Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Dear Fly

Mrrrrr Friends,

I do not consider myself to be a faint-hearted man-cat. I do not shrink from intruder cats, or wild animals - fishers, foxes, hawks, snakes - ambling through my territory. I am also not a foolish cat, chasing animals bigger than me who have every right to do their thing, or wandering out beyond my  limitations....okay, there is the sometimes too daring tree-scaling. We'll call that the exception that proves the rule.

I am an endearingly cute, but basically sober and solid (of mind and body) guy.

It is because of this though, that the whole deer fly incident continues to weigh heavily on my psyche. Karma seems to have shifted about and is constantly pitting me against the deer fly population. Yesterday, Oom let me go out the front door...fewer bugs there as it is farther from the brook and wetlands. No sooner did I descend from the porch but was met by a deer fly who landed on my butt...I swiveled and shook him, ran a few yards, he followed, and dove into my fur. Rude if you ask me. I frisked him off with my paw and ran for the back door meowling for Oom to move quick and open it. I dived in.

It wasn't pretty. One might suggest it wasn't manly. But I ask you, would you stand and let a deer fly bite you?

It is hard to go outside, but I will persevere. I am a cat with an innate curiosity and my love of the outdoors will always win out.

I must assume this is a phase. The planets will realign, the earth will rotate and the deer flies will die in the not too distant frost of winter...if I don't get them first.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

The Cat and Existential Crisis

Mrrrrr Friends,

I woke up from a restful sleep, deep in the middle of the afternoon. My heart was pounding, paws sweating, head reeling, tail akimbo...thinking..."that cat? Have I become that cat?" An...I can't really even say it...an  indoor cat?

Now I know you are thinking, "Diesel, dude, you are an indoor cat." But I say no...I have my freedom. Oom is always there, faithfully ready to go out in all weather to hang and explore with me, follow my antics, watch me climb trees. I was an indoor/outdoor, kinda drip-dry cat.

Now, I stick my head out and there are bugs, and I have to muster my courage. I didn't blog about it...it was so traumatic. A month ago, I got bit by a deer fly...or maybe it was a cat fly. It hurt! It bit me in the butt and my leg got all puffy. Man, for days I was thinking I would never go out again. Okay for weeks...

I did, however,  go see Ant Becky's orangey spotty fish yesterday, and roll around on the bricks. Oh, and Sunday I went down to the brook with Boo and went out to my rock.

Maybe it was just a post-fly/mid-life crisis? Maybe it was all a bad dream?

Mrrrrr. I think I'll go sleep on some Kierkegaard.