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#1
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BW--Spring Outing--long
After the big snow storm, the weather got real nice. Some of the snow is still out there; but the air has that warm softness you find only in the spring. So I decided to take the cats out one at a time on the harness. (side note: when I first got the harnesses a few years ago, I took all three cats out at once. That was a disaster. Not only because there were three cats; it was because they were convinced the harnesses had them tied to the ground. When they would move, it was only at a dead run in opposite directions!) Jeff has been good about training Robin to the leash, taking him out occasionally. But it has been a couple months. So I thought I would start with him. I found him asleep on the porch snuggled up on the wool blanket. I slipped the harness on him, as he raised his head groggily. I gently tugged the harness and asked him if he wanted to go outside. He just looked at me like "what you up to, slave?" So, hanging onto the leash and stretching my arms, I reached the door and opened it a bit. Now he was looking interested; but he still didn't believe me since I have been so assiduous at keeping him away from the door when I let the dog in and out. So I hit the door and got a good swing on it. As it went wide, Robin came alive and hit the road, so to speak. He zipped out the door like he was afraid I might close it on him. In the process, he jerked me along. I stumbled out the door barely able to get it closed as he dragged me down the sidewalk. Then I almost stepped on him as he came to a dead stop to sniff at a suspicious grass plant. I swear he sniffed and tasted each grass plant under the honeysuckle bush. Then he was off again. Every dried weed and tree trunk had to be thoroughly sniffed. Sometimes his tail would bottle up and sometimes he would rub a spot with his body. Oh, the stories he was reading! We do have a resident feral tomcat. And then there is all the wildlife, like bunnies and little rodents, with an occasional skunk. Sometimes I wish I could read scent language. He led me out back where I could watch the Red-shafted Flicker hammer out a nest hole in the dead cottonwood. And that is where Robin was headed; at the bottom of the tree is a messy thicket of country roses, full of thorns. Every cat knows a thicket is prime ground for birds and rodents. But I was not getting into it and I wasn't letting him with his harness into it. So ensued the great tug of war! I know I have gotten a lot weaker with old age; but that cat is dang strong! He weighs at least 15 pounds; probably more. But I got a good grip on the harness and planted my feet solidly and then tried to sugar talk him. Hmph! They say cats can't taste sweet. Maybe that is why sugar talking doesn't work. So we had a stalemate. He finally flopped down and proceeded to soak up some sun. He did look comfy; if you didn't look at his laid back ears and the tip of his tail! So I got a good view of the Flicker while Robin was pouting. But he soon got bored and got up. Then we had another vigorous trek across the yard, sniffing things and nibbling grass. We finally got back to the house and I thankfully went in and rested. But the lure of the spring weather called. So I got Djoser's red harness and leash and went looking for him. I found him fast asleep covered up in my blankets. He does love a hidden nest. I managed to slip the harness on him before he got fully awake; even though Robin was playing with the end of the leash. I carried him towards the door and had my son hang onto Robin while I slipped out. I set Djoser down in a nice patch of grass; whereupon, my elderly, portly puddy-tat transformed into a sleek Black Panther! The smell of the wild mesmerized him so he didn't even feel the harness. He had a good time slipping through the jungle of dried grass and weeds and patches of green grass. At one point a gust of wind swirled and sent a large dried cottonwood leaf rolling toward him. He poufed and jumped into the air. But when he came down, he was the Black Panther after game. He quickly caught and killed his prey. No meat to it, so he lost interest. On the other side of the house he found a little patch of green that was very interesting. He settled down and munched and dug in the turf and munched some more. Then he rolled in it. I looked but saw only a bit of green. Maybe something related to catnip. He wanted to get into the chokecherry thicket; but I was firm with him. There are no thorns; but there are a lot of little trunks to get tangled