Cat conumdrums and virus mysteries

On Monday after breakfast, Poppy called, and we walked with Lilu in the park, then down to Edgware as I had to buy something from Rymans. Mas spent a lot of time fitting the cat door today. Poppy also gave us an unusual dessert she had made from rice, cinnamon and lots of saffron; it had an subtle and rather perfumed taste, and it is fun to try different things.

Today the cat would not come through the cat door, and we found it had somehow got jammed open with the tunnel partially blocked. Salty refused to go near it, so we had to remove the whole contraption and just leave him a clear tunnel to run through, and gradually he began to use it again. I think somehow the door had snapped onto him as he was going through before.
















Joan sent this picture of a Sharp-Shinned Hawk, as he arrived in their tree so all the small birds wisely left; they must have known he thought they were breakfast.

I watched a Horizon programme about viruses on iplayer which I found fascinating. If they can be said to be both dead, and alive, when the conditions are right it sounds very much as if they have resurrections, and is it possible that they set up the life and death pattern that humans follow? Later Mas and I watched a Taggart together.

Family gathering followed by a thaw

I wrote a few letters, and as I walked to post them, passed Barry and Wynford's house and saw that the family were home. I called in to see them briefly on the way back, and we talked for a while, and I had a chance to talk to Lynda who had travelled from Monaco for the funeral, and to Darran and Anita and see their lovely children. After a very large sherry I went home; it had been nice to see everyone, but sad it was in such circumstances.

Mas feeling somewhat better had been trying to sort out the new cat door which had arrived as a kit with two booklets of instructions that made my heart sink. Mas had been trying to assemble it and get it wired up. This took a lot of doing, and needed more patience than I possess.

Pete called briefly to talk of colours.

Today I woke up to the sound of rain, and gradually all the snow melted away. Mas continued with the cat door business, and he also had to enlarge the original cat door tunnel in the conservatory which meant that the place was soon covered in grey dust, and my mind seemed to be filled with it as well.

Putting up the barricades and bringing home the spoils

This morning I replaced the cat door we had removed when Salty hurt his tail. It is now a narrower opening. I taped up the flap until he got used to it again, then I let the flap down, but arranged the door so that it would work without the magnets. It did not take Salty long to get confidence in it. It may put off the Tabby from coming in as he is rather chubby( probably from eating two cats food!)

Mas and I set off for Edgewarebury Park to collect the last of the blackberries before the season is over. We collected lots of the blackberries and about 8lbs of cooking apples in no time at all.
In the afternoon I walked down to the library and while there came upon a section containing reference maps which I began looking at. I got talking to someone who said the previous week he had been walking, had walked to the edge of his map and got lost, so he was trying to find the map next in sequence. He asked me if I liked walking, and when I replied that I did, his eyes lit up hopefully, so I had to beat a hasty retreat as I do not think Mas would be keen on the idea of me walking in the wilds for hours with a stranger. Libraries seem definitely the places to meet people!

In the evening I washed and cooked some of the fruit. I was so tired when I went to bed that I do not think a heard of elephants passing through would have woken me.

Fussy cats and grumpy detectives

This week was mostly spent cleaning house with Mas trimming back overhanging trees. We went to The Man in the Moon a couple of times, and I have discovered that they serve organic tomato and basil soup with a hot baguette which is really delicious and quite inexpensive.

Interspersed with all the chores Mas has been watching Battlestar Gallactica and Wanted Dead or Alive. I have been trying to go for a reasonably long walk each day, and have noticed that the Mahonia is in blossom, and a small almond tree near home is also covered in delicate pink flowers....intimations of spring!

Having finished the cat door we taped the flap open until Salty became familiar with his new way in and out. I tried various ways of making him come through the hole, and even resorted to trying to push him through, but he held onto the doorway with all his fingers and toes, and became a struggling mass of claws and teeth. I reported this back to Mas, who said that Salty did not like the cat door because:

• The tunnel is too long
• It is too small
• The wind blows in his face

• It is the wrong colour!

Mas said he felt like going for a long walk on a short pier, or in heavy traffic!

One evening we watched an old 'Ironside' tape with Raymond Burr. I thought that David Jason in 'A Touch of Frost Frost' was grumpy enough, but Ironside could grump for the Olympics.

Spoke to Pete and found out how ill Carl was while staying with him and was sorry to hear it.

Cat dust

We let Salty out into the garden, and he spent a long time outside climbing trees, and calling plaintively from time to time. Mas fixed a new washing line for me, and I cleared out the largest planter in the conservatory as Salty had been using it as litter tray as the soil is nice and soft.

I spoke to Diane and later we watched The Bill again, and Mas is watching Battlestar Gallactica when he is having rest breaks.

Today was very dreary dull weather. My computer began the horribly familiar clicking problem, turning itself off to protect itself frequently. We have already taken it to be fixed for this, but evidently the problem just retreated for a while, only to pounce out again when least expected. I heard from Joan and Chris, and spoke to Pete.

Mas began drilling and cutting a hole in the cavity wall of the conservatory to put in a cat door. We could not put it in the kitchen door as it is made of hardened glass. I am going for walks every day to keep fit, and have a break from the cat, and hopefully next week I will have the time to do longer ones.

We continued in this way all weekend until the whole house was filled with first grey and then red brick dust, and Mas having many changes of cloths and showers. I swept up, and vacuumed dust up, but the curtains, walls and every surface was dusty including the air. Once the dust finally settles I will have to do an intense early spring cleaning session. Who would have thought that having a kitten would make so much work!

We watched some 'Dead or Alives' and an old funny film that we like with John Candy in it called The Great Outdoors, we also began watching a new series called Hunter