More cats

Following last week's story about the cat and the birds -

All cats, with barely an exception, chase birds.  (I should make special mention of Holly, who will look you in the eye and tell her that the little birdies just drop into her mouth when she yawns.  My sister will believe anything those cats tell her.)

I've just spent two days with my parents, and was given the lowdown on the local cats. Dad pretends that they're a nuisance and annoy him, but (a) he's a cat person and (b) they know it.  There's a gregarious black one that stalks along the tops of fences, and a rather sweet little white and tortoiseshell little thing with a tail like a ring tailed lemur and a love of attention.  And then there's the tortoiseshell Cattitude Cat.

I suspect Dad really admires the persistent and sheer feline cunning of the Cattitude Cat, but in a Cat-and-Birdie fight, he'll always be on the side of the underling.  He once saw Catt spring in one leap from the ground to the top of the bird box, crouch down and swipe a paw at the entrance hoping to catch something.  After that, Dad put a tray of water on top of the bird box. Catt only tried it once.

On Monday afternoon, I looked up to see something moving in the cherry tree, just at the point when a couple of blackbirds flew out.  Cattitude was hiding up there, leaping from branch to branch in all directions without a chance of catching anything.   I suspect the birds were pulling faces and going 'naa-na, na-naa-na, can't catch me for a penny cup of tea' behind its back, but a good time was had by all.

I came back to find the valley warm and sunny, the roses flowering happily by the front door, and the proofs of my next book on the dining room table. And your comments, which always get me excited - it's like getting a surprise letter in the post.  Good to be home.