in. After a lot of grass nibbling and sniffing, we got back to the house. I rested some more. I was really getting my exercise. I finally told myself I might as well get Sheba out while I am doing outings. So I get her harnessed up and carry her out to the fenced-in flower bed and let her go. She immediately remembered the lilacs as the place where she used to ambush wrens a few years ago. Then a robin landed on a fence post. Maybe it is the bold one that would sit and wait for me to water things so the earthworms would come up. Sheba spotted it and made a sudden rush. The robin flew and Sheba complained to me. Hey, I didn't scare it away. Then a big fly buzzed her face and she moved fast. Chomp, chomp. Smack lips! EWWW! Then she settled down in the sun to wash a bit. Everything was warm and peaceful. Then we spotted movement under the juniper trees. It was a ring-necked pheasant! (side note: we have a dingdang hunt club a few miles away. They ship in game birds which they keep in cages until the hunt. Everytime they have a hunt some of the birds get away from the hunters and some make their way here. We feed them cracked corn. I reckon some end up as coyote food. But I would rather the coyotes get them than the dingdang hunters.) So Sheba sees and smells the pheasant. Oh, boy! Chicken on the hoof! she thinks. She points her nose and moves like a juggernaut towards the bird. She never saw the chicken wire fence until her nose hit it. She shrieks--the pheasant shrieks and takes off--Sheba tries to climb the fence, all the time sounding off! I manage to grab her with her clawing and fighting to get over the fence and her yelling at me that her chicken is getting away! I finally get her to the house and give her some treats to try to calm her down. She eats them grudgingly, all the time growling and complaining that I let her chicken get away! Sorry, Sheba. So, humbly, I go and put some bandaids on my battle wounds. She was mad at me the rest of the evening. -- CATherine |
#2
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BW--Spring Outing--long
CATherine wrote:
After the big snow storm, the weather got real nice. Some of the snow is still out there; but the air has that warm softness you find only in the spring. So I decided to take the cats out one at a time on the harness. What a lovely description! Thank you Catherine. You had me LOLing and remembering fond memories of walking Frank and especially Nikki. -- Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki |
#3
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BW--Spring Outing--long
CATherine wrote: After the big snow storm, the weather got real nice. Some of the snow is still out there; but the air has that warm softness you find only in the spring. So I decided to take the cats out one at a time on the harness. (side note: when I first got the harnesses a few years ago, I took all three cats out at once. That was a disaster. Not only because there were three cats; it was because they were convinced the harnesses had them tied to the ground. When they would move, it was only at a dead run in opposite directions!) Jeff has been good about training Robin to the leash, taking him out occasionally. But it has been a couple months. So I thought I would start with him. I found him asleep on the porch snuggled up on the wool blanket. I slipped the harness on him, as he raised his head groggily. I gently tugged the harness and asked him if he wanted to go outside. He just looked at me like "what you up to, slave?" So, hanging onto the leash and stretching my arms, I reached the door and opened it a bit. Now he was looking interested; but he still didn't believe me since I have been so assiduous at keeping him away from the door when I let the dog in and out. So I hit the door and got a good swing on it. As it went wide, Robin came alive and hit the road, so to speak. He zipped out the door like he was afraid I might close it on him. In the process, he jerked me along. I stumbled out the door barely able to get it closed as he dragged me down the sidewalk. Then I almost stepped on him as he came to a dead stop to sniff at a suspicious grass plant. I swear he sniffed and tasted each grass plant under the honeysuckle bush. Then he was off again. Every dried weed and tree trunk had to be thoroughly sniffed. Sometimes his tail would bottle up and sometimes he would rub a spot with his body. Oh, the stories he was reading! We do have a resident feral tomcat. And then there is all the wildlife, like bunnies and little rodents, with an occasional skunk. Sometimes I wish I could read scent language. He led me out