Autumn Cottage Diarist

Office Junior

In the office all day again today - which is not as easy as yesterday, when it poured with rain, and howled with wind. Today the sun is glorious again...but stuff at the keyboard needs to be done.

It's not all bad, though, when I have a little companion to keep me company. The office window is wide open, so Pip is happily coming and going through that. He has just attempted to catch a pheasant in the garden - which given the size of Pip and the size of the cock pheasant, was something of a non-runner for him - unlike the pheasant, who did ALL the running - finally fluttering off in a desultory fashion when he got sick of the little Pip-squeak!

I'm off down under the desk now - the Little Innocent in the photograph has just pulled out several cables from the back of my scanner which I can only reinstate with much crawling and fiddling....threats to chop off his tail and make pussycat stew for supper were met by his quick exit out through the window once again!

I feel a constitutional walk along "The Drove" coming on...this sunshine is all too enticing for me.

Safe

Here is Pip, occupying the position he has kept in my office since yesterday morning, except for when Lissie has been sitting there - they have both hardly left my side since the awful events of Wednesday night. Surely, they understand. Both Pip and Liss have also been extraordinarily affectionate to me, with much sitting upon my lap, purring and rubbing against my hand. Again, they understand. Cats seem to have a bypass straight to the heart, without needing to pass "Go" - or collect £200.00

The next image is just a thumbnail - click on it if you feel you can bear to have your heart touched deeply by seeing the full sized image. It is of Pip, saying "Goodbye" to Lily, which I encouraged him to do while I was digging her grave. This image is not gruesome, just immensely sad - but I felt that it was better for him that he could see, smell and gently wash his sister one last time, rather than just be mystified by her disappearance.

When I went to the post box to collect the mail yesterday lunchtime, I found these beautiful flowers, left by the young woman who had the misfortune to hit Lily. The two white flowers are - Lilies.

The kindness of strangers. Putting aside her own distress, which it was clear she felt when she alerted me to the accident, she came back and thought of me. I will not print her name, but I know some local residents read this Blog - if they know who she is, or if she herself is reading, please know that I am deeply touched by this gesture, and by her bothering to stop at all, so preventing any further mutilation of my little cat. Thank you so very much.

Finally, can I thank everyone who left comments here? Please forgive me if I do not reply to them all personally, just believe me when I say that each word meant so much to me.

Here's Lily's little grave - Goodnight, my sweet Princess.

My Beautiful Lily

I am so sorry to have to tell you all that just over two hours ago, my dear little girl was killed on the road outside the house, another beloved pet who has fallen victim to a passing car. Since the Newbury bypass was built ten years ago, the road has been so much quieter outside, but obviously still not quiet enough.

The young woman driver who had hit her was kind enough to knock and ask if I had a cat, and then direct me to her - I am so grateful that she was not left there on the road for other vehicles to run over her. Tomorrow, I will bury her in the garden of Autumn Cottage where she has played so happily all summer through.

I am heartbroken - I may well find Pip another, safer home while he is still young enough to settle elsewhere. I don't think I can bear any more heartache right now.

We Played and Played all Day...

This is Pippin, late last night, after all the kitties had spent their first whole day of springtime in the garden. I was outside for the longest time - and so, in turn, were they - chasing birds, bunnies, butterflies and each other, and having the most blissful time.

This was also Pip, however, at 11 am today - and Lily followed suit. Both so fast asleep this morning, instead of rattling the doors for their breakfast, that I thought there was something dreadfully wrong. All it was, in fact, was two little kittens staying out to play all day like grown up cats - then discovering that they still  really needed their naps much more than they thought they did!

Hospital Basket

Lily & Pippin made a scheduled visit to the vet yesterday, for their  "little operations" and though Pippin bounced around very boisterously last night, Lily is feeling the worse for wear today. (I did notice Pippin cooling his "nether regions" on the cold quarry tiles last night, however!)
Lily has hardly moved today, except to visit me in my office, where I am labouring over a Hot Essay. She squeezed herself most uncomfortably between two piles of books, so I have made her a more comfortable "sun bed" for her, where she can get some heat lamp treatment for her sore insides, feel sorry for herself and have lots of pats and cuddles.

Lissy is curled up on the printer - another "hot spot" in the room, and Pip is now bedded down on the angora travel rug. They are no fools, are they? :-)

My, How They've Grown!

Lily and Lissie unpack antiques from Hungerford Arcade for me!

The Little Ones are not so little any more! They are into all sorts of mischief and giving Lissie a run for her money at every opportunity. Here are a few "catch up" shots...mostly of Pippin in the most peculiar poses - a proper little show off, if ever there was one!

Pippin in the "I'm keeping my eye on you even if I am asleep" pose

Lily keeping an eye on the camera, as Pippin practises his "Shirley Temple, paw under the chin and I'm so cute" pose

The "Ownership (of the bed) is nine tenths of the Law" pose

And just to show that he can sometimes be just a bit more "normal" (though if anyone knows what that is in this house, please mail me!) -

The "Butter wouldn't melt in our mouths" pose

Staying Close in Case of Emergency!

Here are the two Little Dears, staying very close today to "essential equipment" in case they should be caught short - well, one can never be too careful! (Click on image for larger version)

The two little dears now also have a name each - from Brigitte's suggestion, our Little Lady is now  "Lily", whilst after my five year old niece's visit, the Little Chap is now called "Pippin"

A close second, "pipped" at the post, were the lovely names of "Oro" and "Argenta" - Gold and Silver in Italian, suggested by Diana, and I was also oh, so tempted by "Charles and Camilla".

Both babies are now happily galloping over most of Autumn Cottage - Lissie, meanwhile, sits aloft upon any vantage point she can find, and looks haughtily down upon them, with the occasional, half hearted hiss and growl  - just because she thinks she ought to, not because there is any real malice in it. I suspect I might find them all eating from the same bowl in the not too distant future.

I leave you with Pippin, in training for being a Mouser, by "killing" both his felt toy and the nice, rustly piece of tissue paper by alternate attacks, ad infinitum. This sort of happy innocence is such a delight to see.

May I Introduce You?

To the latest members of the family? After two years we have succumbed and acquired two more kitty babies – so new that they don’t yet have names.

I have been bursting to tell the secret since I first saw them a week and a half ago – but they were too young to leave their mother then, and were only finally collected this morning. I wanted to keep them a surprise, and just about managed it. Now we have one little female and one little male to play with, act as a mattress for, wait upon, clean up behind, tickle, cuddle, remove from under my skirt (all done already!) and generally coo about.

Lissie has taken it reasonably well – one hiss, one gentle pat, a great deal of disdain, a toad hunt (to show that she is above such things as fawning over babies), and a rather large number of kitty treats to mollify her – all in all, I think she’s not feeling too miffed at the moment.

So – any suggestions for names? Hugh has volunteered "Dennis and Beryl" so far! Brit readers will know to whom he is alluding – others may need to be informed that "Dennis the Menace" and "Beryl the Peril" are much loved comic book characters whose adventures and escapades always got them into trouble. Hmm – perhaps they are not such bad names after all – but I am sure that there must be others...suggestions on an (e)postcard please!