Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

The End Of Innocence

by admin - 19:08 on 16 February 2013

Spring is in the air: snowdrops and primula (plus leaves, twigs and small branches) litter the garden; daffodil shoots are visible; kittens wish to spend more time outdoors.

One kitten in particular – Pandora, who early yesterday evening celebrated her first kill by flinging the corpse of a luckless vole around the garden in exactly the same way she flings her purple stuffed mouse around indoors.

She now lurks even longer beneath the feeder where Tess, her tabby predecessor, hunted so successfully in the past. Her ghost will be watching with approval (or sitting with her back turned in a huffy manner, knowing the former scourge of The Rural Retreat's Rampaging Rodents).

Maybe it's the approach of spring that's led the roe deer to the garden. The couple were back again last night, this time for thirty minutes from 10pm – their timekeeping continues to intrigue. My theory is a twenty-two-hour cycle. If they appear tonight around 8pm my hypothesis will be confirmed.

Many Bushnell snaps were captured, but none sufficiently different from last night's to be worth sharing or keeping. So tonight I've set the camera to video.

The only drawback of filming deer is that their bulk triggers the Bushnell much more efficiently than slight pine marten bodies. Today I had to replenish exhausted batteries – eight Energiser Lithiums at a total cost of £14. No-one said snappery comes cheap.

Also feeling the impending spring is Matchgirl, who's just ordered new daffodil-yellow running shoes as her existing ones are nearing the end of the road.

With great reluctance, it must be said. Her preference is for Barbie pink athletic footwear, but her beloved Saucony 4s have been discontinued and all that can be found online is yellow – a colour she despises. As she's sensibly unwilling to change the style of shoe that's an integral part of her marathon preparation, yellow they must be.

Much superstitious chuntering has taken place. Life can be tough.

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