back where I could watch the Red-shafted Flicker hammer out a nest hole in the dead cottonwood. And that is where Robin was headed; at the bottom of the tree is a messy thicket of country roses, full of thorns. Every cat knows a thicket is prime ground for birds and rodents. But I was not getting into it and I wasn't letting him with his harness into it. So ensued the great tug of war! I know I have gotten a lot weaker with old age; but that cat is dang strong! He weighs at least 15 pounds; probably more. But I got a good grip on the harness and planted my feet solidly and then tried to sugar talk him. Hmph! They say cats can't taste sweet. Maybe that is why sugar talking doesn't work. So we had a stalemate. He finally flopped down and proceeded to soak up some sun. He did look comfy; if you didn't look at his laid back ears and the tip of his tail! So I got a good view of the Flicker while Robin was pouting. But he soon got bored and got up. Then we had another vigorous trek across the yard, sniffing things and nibbling grass. We finally got back to the house and I thankfully went in and rested. But the lure of the spring weather called. So I got Djoser's red harness and leash and went looking for him. I found him fast asleep covered up in my blankets. He does love a hidden nest. I managed to slip the harness on him before he got fully awake; even though Robin was playing with the end of the leash. I carried him towards the door and had my son hang onto Robin while I slipped out. I set Djoser down in a nice patch of grass; whereupon, my elderly, portly puddy-tat transformed into a sleek Black Panther! The smell of the wild mesmerized him so he didn't even feel the harness. He had a good time slipping through the jungle of dried grass and weeds and patches of green grass. At one point a gust of wind swirled and sent a large dried cottonwood leaf rolling toward him. He poufed and jumped into the air. But when he came down, he was the Black Panther after game. He quickly caught and killed his prey. No meat to it, so he lost interest. On the other side of the house he found a little patch of green that was very interesting. He settled down and munched and dug in the turf and munched some more. Then he rolled in it. I looked but saw only a bit of green. Maybe something related to catnip. He wanted to get into the chokecherry thicket; but I was firm with him. There are no thorns; but there are a lot of little trunks to get tangled in. After a lot of grass nibbling and sniffing, we got back to the house. I rested some more. I was really getting my exercise. I finally told myself I might as well get Sheba out while I am doing outings. So I get her harnessed up and carry her out to the fenced-in flower bed and let her go. She immediately remembered the lilacs as the place where she used to ambush wrens a few years ago. Then a robin landed on a fence post. Maybe it is the bold one that would sit and wait for me to water things so the earthworms would come up. Sheba spotted it and made a sudden rush. The robin flew and Sheba complained to me. Hey, I didn't scare it away. Then a big fly buzzed her face and she moved fast. Chomp, chomp. Smack lips! EWWW! Then she settled down in the sun to wash a bit. Everything was warm and peaceful. Then we spotted movement under the juniper trees. It was a ring-necked pheasant! (side note: we have a dingdang hunt club a few miles away. They ship in game birds which they keep in cages until the hunt. Everytime they have a hunt some of the birds get away from the hunters and some make their way here. We feed them cracked corn. I reckon some end up as coyote food. But I would rather the coyotes get them than the dingdang hunters.) So Sheba sees and smells the pheasant. Oh, boy! Chicken on the hoof! she thinks. She points her nose and moves like a juggernaut towards the bird. She never saw the chicken wire fence until her nose hit it. She shrieks--the pheasant shrieks and takes off--Sheba tries to climb the fence, all the time sounding off! I manage to grab her with her clawing and fighting to get over the fence and her yelling at me that her chicken is getting away! I finally get her to the house and give her some treats to try to calm her down. She eats them grudgingly, all the time growling and complaining that I let her chicken get away! Sorry, Sheba. So, humbly, I go and put some bandaids on my battle wounds. She was mad at me the rest of the evening. -- CATherine Sounds like a wonderful adventure. Suz&Spicey |
#4
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BW--Spring Outing--long
WHat a lovely recounting of a lovely day.
