Month: October 2024

Rain at last!

I have been standing on the deck breathing in the smell of rain on dry earth. There’s a name for it: petrichor. Lovely. The garden is dry. Watering has been necessary in the last week or so and long before that for the container plants.

Today was a great day for getting washing dry before the weather changed. The change was signalled by a sudden wind which slammed doors in the house and sent cabbage tree leaves all over the lawn. The broad beans were blown this way and that and must be feeling the relief of stillness and rain now. The banksia rose was unmoored from the fence, so securing it somehow will be a weekend job.

And, wouldn’t you know it? Felix has returned to his previously customary mooring on the woolly rug on Mum’s bed!

Where does he go?

Felix comes home to eat these days, often at irregular times. Gone is his routine of long hours sleeping inside. A couple of days ago, he did come in and slept on a chair for most of the morning. Perhaps he was recovering from his long night out.

This morning, it was after 10 o’clock before he came in for breakfast. I tracked him after that, but lost him in the garden somewhere by the blackcurrant bush.

Listening…watching…
Moving (ignoring the ball on a string – too tame!)
On to the patio
Into the garden
Behind the blackcurrant bush

I have seen him go up the trunk of the grapevine and over the fence at the side. He’s also appeared on the garage roof from the bamboo. Sometimes he’s at the front gate just sitting, watching. Once, I saw him walking along the roof of the house across the street.

Where does he go? On these warm summery days, with rampant growth everywhere, it’s likely that he’s over the back fence exploring the wilderness. Probably hunting. Probably defending and marking his territory.

Best seats in the house

Every day, Mum migrates around the house following the sun.

First thing: reading the paper in the sunny morning sitting room
Morning: The egg chair on the deck
Afternoon: the window seat, with books, knitting bag, and the Listener easily to hand

In the evening, Mum likes to be beside the fire. Even on these warmer evening, she finds a fire cheering.

As you can see, Felix often likes to keep her company.

Spring spruce-up

The water blaster tradie finished the roof-cleaning job today. After he’d cleaned the roof, solar panels and guttering, he asked if there was anything else I wanted washed. Now there is a clean drive and path, and clean paving stones – and no weeds! All for a very reasonable cost.

Clean solar panels
Clean glass roof

Then the additional jobs:

Pavers
Drive – cleaned with a rotating brush machine
Path
Clean pavers and bricks – and no more weeds (for a while)

Felix found a new spot from which to supervise.

I suspect his expression is saying, ‘Is it safe to come down yet?’

Oops! Happy 2nd birthday, Felix!

Felix doesn’t seem aware that it’s his birthday. Neither were we (although it was in the diary) until late afternoon when I opened an email from the vet wishing him happy birthday. What do you do differently for a cat’s birthday, anyway? He got the liquid from a can of salmon I was using. Otherwise, it was a normal day, with breakfast on demand, a little treat each time he comes inside to eat, laps to sit on, a garden and neighbourhood to explore, trees to climb, and a chair beside the fire.

Who decided it is his birthday today? Did the SPCA pluck the number out of the air? Or make a rough guess? I don’t think he was born at the SPCA. I understood he was found under a pallet somewhere. It could be a crafty strategy on their part to help people bond with their adopted cat – having an actual day to celebrate. They probably know how people interact with their pets and, boy, there are some weird – and deranged – examples of that: dressing them in clothing, carrying them in handbags, letting them eat at the table, painting your pony to look like a zebra (that was Queen Victoria), speaking to them in funny voices…

Yeah, well, guilty conscience evident here. Though it’s hard to think what we might have done differently today. I think Felix would agree that he has a pretty good life.

Just browsing…yeah, right!

I met a former colleague for coffee and had my first crookie (combined cookie and croissant). I could manage only half of it, but it was yum.

The cafe closed early, so we went browsing around The Colombo, a mall I love because it has Nordic Chill (Moomins and Ikea), Trade Aid, French Connection, Industria and The Collective.

One of the wooden toys in The Collective

I have hovered on the threshold of Annah Stretton but my glamorous friend boldly went in, so I did too.

Very floral and lush
Exuberant wrapping
What I brought home

It is nice to browse with a friend who is into browsing and who can draw your attention to details you might have missed. She knows what’s on trend, what has been fashionable and come around again, and is both sensible and encouraging (in my opinion). I really did need that etched glass jug (French Connection), and a test run has proved the glass with pattern in relief (Industria) does add pizzazz to a gin and tonic, as I expected it would.

Keeping cheerful on a dull day

A movie seemed to be a good way to spend a rather gloomy day. It turned out that the brightest spot in the day was the splendid carpet in the movie theatre.

Photo taken from my point of view seated on the aisle.

The movie, Thelma, which I expected to be a laugh a minute was in fact more about the depredations of old age – or perhaps that was what I chose to focus on. There was a lot about how others regard old age and there was a rather wonderful relationship between a grandmother and her grandson.