Dear George,
You may remember me from past correspondence between us, when I told of the delights of scampering around in the snow. Not that we in the countryside to the west of London have had much of that for many a month; for almost as long as I can remember it had come down in the liquid form, resulting for me in too much lying around indoors.
You know what I mean – on the settee. On the settee back. On the bed. In the bed. Atop the nice double radiators my human friend installed. Nice, but boring after a week or three.
But at last, a week back, warmth and real, genuine sunshine!
Time to get out and have the new air freshen up my fur. While I of course groom
to perfection, nothing beats a nice legs-in-the-air roll on a gravel driveway,
then a full-speed run around the garden with tail waving, a sudden meeting and
quick hiss at my sister or mother, then, then… somewhere to hide away and have
a nice rest.
I saw that a young pine tree that has been growing for quite
a number of years in a bath tub has put on a spurt over the past 15 months or
so and is quite a height. My human has been saying for three years that it
looks lonesome and he will dig it out and set it free in the wild, wild forest
that borders us. But not yet. He is looking anxious as he surveys its size.
Anyway, the pine now has a low spread of dense branches and a
lot of tall grasses interspersed with things called 'flowers' around its base.
Or trunk, I think it is called. And it faces the sun, backed by the house wall.
Nice to snuggle down alongside, and I find that I can view the world from that
ideal of positions, concealed and slightly raised. And warm. Where I can and
indeed do contemplate on worldly matters.
What a state the place is in! All the fault of humans, I'll
be bound. Mousing has been poor for three years or more, as has birding and
even the frogs and little lizards have been absent from around here. And I hear
my human going on about the almost complete lack of bees over this period. Then
he goes on to blame other people, including a local Important Person who is
supposed to look out for the requirements of humans, especially with regard to
countryside matters.
Anyway, this is all too much for my brain at the moment.
Here are a couple of photographs showing me in deep contemplative mode, and
also giving up and rolling on to my back among the grasses in the shade of the
young pine tree.
Purdey
Dear Purdey.
I envy you your pine scented retreat, a place to think deep feline thoughts. Odd how humans don't notice the lack of wildlife until it has almost disappeared. They seem blind to nature a lot of the time. I keep track of the mouse,young rabbit and bird numbers almost automatically as I do my daily patrol round my territory. Why wouldn't I?
Like you, I love lazing outside in the sun. Radiators, sunlit windowsills, sofas and beds are fine but it's heaven to doze outside in the sunlight, scents of grass, insects and country mice all around. I think my best thoughts then.
Yours hoping for a good summer
George
Dear Purdey.
I envy you your pine scented retreat, a place to think deep feline thoughts. Odd how humans don't notice the lack of wildlife until it has almost disappeared. They seem blind to nature a lot of the time. I keep track of the mouse,young rabbit and bird numbers almost automatically as I do my daily patrol round my territory. Why wouldn't I?
Like you, I love lazing outside in the sun. Radiators, sunlit windowsills, sofas and beds are fine but it's heaven to doze outside in the sunlight, scents of grass, insects and country mice all around. I think my best thoughts then.
Yours hoping for a good summer
George