New Year's Honours for 2013
Lucky Recipients for 2013
Each year I give out my own honours for services to the Moosey Garden. And each year the awards are somewhat predictable - Non-Gardening Partner is usually made a Companion of the Order of Merit, and so on. Enough! This year it's knighthoods and damehoods. If it's good enough for the government of my country (New Zealand) then it's good enough for me.
Such high honours are serious things to bestow, and can only be given to extremely distinguished people (or cats and dogs). And you can't have too many 'Sirs' or 'Dames' in one family - it cheapens a title if it's given out willy-nilly.
For the Moosey New Year's Honours of 2013 I wanted to focus on maturity and long, faithful service to the Moosey Garden. But I also had to be mindful of the gender balance. Sorry about this, Rusty the dog, because I've decided to only grant two knighthoods this year, and they are both awarded to cats. Oops...
Sir Fluff-Fluff
Fluff-Fluff is the oldest of the male cats at Mooseys. He is also the bulkiest and the heaviest, although these characteristics are intrinsically unhealthy and cannot be taken into consideration. His devotion to gardening, however, is extreme. He faithfully follows the Head gardener for hours at a time. His concentration never wavers, and he never gets bored and wanders off.
Sir Fluff-Fluff
Being a pale ginger-caramel colour, Sir Fluff-Fluff is extremely decorative in a foliage garden setting. He understands he must hold that pose while the gardener rushes inside for her camera.
Fluff-Fluff Relaxing
Dame Tiger
Tiger the tortoiseshell is the senior cat at Mooseys, and she's a girl-cat. These are two fairly lightweight reasons to be on the New Years Honours list, I guess, but it didn't seem fair to elevate any of the other younger female felines. And the title does suit her rather waddling, languid style.
Dame Tiger
Congratulations, Dame Tiger, and I hope your in-house behavior will now measure up to your new status. Dames do not break into the pantry to eat the dog biscuits, and they certainly do not piddle on the bag of potatoes in the corner.
Dame Tiger Relaxing
Tiger's contribution to gardening is somewhat minimal - she prefers to keep her white paws spotlessly clean. In fact, she rarely ventures away from the fridge. So you'd think she'd be excited at her elevation to the peerage? Not a chance! When's lunch?