Snow is such beautiful stuff, so sparkly bright and clean, a symbol of purity. We just got another 30 cm of it over the weekend to mark the beginning of month 5 of winter. Perhaps you can tell that my enthusiasm is somewhat less than it would have been when I was a seven year … Continue reading Winter – month five
cats
Second thoughts and scattered thoughts
Upon reading my last post, about my father, after I had posted it, I realize that it is an even rougher first draft than I had thought. It does altogether too much telling and not enough showing. It needs a serious rewrite, but I won't post the rewrite. Everything I post here will need to … Continue reading Second thoughts and scattered thoughts
How much do cats really know?
I took Angus to the vet this morning; Angus being the middle of our three cats, officially described as domestic short hair, but mostly Siamese in temperament. He knows what's in store when the cat carrier appears and did not enter it willingly. Once the car was moving he commenced a deep-voiced mournful wail that … Continue reading How much do cats really know?
Cat or dog: which is smarter?
I will confess my prejudice right off the bat – I think cats are smarter. I have met some well-trained dogs that gave every evidence of having a keen intelligence. Most dogs, though, if left to themselves, don't seem to have a lot of smarts. They chase cars, defecate on the lawn and have really … Continue reading Cat or dog: which is smarter?
Cats and compassion
We share our home with three cats. Each one came to us as a feral kitten at about six months old. This summer they will be 15, 7 and 6. They are dependent on us for shelter, food and affection. They tolerate each other, but don't appear to really like one another, though Pookie will … Continue reading Cats and compassion
The old cat and the old door
When Panda was a young cat, she loved to explore the great outdoors and often wasn't ready to come in when we wanted to go away or to lock the door for the night. My wife discovered a surefire remedy — kitty treats. She only had to rattle the bag and Panda would come running. … Continue reading The old cat and the old door
Scrambled thoughts on a Monday morning
I woke up some time after 7:00 am and found I was alone in bed. I wondered how long that had been. Through the closed bedroom door I could hear the muffled sound of the washing machine. What was that about? I thought she did all the laundry on Saturday. After stumbling around groggily for … Continue reading Scrambled thoughts on a Monday morning
Looking for sense in the scent
My wife woke me at 7:00 AM Saturday, saying "We've got to get out of the house!" When the cobwebs had cleared from my brain, my nose told me the cause of her concern. The pungent odour of skunk was permeating the house. We live in a mobile home and were aware that a skunk … Continue reading Looking for sense in the scent
Three cats in the house
We are two elderly people and three cats in a fairly small house, and it is winter. All five of us spend much more time inside these four walls than we would if the weather outside were more clement. This makes for some conflicts. We provide nice cushions for our cats, plus two recliners and … Continue reading Three cats in the house
Our cats missed us
When we came home Sunday night Panda and Pookie, two of our three cats, were in the house. Angus, the third, streaked through the yard a few minutes later as we were cleaning the last of our stuff out of the car. He stopped, saw that it was us and dashed in the door. Michelle … Continue reading Our cats missed us
Flatlander Faith 