of cats and hens and not much else

I decided to take down the previous post and write a marginally more interesting update. It’s been a slightly weird time, with very mild weather that’s encouraged one of my roses, some pansies, fuchsias, hellebores and marigolds to bloom bravely if unseasonably; it’s not just me who’s a bit bewildered at the moment. Then, suddenly, last weekend the cold swept up and I realised it was nearly the end of November and where had the time gone?

Chicken news

Fluffy and Night Fluffy are now small hens. They grew really fast! After a short period of fluffiness, they spent weeks in motley as the fluff was replaced by feathers. Night Fluffy’s feathers are very beautiful and iridescent. We still don’t know whether they are boys or girls, but we think they are girls. Interestingly, Daisy, their foster mother, who used to regard herself as equal to our other hen, Flower (I don’t do the naming here), has become very bossy and dominant. She isn’t always very nice to Flower. Flower seems to cope though.

Cat news

The green-eyed monster prowls our house. In the Pre-Kitten Era, Mister Puss treated me with disdain and during the summer would never spend much time with us anyway. Now, a combination of cold weather and the loss of Sooticus has encouraged him to hang out in the homestead a bit more.

Unfortunately, he has noticed that Clara likes sleeping in my lap. Outrageous!

He never cared to do so before, but now squeaks with rage if he sees her there and has pointedly started claiming it for himself when he can. Now whenever I sit down it seems one of them will leap onto my knee and then give Hard Stares of a Triumphal Nature to the other.

Reading news

I’ve been starting lots of books and not finishing them. This is unusual for me. Is the weather unsettling me, or can I just not find the right book? Is anyone else feeling like this?I had hoped to write a post about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland this month, as it’s the 150th centenary of its first publication, and I rashly lashed out and bought a copy of the annotated centenary edition, and it is HUGE, I can’t take it on the bus and even reading it in bed or on the sofa is vaguely offputting. And I keep getting distracted by all the notes. So that post may not happen...

Comments

[Jenny @ Reading the End]

I too am feeling like this! I try and try and nothing ever gets finished! I swear I am going to read books soon, alll the way through. Meanwhile, your kitties are beautiful!

[Harriet]

Oh I know those Hard Stares of a Triumphal Nature!

[Helen]

Aw, thanks Jenny, they are, despite the crap photos. I'm always impressed by how many books you manage to read and review, so I'm sorry you're having difficulty too. Here's to finishing some books!

Heh, Harriet, yes - do your cats do them too? And to be distinguished from Hard Stares Indicating Telepathic Communication, at which Mister Puss excels (although the telepathic communication itself has yet to succeed).

[Stefanie]

The weather here was unusually warm well into November. Then we had a temperature plunge and now we have snow! I love your chickens! Is that Flower looking right into the camera? That photo cracked me up! I am so very much looking forward to getting my chickens in the spring!

[Helen]

Oooh, snow! I'm envious!

It is indeed Flower looking into the camera - Daisy's delusions of power don't seem to bother her terribly. Today she tried to eat my coat buttons.

I can't wait for you to have chickens either! And I am so impressed by your coop-building activities. Our home-made one fell to bits after a few years; reading about the building of yours is most inspiring.

[Stefanie]

About four months and I'll be getting the chicks. Gives me time to figure out where and how to keep them indoors until they get their feathers, the coop gets done, and it is warm enough for them to move into it!

[Helen]

Oooh yes, you'll need to keep them away from the tender paws of your cats too. When does spring come to Minnesota?

[Martina]

We have a similar well-loved cupboard. With similar cherished and precious old china on it. And much too often - also a cat on it, on a spot where a cat actually doesn't belong and where there is not enough room for any paws anyway. Strange thing...
(What a beauty your's is! He knows, doesn't he?)
So sorry to hear about Sooticus - I saw it only now.

[Helen]

Thanks for your kind words, Martina. :)

That is indeed strange! I tremble for your china! In fact, we don't have any beautiful china out for cats to smash, although Clara managed to knock over the wooden bowl and break that. At the moment she's fully occupied with the Christmas tree, which may not survive the festive period.

And Mister Puss is definitely a stranger to humility. I will pass on your compliment to him though.

[litlove]

The weather here today (19th December) is nicer than on many a summer day. A Christmas gift from global warming, I assume. I've had a very up and down year with reading, going through a massive novel slump in the middle of it. But I do love hearing about your animals. Our cat, Harvey, is jealous of Mr Litlove, and if he gets on his lap, sits there staring at me with exactly that Triumphal Nature you describe so well. Adore those hen names.

[Helen]

Oh how frustrating to have a great slump like that! As for cats, they have a great talent for turning the smallest achievement, even when you didn't actually know it was a competition, into a major reason for Triumph and Gloating. I suppose they must all be paranoid and insecure. Or reincarnated Roman emperors.