Saturday, January 9, 2016

SCREAMS AND BAPTISM BEFORE THE SNOW




A burst of sunshine and wonderfully blue skies two days ago. The meadow came alive with the illusion of early spring. A perfect time for yet another walk in the company of nature.

Far on the horizon of the above photo are bales of hay, and beyond that are the cows. (closeup of the hay below).




I'll wait a moment, until you recover from the excitement.

The lovely weather had no intention of lingering. Friday was cloudy and cool. Rain is expected to turn to sleet on Saturday night (tonight). It will snow on Sunday and turn bitterly cold.

Pine cones near my bedroom window.


I chose the sunny morning to do some work on my car. I had the door on the driver's side open, while I was doing other things. When I slammed the door shut, an ear-piercing scream scared the jeeters out of me. Squinting in the bright glare of the sunlight, I saw my cat Scruffy bounding away in a blur of panic.

Where the hell did she come from? I didn't even know she was anywhere near the car. I initially thought I'd slammed her in the door and I was terrified. I tried to check her for injuries but she wouldn't let me come near her.

Finally she went in the house and started eating - so I assumed she would live. Later, I was able to thoroughly check her and she was completely intact. 
Did I accidentally slam her tail in the door?
Her tail seemed to be fine.
My only guess is that she was under the car and got scared when I slammed the door.

It's a very boring story, I know, but I was really worried. 

Baptism??
Prepare for another pointless and inane cat story. 

I drove into town Friday afternoon to stock up on supplies before the snow arrives. The treacherous trek always unnerves me and renders me exhausted. I don't like shopping and I don't like piloting endlessly winding mountain roads.

When I got home, I laid down - hoping for a brief but peaceful nap. Bosco (my other cat) jumped on the bed, got as close as he could, and stared at me with his huge yellow eyes. Kinda unnerving, because you never know what he's thinking.

Suddenly, he let out a tsunami of a sneeze, blasting my neck with a very generous spray.
Holy Jeezus!! I was baptized in cat snot!

After I regained consciousness, I thoroughly disinfected myself and seriously considered exchanging the cats for something less trouble. Like an orangatan. 


What an embarrassingly bad post! If I don't come up with more interesting things to write about, I'm going to lose my three readers. Or is it four?

When I actually start boring myself, it's time to worry.

I'm seriously considering re-posting the notorious interview that I posted nearly two years ago on my old blog Lone Star Concerto.
It's (aptly) called The Long Interview and reveals a heckuva lot of juicy personal things about myself.

What? It doesn't interest you??
Well, it's slightly better than cat tails. I mean cat tales.
...or cat snot....
 

Gloomy trees in the back yard, awaiting the first snow of the year.



25 comments:

  1. cat snot - always present.

    gonna have to start looking around for the kitties, jon, before you do ANYTHING. they want to be with you, but are so quiet doing it...

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    1. Cats seem to be EVERYWHERE, all the time. It's really uncanny.

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  2. The line about exchanging the cat, left me laughing - thank you I needed that.

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    1. Glad to know some laughs were generated and it wasn't a completely hopeless cause...

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  3. I think these post I enjoy as much as the others...this life my friend...snot and all!!!! I love the pinecones photo. Snow? What's that? I want a snow storm, but I watch how loud I say that, Anne Marie and others here may not want it. Over the holidays when traveling home, I pulled over to capture pictures of cows in a field. I intend to post them sometime...maybe when I get a brain fart. I would love to read your interview!

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    1. The snow might be headed your way. I'll go outside and do a Snow Dance just to make sure (we won't tell Anne Marie).

      I just might re-post the interview!

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  4. I don't like it when one of mine yawns in my face (I must bore them to tears) and the stench that comes out really is something 'orrible. Is there a cure for feline halitosis, I wonder? Yet they do keep sniffing each others mouths - to check what the other ones been eating, I suppose, and that they haven't missed out on any goodies. I always find it rather amusing.

    Our Winter too is due to start properly early next week, but what we call that season in your terms would be considered balmy enough to qualify for Spring, or even Summer itself. Having to live through one of your true Winters I know I'd just DIE, a fate I trust will come to none at your abode.

    And thank the Heavens that Scruffy wasn't injured. Reading about it if that had been the case I'd have felt every bit as mortified as you would have been.

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    1. My cats always yawn in my face. Are they trying to tell me something? Bosco always loves to get extremely close and stare at me. I'm wondering if he's in love, or thinking about devouring me when we're stranded in the next blizzard.

      I'm not looking forward to the extremely cold weather. This house is difficult to heat, and I'm actually terrified that the water pipes will freeze again.
      I had no idea that your winters were so mild.

      Scruffy gave me one helluva scare when she screamed so loudly.

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    2. Well, perhaps I exaggerate in downplaying our Winter cold, Jon. I was really trying to point up what I know to be your own much more uncomfortable ones. Ours are sure cold enough for me, getting down to perhaps freezing point in the daytime and perhaps five or six under at night time. It's's all relative, isn't it?

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  5. I was rather entertained. Do I have low standards (by your reckoning)? I think not. I would rather like the juicy tidbits re-post though as I'm a more recent follower and didn't see the original post.
    Glad that no harm was done to cats or humans in the making of this post.

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    1. The only real harm done is that the cats have a way of shattering my nerves.
      You just might have low entertainment standards, Craig, but I'll forgive you.

      And since a lot of my present readers (all three of them) haven't seen my interview, I might re-post it.

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  6. Jon,
    I can't get enough of your "cat stories." I had to share your latest with my cat loving friend (and his family) Lar this morning. I've encouraged Lar to start posting about his cat stories, which as you know, he has many.
    Please continue to keep us posted about your adventures, and your feline friends included!
    You are a treasure Jon. So glad I found your blog lo these many years ago. Keep writing about your adventures.
    Ron

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    1. It's encouraging to know that you always like my cat tales, Ron. Cat lovers are a very special group of people - - and we have nerves of steel for daring to coexist with our feline friends.
      I'll be looking forward to hearing about your new California adventures!

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  7. I enjoy the everyday, around the house stories. Pets can make for great stories too. Take care, Sheila

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    1. Sometimes the everyday stories are the best ones. I thought that there wouldn't be anything to write about when I moved to the wilderness, but I was wrong. Thanks for being there, Sheila.

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  8. What's a little cat snot? You know you love those cats.

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    1. It was a lot of cat snot, Paula (*smile*) but I do love them - despite their many faults.

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  9. Funny stuff, Jon! I appreciate that suave segue between Scruffy's tail and Bosco's tale.

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    1. Myra, I had to look up the definition of "segue" - - I'm not quite as smart as I think I am.
      I'm always delighted to make people laugh.

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  10. Cats scream for the same reason anything screams, to urgently announce where they are. I suspect Scruffy was absorbing heat under the engine or muffler and freaked when door noise harshed her buzz. Cats know sudden door closures usually mean the truck will start and set off close calls.

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    1. I plan to be more careful in the future and check for the possibility of felines before I do anything.

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  11. You know what I miss, sort of? Your rants about the neighbors. Seeing you describe where you live and the long winding road that takes you to and from, I realize I am not nearly as much a loner as you! And I really thought I was quite the loner. I like to think I can do without people, but dang, I want to at least be able to see a human once in awhile.

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  12. I've tried to tone down my rants, but it isn't easy. I try to be a little more polite when I blog now - but that isn't easy, either. I do still see people, like local relatives, but I seldom write about them.
    After all the CRAP I went through in Texas, I'm really savoring this newfound peace and privacy.
    I'm glad you still read my blog, Donna!

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  13. Careful you don't catch cat flu!:)

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