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.
Like A Cat Up A Drainpipe
by admin - 19:53 on 06 August 2013
Conscientious cat carers know that the price of moggies is eternal vigilance. Frisky felines climb high, venture on to spindly branches, wander close to roads, munch possibly disease-ridden wildlife and attempt to make friends with unsuitable strangers.
But now Matchgirl has something new to worry about.
The lane that runs past the bottom of The Rural Retreat's drive is bounded on both sides by ditches, so an earth-and-concrete-covered pipe is needed to permit both drainage and access. You can see what's coming...
Pandora has always been curious about the pipe but yesterday was the first time (to our knowledge) that she'd done more than peer down it. One moment she was in daylight, the next she was gone. Matchgirl panicked only slightly.
A minute later the adventurous moggy emerged from the other end of the pipe, looked around for applause then strolled away leaving Matchgirl mightily relieved and Willow very bemused.
She must have enjoyed the experience. Today's walk up and down the lane concluded with a repeat performance, immediately copied by Willow. Pandora, however, demonstrated fine oneupmanship by walking through the pipe several times from both directions. Nonchalant is the word.
Maia was absent, being unwilling to stray too far from the kitchen. This was fortunate – our big black cat and a small-diameter pipe might be a risky combination.
Marten Update: The only recent daylight sighting is of pine marten poo at the bottom of the drive. But the Bushnell proves that they're still around, checking out the stump that I've had back in place for the last two nights.
And there was the bonus of a hungry hedgehog. The Retreat's garden is a busy place after dark.
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