Companions

I walked today. I carried India Ink and Snowflake down the lane so that they would have to walk further than the deck door before they could ask to get in; they’ve decided they do not like winter! I then turned around and walked back to the house through the pine trees along the lane. Snowy decided to follow me; when I was half way up the row of trees, I found that India had followed me as well. India mewed and complained; Snowie bounded around and climbed trees. We walked around the house and they decided they had had enough adventure; they headed towards the deck door while I headed towards the shed. There were no calves inside. I walked past the old wagon and behind the row of trees beside the field.


Walking through the pines

Although Snowflake and Inky had left me, several other cats had joined me. I’m not sure why cats like to take walks with me—I’m always suspicious that their fuzzy little brains think that I’m going to feed them. Some days I’ll walk two hills up the road and back with some fuzz ball mewing a sad song the whole time about not being able to keep up to me. I’ve a soft heart, so I pick them up and carry them as long as they are willing to have the ride. It never takes long before they squirm out of my arms only to continue to complain about the trip. Most days they try to guess where I am going by walking directly in front of me. I side step them and try to keep going while they rush to get in front of me again. I kick the gravel as I walk to make noise that, I hope, will keep them from wanting to walk under my feet. Some times it works.

Well, anyway…today I had several fuzzies following me through the snow and mud along the shorn cornrows. They seemed to want to know where I was going and why I was going there. They climbed on the machinery, crawled under fences, and sharpened their claws on dead wood as they patiently waited for me to show them where to go next. I squeezed through the trees at the end of the fence and wandered around in the barren wood. Down the lot further I could hear birds twittering. I was able to get close enough to see a cardinal and a couple of sparrows, but my companions’ mutual interest seemed to make it difficult to get close enough to get a photo.

I walked across the back yard across snow that had melted into crusty ice. The cats walked daintily across without leaving any paw marks; I crunched through the shallow layers. Inside the house I found India and Snowflake, let in by my daughter, waiting impatiently for their supper.

Life is good.