And now I have to write this post standing up.
It’s nice to have a day of steady rain to read and do a jigsaw and write a blog post while the rain waters the garden. I dried Felix when he came inside all soggy, and gave him some of his favourite cat patē which comes in a tiny can. I sat down again at my desk to read a book, got up to reach for something and turned around to find my chair was occupied.
Felix was up at the crack of noon* today, unusually. Here he was at 10am, still asleep on his rug on top of an old trunk and suitcase behind Mum’s chair – but looking warily as I took a photo..
Perhaps he wasn’t ready for his breakfast because he was still digesting the mouse he caught last evening. I was alerted to this when I went into my room to close the french doors and discovered a pile of books in disarray. After a long moment of ‘What the…?’ as my brain cogs engaged, I checked under the bed with a torch and found some bits and pieces, which turned out to be a little tail, two tiny paws and something else I couldn’t identify. I swept them up, along with pieces of a book which had somehow been chewed in the chase. Later, I found some clothes on the floor where they’d fallen from the bottom rung of a ladder shelf, and the shoes underneath upturned. I guess the battle was fought on several fronts. Just as well the poor wee mouse didn’t run up the Christmas tree.
*This expression has amused me since the 1970s when I read it in Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.
A security upgrade is required here.
I have moved the coconut bird feeder further out on the branch.
* Sylvester is foiled by Tweety Bird again
Winter isn’t finished with us yet and the firewood was running out. A fresh load arrived after lunch – we’re using the new wood on this evening’s fire. It took me three hours to stack it, about the same as usual: one hour per cubic metre, which included stopping to talk to neighbours passing by, and to rescue a little waxeye from Felix.
As I walked by with the wheelbarrow, I saw Felix grab the wee bird which was sitting on the fence. I, in turn, grabbed Felix by the scruff and the bird, to my surprise, flew straight out of his mouth and off into the distance. After that, Felix was showing off, playing with twine on the fence, chewing twigs, rolling in the sawdust in the wheelbarrow and climbing a couple of trees.
A happy ending for all: the bird, Felix and us, cosy by the fire.
Artichokes are a type of thistle, apparently. I anthropomorphise my artichokes because they look as if they’re waving their arms about. The one which ‘exploded’ in a cloud of thistledown the other day is increasingly earning the name ‘Boris’.
And for the Felix fans, here he is with his ears in lynx position and an intense look which says, ‘Get out of that egg chair and give me a treat’ (Whiska’s Temptations Seafood Flavour) – no ‘please’ required.
A cicada was in full voice in the kowhai tree beside the house. To me, the sound represents the end of summer when the days are often still and hot. The cicada was low enough on the tree to get a close photo. I discovered that it has interesting markings. It is probably a Chorus Cicada.
Felix, however, trying to sleep, seemed to become increasingly irritated by the loud noise. At first he was relaxed, stretched out on the warm deck, then his ears twitched back and forth and he opened his eyes. Next minute, he was up the tree. The noise stopped abruptly. As far as I can tell he didn’t catch the cicada, it flew off (I hope) to annoy someone else’s cat.
When it started to rain I went to cover the egg chair, but it was occupied. Felix remained on it as the rain intensified and thunder rumbled. He was still there when the storm had passed and after I had spent a couple of hours solving the sudden loss of internet. It’s unusual for him to be on the egg chair, possibly because it moves. It’s my ‘therapy’ place – perhaps he feels its comfort too.
Later, he came inside for a treat before heading outside. I checked to see if he’d gone back to the egg chair, but he was staring over the side of the deck at this little chap (or chap-ess).
We’ve seen a hedgehog about in the early morning or late afternoon on the patio, on the drive, and disappearing under the deck. Perhaps it lives there.
A Quality of Life survey has found that Christchurch Ōtautahi is a great place to live, according to this morning’s Press. It is certainly interesting and there’s always something going on. I enjoyed the things I noticed today. In the library, Tūranga, part of the stairs to the first floor was being used as a working space, with colourful cushions to make it inviting.
In Victoria Square preparations are being made for Chinese New Year celebrations.
The other startling observation today, was Felix at the top of a tall cabbage tree. He settled in a forked branch and proceeded to chase his tail. He could have been an act in the recent buskers’ festival.
A blackbird had a lovely long bath on Sunday. I was sitting in the egg chair reading on my ipad and was able to switch to camera and catch the action.
Sometimes insects such as bees and wasps settle on the edge of the water for a drink. Today, I saw a reason why the blackbird may have been so cautious before taking a dip.
Felix looks all innocence this morning, but evidence of night time vandalism tells another story:
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