One day I was over at Phil's and heard a cat crying outside, and I do mean crying. After a while I said, “Whose kitty is that?”
“Oh, the people next door. Cat used to live inside but they have a new baby now and I guess it was always getting in the crib with the baby and they were afraid the cat would smother it or something. So they threw it out. I let it come in here a couple of times but I can't stand the cat hair. So now it just sits out on the porch and cries all the time.”
“Oh, for God's sake.”
I went out and the little guy came running right up to me. I picked him up and his ears and little de-clawed feet were ice cold. It was November, after all. He shivered and snuggled up under my chin. I fell in love.
I said, “That's it, Phil. We're gonna have us a catnapping. Take me home now so I can call Ellen and make sure she's okay with the idea, since I already have Belle. Then come get me in the morning and we'll bring the little guy to my house.”
He called in the morning and told me he had talked to the people and they were more than happy to give him away. They had given Phil his food, some toys, and a cat box, and he would bring them all over, if the cat didn't have some sort of panic attack in his truck. About half an hour later they drove up. The cat was sitting happily on the seat, obviously enjoying the ride.
“His name is Mick, and he sure seems to like riding, just like a dog.”
Thus came a new love into my life. My little Mick, who absolutely adores me. Turns out he's a Manx, I hadn't realized that; I had never met one before. Are they always this smart? He seems totally capable of reading my mind.
He has to be wherever I am. He sits in my lap when I am at the computer and stares up at me with eyes full of love. Sometimes when he's doing that he seems to swoon and falls over against my chest. He sleeps all cuddled up next to me. Belle has always preferred sleeping in a box in a separate room. They get along pretty well. There is the occasional “Hisss, fffft,” and they bat at each other with their clawless pads, but I separate them and all is well again.
I made another new friend around that time, too. The house right across the street from
me had been for sale for a good while. Then I found out a single woman from out of town had bought it. One day after the movers had evidently finished bringing everything, I went over and introduced myself. I gave her a Welcome to the Neighborhood card with my phone number in it and told her to call if she needed any help at all. About a week later she called and asked if I'd like to come over and have a glass of wine.
Dee Dee was still living amidst piles of boxes but she uncovered two chairs and a small table and we plunked ourselves down for a good, long chat. She had left an abusive relationship down in the city and decided she needed to live the wilderness experience for her mental health. For her physical health, as well.
I told her about the situation at my place and that she should be very wary if Chuck were to come over and offer to help her out with anything. She told me that the realtor, a life-long Whispering Springs resident, had already warned her about him. This was the same realtor that sold me my house. Why didn't he warn me?
Anyway, we became fast friends and I eventually introduced her to everyone I know. The winter went by pretty quickly having so many friends to pass the time with. I could go into town whenever I needed to. Phil and his son are both avid fishermen and hunters so I was always on the receiving end for fresh fish and venison.
We had very little snow that winter so I was able to keep it shoveled out by myself except for a couple of times. Then spring came early with some really strong winds, which blew my greenhouse over. I built a frame inside it with 2x4s and stood it back up.
Dee Dee bought a rototiller so she could put in a garden in her yard. Then she brought it over and made my garden plot bigger. Spending so much time working out in the yard, I decided to let the cats come out with me. Oh, were they ever happy with that decision.
They love exploring all around the yard. Mick has to always be where I am. When I dig in the garden, he digs in the garden. When I mow the yard, the cats run into the house because they don't like the noise. But as soon as I'm done, Mick comes out and climbs up onto the tractor seat, looking around with great satisfaction.
Eventually the cats became more independent, sometimes wandering over to Chuck's. This worries me. Chuck is fanatical about feeding the birds. He has half a dozen bird feeders set up over there. Since they're the only friends he seems to have left, I certainly don't begrudge him. But cats do kill birds, although I do my best to discourage them whenever I see them stalking one. I even took down all my bird feeders.
Cats kill a lot of other things, too. Mick is my mole getter. He'll crouch down by a hole and just wait. Then, bang, he gets one. I am happy for the sake of my garden. Belle, on the other hand, likes snakes.
One day I was outside and see her come trotting across the yard, something in her mouth. As she gets closer I see it is a snake, about two feet long, and she wants to bring it in the house. Ah, geeze. I run and close the back door and then beg her to please put it down. She finally does and I get a shovel and pick it up and take it over to where the land drops down towards the creek, and toss it.
Another time she actually did get into the house with one and dropped it on the kitchen floor. It was still quite alive. I was freaking out and jumping up and down yelling, “Ah, Ah!” It quickly slithered away under the pantry door and I never saw it again. I'm guessing it found its way down to the basement and then out from there. They're just garter snakes and I'm not really afraid of them. I just didn't want to find one in my bed.
Once she brought in a chipmunk. It, too, was still alive. When she dropped it, it jumped into the cupboard under the sink. I don't have a door there so it stays warm and not likely to freeze the pipes in winter. Belle went in after it and suddenly containers of dish washing soap, laundry soap, paper towels came flying out, followed by the chipmunk and Belle. I had opened the kitchen door so after a couple of laps around the kitchen, chipmunk and cat were out the door again. I don't know how that event ended and it's better that way, I'm sure.
I did learn, though, to always look out the window before opening the door for the cats because you just never know what prize they might be bringing home to Mom.
