Spring storms are great for the new plants peeking out of the ground and the ponds needing fresh water from winter’s harshness. But if you are a Stray Tom Cat, spring storms are great for making a lazy peaceful cat into a real cranky, hissing machine!
One night we had a rather strong storm and as usual, Stray Tom Cat was out making his rounds. Old Blind Dog kept going to the back door, pacing and fretting with all the hard rain hitting the glass door. We kept the light on and I called a few times with no luck finding Tom. Later, Blind Dog was pawing and whining at the door and sure enough, here was this really soaked, really mad, yellow cat crying like his tail was on fire! Of course I opened the door and in he came. Blind Dog never gave me a chance to get near with a towel to dry Tom off, as she went right to work sniffing every inch of her soaked friend. Blind Dog was happier seeing her friend safe than when she gets the steak bone at dinner. After declaring Tom had no injuries just a lot of wet stinky fur, Blind Dog let me dry Tom off and they laid on Blind Dog’s bed in the corner with a look that all’s right with the world…..
As I lay in bed that night, I realized what a wonderful lesson those two have again taught me. Here my husband and I were mad and worried about how much extra work all this hard rain would make for us. Mud everywhere, tracked in our house, leaves and mulch washed away and would have to be swept. Then I realized how selfish!!! Blind Dog had one worry. Not about herself but about another, her BFF. So many of us do worry and worry a lot but not about the right things. I am trying from now on to worry less, enjoy life and most of all do for others. If we invested more time in helping others and less time worrying about ourselves, can you imagine how much better life would be for all creatures those spring rains touch?!
Best Friends Forever
Sharing a snack and then a rest on the front porch. Poor Blind Dog’s eye really glows in the sunlight. Good thing her BFF also has good night vision!!
Feeding the birds
As with everyone else in our country, the weather seems to be a real issue for me. I am not a cold weather person by nature. I do like an occasional good snow but enough is enough! So I find myself cranky, self-absorbed and blaming it on the weather. No one has problems like mine. That is when Mother Nature once again gave me a good scolding and lesson to snap me back.
Living on the golf course with the county section line of the city right beside me, I am as close to living in the country as I can get without actually having a rural address. So consequently, there are a few critters that wonder to my back door and of course they get all the leftover dinner scraps and any leftovers from my dog or cats. While watching television at night, I will sometimes spot a family of raccoons, a huge possum or the “please don’t spray” skunk staring at me through the glass door. Armadillos have been known to wander up looking for grubs but really just stay in the yard, as it is very tough to dig on a brick patio! The coyotes keep their distance but their howling, sounds like a bunch of babies, crying lets me know they are right outside too. This goes on at night but the daytime is a different story.
In the morning I go out and feed the birds their breakfast of seeds and fresh water. The water only lasts a short time before freezing but my koi pond waterfall serves as a drink station. One morning as my dog, the stray cat our dog brought home (that’s another story) and I were watching through that same glass window, I begin to notice all the varieties of birds that were all eating together. The Doves were feasting on top of the brick column, the Cardinals enjoy the big dish of seeds, while the Sparrows and Wrens eat off the patio floor. Such a sweet picture when all of a sudden here came the Blue Jays with their loud voices. I assumed either a fight or flight would be next. Instead the Doves scooted over to make room while the Sparrows and Wrens invited the Red-headed Woodpecker to join them on the floor. Soon the Finches joined at the bird feeder and even the Red-winged Blackbird was included for a tasty treat! Then it hit me, why can’t the human race take a lesson from feeding the birds. They were all accomplishing the same goal, trying to survive in this icy winter, and didn’t care what type of bird you were. Hungry birds are hungry birds. Whether you are a tiny Wren or a big Blue Jay, these guys all shared and everyone was satisfied and happy. Watching the world news at night and even my own selfish ways, it seems like we could take a lesson from the birds!
Taming the Beast
Ok,so I admit it…I am one of those people that have a compulsion to feed anyone or anything that comes my way. People say I get it from my mom. For some time,I kept noticing this tabby cat sneaking around our back yard and the golf course that borders our house. Fearing it was eating my many birds I feed, I tried to feed the cat as well. Boy this cat did not like me!!! My daughter tried to approach it also with no luck. But of course, the more we saw it slinking around the more attached we got. Due to it’s light coffee with cream coloring, my daughter named it Cream.
Living on the golf course, our family would take an evening stroll after the golfers were gone. Naturally, we took our poor blind cocker, Roxy, with us. When we would start our stroll, we always felt two beady eyes staring at us as if they were ready to attack at any minute. We ignored Cream and would go on our way.
After several weeks of this, something very interesting happened. On our way back down the fairway, I saw Cream hiding in the bushes looking like he was ready to pounce. Roxy likes to run ahead of us on the way home as she has a very acute sense of smell for returing home. Here is Roxy running ahead when we see Cream racing toward her. Thinking our poor blind dog is going to get ambushed and cut to shreds, I yell and Roxy stops. Then as Cream gets to our dog, he stops sniffs Roxy’s face and her eyes like she can smell the blindness and instantly lays down beside Roxy and rolls around! Of course the closer we got, Cream took off running. At that point I knew we were, with our blind dog’s help, on our way to taming this wild cream colored beast!!!
The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
Every night as I watch the world news, I am amazed how much negative energy we as the human race put forth. I guess perhaps that’s why I admire and obsess over how simple, nurturing and loving Mother Nature can be. No better example of this than the day I noticed a mangy, yellow tabby stray cat sneaking around our house looking for a bit of that love Mother Nature unconditionally provides. It took several weeks and patience for this tom cat to not run at the sight of me but for our household cocker, who is blind and old, the relationship took hold immediately. Here is the story of how patience and the need to be loved formed a unique bond.
Stray Tom Cat and Old Blind Dog 