"CATherine" wrote in message ... After the big snow storm, the weather got real nice. Some of the snow is still out there; but the air has that warm softness you find only in the spring. So I decided to take the cats out one at a time on the harness. (side note: when I first got the harnesses a few years ago, I took all three cats out at once. That was a disaster. Not only because there were three cats; it was because they were convinced the harnesses had them tied to the ground. When they would move, it was only at a dead run in opposite directions!) Jeff has been good about training Robin to the leash, taking him out occasionally. But it has been a couple months. So I thought I would start with him. I found him asleep on the porch snuggled up on the wool blanket. I slipped the harness on him, as he raised his head groggily. I gently tugged the harness and asked him if he wanted to go outside. He just looked at me like "what you up to, slave?" So, hanging onto the leash and stretching my arms, I reached the door and opened it a bit. Now he was looking interested; but he still didn't believe me since I have been so assiduous at keeping him away from the door when I let the dog in and out. So I hit the door and got a good swing on it. As it went wide, Robin came alive and hit the road, so to speak. He zipped out the door like he was afraid I might close it on him. In the process, he jerked me along. I stumbled out the door barely able to get it closed as he dragged me down the sidewalk. Then I almost stepped on him as he came to a dead stop to sniff at a suspicious grass plant. I swear he sniffed and tasted each grass plant under the honeysuckle bush. Then he was off again. Every dried weed and tree trunk had to be thoroughly sniffed. Sometimes his tail would bottle up and sometimes he would rub a spot with his body. Oh, the stories he was reading! We do have a resident feral tomcat. And then there is all the wildlife, like bunnies and little rodents, with an occasional skunk. Sometimes I wish I could read scent language. He led me out back where I could watch the Red-shafted Flicker hammer out a nest hole in the dead cottonwood. And that is where Robin was headed; at the bottom of the tree is a messy thicket of country roses, full of thorns. Every cat knows a thicket is prime ground for birds and rodents. But I was not getting into it and I wasn't letting him with his harness into it. So ensued the great tug of war! I know I have gotten a lot weaker with old age; but that cat is dang strong! He weighs at least 15 pounds; probably more. But I got a good grip on the harness and planted my feet solidly and then tried to sugar talk him. Hmph! They say cats can't taste sweet. Maybe that is why sugar talking doesn't work. So we had a stalemate. He finally flopped down and proceeded to soak up some sun. He did look comfy; if you didn't look at his laid back ears and the tip of his tail! So I got a good view of the Flicker while Robin was pouting. But he soon got bored and got up. Then we had another vigorous trek across the yard, sniffing things and nibbling grass. We finally got back to the house and I thankfully went in and rested. But the lure of the spring weather called. So I got Djoser's red harness and leash and went looking for him. I found him fast asleep covered up in my blankets. He does love a hidden nest. I managed to slip the harness on him before he got fully awake; even though Robin was playing with the end of the leash. I carried him towards the door and had my son hang onto Robin while I slipped out. I set Djoser down in a nice patch of grass; whereupon, my elderly, portly puddy-tat transformed into a sleek Black Panther! The smell of the wild mesmerized him so he didn't even feel the harness. He had a good time slipping through the jungle of dried grass and weeds and patches of green grass. At one point a gust of wind swirled and sent a large dried cottonwood leaf rolling toward him. He poufed and jumped into the air. But when he came down, he was the Black Panther after game. He quickly caught and killed his prey. No meat to it, so he lost interest. On the other side of the house he found a little patch of green that was very interesting. He settled down and munched and dug in the turf and munched some more. Then he rolled in it. I looked but saw only a bit of green. Maybe something related to catnip. He wanted to get into the chokecherry thicket; but I was firm with him. There are no thorns; but there are a lot of little trunks to get tangled in. After a lot of grass nibbling and sniffing, we got back to the house. I rested some more. I was really getting my exercise. I finally told myself I might as well get Sheba out while I am doing outings. So I get her harnessed up and carry her out to the fenced-in flower bed and let her go. She immediately