Still trying...
Three tails
Am still trying to be really nice to my dogs and my cats. Going for lots of walks, giving lots of cuddles, having interesting philosophical conversations, being a good furry role model, and so on.
Also providing a variety of good food treats, having clean water always available (for drinking and for cooling off from the summer sun), offering soft cushions and beds on which to snooze, a lovely garden in which to romp, trees to climb...
Oops...
Oops. Made a bad start this morning by bopping Red Fred sharply on the nose for taking a paw-swipe at Lilli-Puss. Then felt guilty for hours. Lilli-Puss is usually the bad-tempered cat, so this was pretty unfair of me.
But the dogs and I (accompanied by Black Fred) went for three orchard walks in the hot sun. Surely this balances out a nose-bop?
Hurry up Mother!
Actually, I have a huge, stinky bone to pick (ha ha) with one of the Freds. It concerns my 2000 piece Christmas jigsaw of tourists in Venice. Have spent many happy hours (OK, hours that probably should have been spent in the garden) working on it. Well, I found it this morning in pieces, scattered all over the floor, totally wrecked, with suspicious bite and chew marks. One of the Freds has obviously had an overnight battle with the jigsaw monster. Aargh! It will take me ages to repair the damage. Are jigsaws really worth it?
Speckles the Stray
Speckles the Stray...
But some more positive cat news : the food I've been putting outside the cottage in the night is being eaten by Speckles the stray. Last night I opened the door and there he was. I said hello to him. He chirped back at me. Awwww... I am so happy. Haven't sighted him for about a week.
Later, mid-afternoon...
Had the grooviest time this morning singing Palestrina. Came home, launched self into the garden to dig out more Campion etc. from the Hump Rose Garden. And dead-head the roses. Oh boy. It's sooooooo hot, humid even, and after only two hours I have a dripping red face.
Having a drink and a think...
Am inside having a cool drink and a think - about Christmas (mainly food, oops), about my piano pieces that I've been neglecting, my strawberries (which are hopeless), and the Christmas jigsaw (two week's work ruined by that scoundrel Fred).
Too Hot to Play Cricket...
I'm also thinking about Speckles the cat, and smiling. Silly how a stray cat can bring so much joy. As do all my other cats, of course, but they're much more predictable (except for the valiant jigsaw warrior - I didn't see that coming). Right. One more session, as close to two hours as I can manage, lots of digging and dumping, and please - try not to lose any hand tools.
Two hours later...
Yeay! I did it. Rewarded by the appearance of Speckles on the cottage verandah. He sat with me and I fed him by hand. Such a pretty cat.