearing back in the opposite direction.
Running outside, I called to Grant: “There’s a dog!”
A dog running around up here is obviously lost. In the brief glimpse I got, I thought it was a great-Dane, that size anyway and I noted a collar, but it disappeared past the garage before I could even call out to it and who knows if it would respond to a stranger. For the rest of the day, I’ll be looking out for it. Dogs often need help getting home.
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Last night was one of those. It was not helped by Grant suddenly launching a 2 am search for a missing pussycat. Dee Dee always spends the night with him, however she first goes mousing, so her absence at bedtime is not significant. But when Grant reached out to pet her at 2 o’clock and discovered she was not there, he shot out of bed, alarmed.
Cats have a genius for hiding. I think they actually make themselves invisible. You drive yourself mad checking every possible corner, concluding that the little monster must have got out. Then the missing beast saunters in casually: “Looking for me?”
Grant decided that Dee Dee must have rushed past him when he went out just before dark to bring his seedlings in, so he was calling out forlornly into the night, but that cat is utterly devoted to her man. If she didn’t come when he called, it was because she couldn’t.
It was the obvious place, but somehow Grant hadn’t checked. I opened the door to the spare room where the seedlings are kept at night and out she shot. Most cats would protest at being shut in. Not Dee Dee. She likely knew it was a mistake. Her silence was comment enough.
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We returned to our beds, but it was one of Lily’s talkative nights.
Cats keep you up at night then sleep soundly all day. It isn’t right!
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It was one of Blackie’s needier nights.
Which means she snuggled in very close. Nose to nose.
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Willow has once again abandoned trying to claim a space on my bed, settling instead for a less contested chair or a box by a heater.
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Little Man takes power naps between mousing activities. This morning I had two corpses to offer the crows.
As I understand it, parents sometimes like to take vacations alone, leaving the children in the care of doting grandparents or paid sitters.
Sometimes, I feel the same, but the truth is, I hate being away from the little darlings.
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Great close-up shots of the babies!
I would never have been able to settle on a holiday without Ollie. That’s why we never went abroad when we had him, and why we went somewhere dog-friendly on holiday in England every year for 12 years. So I completely understand why there are no vacations for you.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thank you, Carolyn, for the update on the activities in catland. I never took a vacation when my children were at home, and because I cared for my wildlife in the garden. As always, the photos are excellent!
Joanna