A midnight adventure.... and a sad tale ....

Last night, just before midnight, I received a terrible phone call. It was from Slinky and Malinky's new Mum. She was crying so hard that I thought, initially, that it was a crank call and hung up on her.

Luckily she called back, and the only words that I could make out were "I can't find Slinky".

"I'll be right over" I said. And ran next door to wake my Mum up (to mind my boys) before rushing over there.

I arrived, to be greeted by my friend in SUCH a state that she literally couldn't talk. She had been looking for him for 15 hours.

I walked out her back door, re-assuring her that I would help her find him, and that he would be okay, and instantly he appeared.

INSTANTLY. After 15 hours of her searching and calling and panicking.

Little bugger.

I can't help but think that he was (in his own way) protesting that fact that I had appeared again and then disappeared. And that he was waiting for me to return.

There's really no other explaination.

Cats (particularly those with Burmese blood in them) are very loyal. I had a divine little Burmese called Felix once. When I moved overseas, he stayed in my house with my flatmate. He sat at the end of my driveway for 2 weeks waiting for me. He wouldn't eat, drink or move.

I came home for a flying visit after 12 months and went straight from the airport to visit him. I saw him every day for 5 days while I was home. And then I left again.

He returned to his position at the end of the driveway and refused to move, eat or drink. And after two weeks, he simply died.

Broke my heart.

And now I'm thinking that I should not visit Slinky and Malinky again. That my selfishness in wanting SO much to see them only makes them suffer.

Some joy....

As I've written, I've received a lot of joy from visiting Slinky and Malinky twice a day for the last week. Here is Boo with both cats.... not a great photo, but Slinky was being totally unco-operative and I wanted to show how gorgeous they are, if only because they are identical...


Here is Malinky.... again very difficult to photograph because he walks towards me every time I crouch down....


And here's a Skink that was sitting on the hot wall. Beautiful and still. A lesson for me in stillness...


Today was a big day for "her". I was there all day, and snapped her window sill early this morning. Trying to find beauty in sadness...