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| Sammy and Patty with tipped ears |
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| Think of how this looked in the dark |
Now that my so-called wild feral cats allow me to pet them, I often spend time just sitting on the back deck snuggling with them, or watching them eat their kibble-n-canned mush. Due to the change from Daylight Savings Time, I sit in the dark. Recently, while cooing and petting my three furry-four-footed friends, a quick glance over my shoulder and what is that!? Another cat, sitting quietly on the deck edge. In the evening light, the cat looked white or light grey. After a second of panic at spying a ghostly image, I called to the cat and offered some kibble. "C'mon, kitty kitty kitty!" "Have some kibble, baby!" No movement. Curious, but cautious so as to not scare the critter away, I slowly rolled on my hip and stretched out a hand. Still no movement. Hmm! After a few more moments, I screwed up my courage and crept closer...then closer still. I finally put out a mittened hand...and touched concrete. A garden statue!
My heart still racing because I thought I was in the presence of a ghost cat, I walk back inside and demand to know why hubby had placed a statue out there without telling me. He declares his innocence, saying he had no idea what I was talking about. Hrmph! Next morning, I check out the offending item in the daylight, and it's obviously been in someone's garden for a long time, and there are chips and nicks plus a bit of green. I am thinking...who? Why? Whaa???
Mystery solved the next day when a kindly neighbor emailed with details on why she thought I should have her cat statue, since she only has dogs now. She knows I'm a cat lady, and since no one answered our door (doorbell doesn't work and I was gone all day anyhow), she just set it on the deck and walked away.
I have been on the look-out for a garden statue for awhile, but everything seemed too schmaltzy, or too pretty. I wanted something with character. And this little gift has a notched ear, which looks just like the ear-tipped ferals of mine. I love it!
Silly: yes. A work of art: sorta. A perfect, shabby-chic decoration for the yard: priceless! A moment of fright for me, but a wonderful gift that stands exactly where it was placed.
(Reprint from a previous email that I sent to friends and family last year)
