Monday, August 03, 2015

Cara-Cature's Big Night Out

Meow!  Yesterday was day 4 for laying in the rox we bought for the courtyard improvement.  As part of the festivities I allowed Mucca and Cara-Cature outside to roam and explore.  Hesitant was the main feature of the exploration efforts by these two.  Cara would just barely exit thru the laundry room door then turn about and slink back inside.  Mucca was somewhat reticent in the beginning but gained confidence and soon was on his windows sill jumping down to the big square rocks below.  This went on all the while we were "at it", me wheel-barrowing 100lb loads of rocks to the courtyard, Kelly spreading them with her "boot dance" and then clipping out the raucous weeds and berry bushes that make up the inner courtyard thicket.  No fun that! 

Soon after the 5th load I had tired and was ready for a break and a ride to S&D's home to water their garden while they are away, and water we did!  They have the now required water collection system that allows roof rain water to be stored and used as a water saving measure.  It's a requirement if you live in certain towns and area of this fine country.  We should have been doing this for all the years gone by in California but...oh noooo...we just couldn't do anything as Liberal and Progressive as saving precious rain water for slimmer times.  So we didn't and haven't.  Anyway, watering done we headed home and rested our now weary bones(from the rock spreading exercizes).  Backaches anyone?

In the evening I set out the chairs, cushions and umbrella for our table and we prepped for a wine sipping evening read OUTSIDE!  The 1st time this year!  A nice light accompanied the warmish sunshine, making it nearly and ideal scene.  As the sunset advanced we finally broke camp and headed inside for dinner.  We had Swordfish marinated in Mirin and Soy Sauce with shallots, basmati rice and a watermelon/tomato salad.  Having finished we cleared the table and headed up to the office to watch some TV as is our habit.  My duck headed off to bed a bit earlier than I did.  I played 2 games of chess (won them both!) and headed off to end the day by reading my latest read "Adrift" about a man who survived 67 days on the Atlantic Ocean after his sailboat sank during a storm at sea.
A true frightening tale and an excellent read for the adventure and sailing/boating fans.






As I finished my read I realized that my bed partner (Hur Majesty Cara-Cature) had not made the scene.  She ALWAYS come by about this time to say goodnight and cuddle a bit before she wanders off to sleep at the floor of my bed or on the floor nearby as any decent service animal should.  Soooo after I turned off my Kindle and turned over to sleep I became disturbed by her absence.  After a few minutes I got up and began my hunt, the time was 10pm.  In my hunt I went into my kitchen-of-doom only to find the door wide open to the courtyard!  Shit, shit, shit! Damnit Lute, you forgot to close the f'n door!  Oh boy.  So ventured back upstairs to admit my failings to Kelly who was hunting for her too.  We both went room to room looking in/under/around and through all of her typical nesting places, no Cara was to be found!  We finally at 11pm went back to bed hoping she's come out from her hiding place or we would find her in the morning.  I had closed the kitchen door by then on my last round there.  Zzzzzzzz, zzzzzzzz, a bit later, about 1:30am Kelly yelled "Cat fight! It's probably Cara!"  So down we went, Mucca leading and thre open the back door, Kelly went to get a flashlight and here come Cara, her tail 3" in diameter all fuzzed up mewing all the way and shaking in fear!"  She had a small nose injury (other cat or berry bush?) but was alright.  Earlier I had seen thr Yello cat run from my kitchen area to the gate and disappear down the alley.  She slept on the rug against my bed until after 11am this morning.  Apparently no worse for wear.  We love our cats.  You should have seen Mucca when we had gone back to bed after the 1st hunt...his head thrust between the banister posts looking woefully down the stairs for his sister.  Sad indeed!