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.

A Challenge to the Alpha Cat

by admin - 22:41 on 26 July 2010

Bess was delighted to see us when we returned to The Rural Retreat this afternoon. We called as we clambered out of Agent Cooper and moments later our faithful moggy emerged from the undergrowth to miaow her welcome and roll on her back for her tummy to be rubbed.

This was most unlike her.

More unusual behaviour was exhibited an hour later when the latest downpour to follow us around forced the subdued moggy indoors, where she hid beneath the dining table with an expression on her face of abject self-pity.

It seems that a power struggle took place in our absence in which Spider, the newcomer, proved a bully and a sook. Not only did she push Bess away from her food on several occasions, she also smarmed around Soo and Tony the cat-sitters by sleeping on their bed.

Spider's re-education will begin tomorrow when Matchgirl gets tough. No-one is mean to her favourite and gets away with it. Bess, on the other hand, can expect lots of treats and attention so it's an ill wind, etc.

Master Marten looked in good health when he turned up late in the evening, so he's not gone hungry while we've been away. He polished off helpings of Nutella, carried off a house martin I'd found mysteriously dead behind the apple tree, then returned to explore The Nutella Tree for afters.

Sadly, the nights are drawing in again so the snaps were at high ISO and low speed – optimum time for pine marten snappery has gone for another year. However, I'll keep feeding and watching; you never know your luck.

Any half-decent snaps will be posted tomorrow along with a couple of Dales views that were worth keeping. Before then I return to GNoME HQ. I suspect that Bess will be cheerier than me by the end of the day.

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