remembered the lilacs as the place where she used to ambush wrens a few years ago. Then a robin landed on a fence post. Maybe it is the bold one that would sit and wait for me to water things so the earthworms would come up. Sheba spotted it and made a sudden rush. The robin flew and Sheba complained to me. Hey, I didn't scare it away. Then a big fly buzzed her face and she moved fast. Chomp, chomp. Smack lips! EWWW! Then she settled down in the sun to wash a bit. Everything was warm and peaceful. Then we spotted movement under the juniper trees. It was a ring-necked pheasant! (side note: we have a dingdang hunt club a few miles away. They ship in game birds which they keep in cages until the hunt. Everytime they have a hunt some of the birds get away from the hunters and some make their way here. We feed them cracked corn. I reckon some end up as coyote food. But I would rather the coyotes get them than the dingdang hunters.) So Sheba sees and smells the pheasant. Oh, boy! Chicken on the hoof! she thinks. She points her nose and moves like a juggernaut towards the bird. She never saw the chicken wire fence until her nose hit it. She shrieks--the pheasant shrieks and takes off--Sheba tries to climb the fence, all the time sounding off! I manage to grab her with her clawing and fighting to get over the fence and her yelling at me that her chicken is getting away! I finally get her to the house and give her some treats to try to calm her down. She eats them grudgingly, all the time growling and complaining that I let her chicken get away! Sorry, Sheba. So, humbly, I go and put some bandaids on my battle wounds. She was mad at me the rest of the evening. -- CATherine |
#5
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BW--Spring Outing--long
On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 06:57:18 +0300, Marina
wrote: CATherine wrote: After the big snow storm, the weather got real nice. Some of the snow is still out there; but the air has that warm softness you find only in the spring. So I decided to take the cats out one at a time on the harness. What a lovely description! Thank you Catherine. You had me LOLing and remembering fond memories of walking Frank and especially Nikki. I am happy to know I have stirred fond memories. I hope you get to go to the island again this year. -- CATherine |
#6
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BW--Spring Outing--long
On 30 Mar 2006 05:27:11 -0800, "Suz" wrote:
CATherine wrote: After the big snow storm, the weather got real nice. Some of the snow is still out there; but the air has that warm softness you find only in the spring. So I decided to take the cats out one at a time on the harness. Sounds like a wonderful adventure. Suz&Spicey We had fun, as well as exercise. Do you ever take Spicey out? -- CATherine |
#7
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BW--Spring Outing--long
On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 10:26:04 -0600, "Karen"
wrote: WHat a lovely recounting of a lovely day. It was a real nice day and a lot of fun. The first outing of Spring is always the best. Maybe because winter has been so dreary. I feel renewed. -- CATherine |
#8
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BW--Spring Outing--long
CATherine wrote:
After the big snow storm, the weather got real nice. Some of the snow is still out there; but the air has that warm softness you find only in the spring. So I decided to take the cats out one at a time on the harness. (side note: when I first got the harnesses a few years ago, I took all three cats out at once. That was a disaster. Not only because there were three cats; it was because they were convinced the harnesses had them tied to the ground. When they would move, it was only at a dead run in opposite directions!) Jeff has been good about training Robin to the leash, taking him out occasionally. But it has been a couple months. So I thought I would start with him. I found him asleep on the porch snuggled up on the wool blanket. I slipped the harness on him, as he raised his head groggily. snip -- CATherine It's so nice to see you back with us, CATherine! Best wishes for you, Jeff and the kitties, Polonca and Soncek |
#9
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BW--Spring Outing--long
On Fri, 31 Mar 2006 23:03:38 +0200, polonca12000
wrote: CATherine wrote: After the big snow storm, the weather got real nice. Some of the snow is still out there; but the air has that warm softness you find only in the spring. So I decided to take the cats out one at a time on the harness. It's so nice to see you back with us, CATherine! Best wishes for you, Jeff and the kitties, Polonca and Soncek Thanks for the welcome. It feels good to be creative and participating again. -- CATherine |
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