Joys of Winter

Two robins in my garden, so a lot of "gerroff my patch" going on outside!

That summer home in Minnesota sounds divine, Ariadne

Loons are wonderful, aren't they! I have a beautiful linocut of a loon hanging in the bathroom, which I bought when in Canada.

Apparently there was one loon/ great norther diver, here in MK a few weeks back, blown south in a gale! Much twitcher excitement.

Thanks Jess*Butter*and Super ... a little sympathy/empathy goes a long way! xx

I have broken the ice on my garden pond 3 times today but the birds will be pleased that DH will be back from his biz trip and filling up the seed feeders tomorrow morning.

Butter I loved you word picture

Just catching up on this thread - some lovely writing on it. Thanks all!

I am hearing bird song in the mornings lately....

Wow - a setting harvest moon in a pale indigo sky this morning. Clear as a pin.

No snow!

That is lovely B. iron hard frost and grey skies here again. But the sun is shining somewhere.

Here's a bit for you Jess

Thank you. WE might have more snow tonight apparently.

Dear Rory
fine
fussy
feral cat
tomorrow could be an historic occasion
of sorts -
because we care
because we dare
you may be
tempted
trapped
transported
tiddled with and 'snipped' [by a vet]
after which you'll
rest
relax
recover
return
to a right royal homecoming.

'You have to be cruel to be kind'...but I feel rotten for putting you through the forthcoming trauma.

- Still, it's for the best, super. Do you thing he'll be less bloshy after having the snip?

Butter
Although he has lived in the wild for almost all his life [we think] Rory has adapted very well to his new "home" and "minders." If anyone calls at the house, he either runs and hides, or stands his ground and growls. He is very affectionate with us and follows my husband around the garden and into the shed. He has a day-bed [a rush basket with blanket] in which he rests outside the front door on good weather days. We haven't been subjected to bloshiness for several weeks. He has his routine and he seems to be in good health. I'm worrying myself silly over the business of capturing him. He'll then have the trauma of being transported 22 miles to the vet. That won't be the end of the matter, because the nice man wishes to capture his wifelet and the two kits, one of which is a female. Wifelet and kits live in the forest. They visit the garden late afternoon for high tea and a romp in and out of their father's apartment.

Oh crikey super! I can see that capturing him could present a problem - and sounds like he might not take to it kindly if he's still semi-feral. Do you have a date set for him yet? Perhaps just concentrate on Rory for the moment, wifelet and kits can continue to enjoy their high-tea for a bit longer!

Butter Advised not to give Rory breakfast. Nice man hopes to be here by 11.00 with trap, in which will be a tempting morsal. Nice man will need to keep out of sight. The moment we open the back door, Rory barges in, sharpens his claws on the door mat, and then follows me out to his apartment, where I shake his blankets and present him with food and clean water. Tonight, for a treat, he's having fresh chicken... If traps aren't available, I shall have fretted unduly, and he'll have had a reprieve.

Hope the nice man will arrive, and Rory will be done and dusted (to coin a phrase!)

super, I'm crossing everything in the hope that all goes according to plan without Bloshy taking a chunk out of nice man!

Butter bagitha My stomach is in knots and I feel nauseous. Rory reclining in his day-bed [just inside the back door]. Hasn't been fed but isn't making a fuss. Nice man could be here any time now, 'though he did say that if there wasn't a trap available, he would come another day. Quite frankly, I'm in such a dither, he may need to take me along for treatment

Will update when possible.

Is he going to give you the snip as well?

jeni Had mine twenty years ago.

supernana I'm on tenderhooks - will he be captured, how will it go! What a drama! I'm sure that once the initial trauma of capture is over and he is snipped and back home safely you can both relax. I have heard that cats are calmer once they are 'done'. Hope you can find something to distract yourself while he is gone

The nice man called, and Rory went awol...so now it's a waiting game

Sorry!

Why aren't I surprised?

Is nice man waiting too?

Seventimesfive This is all so silly and upsetting. Nice man has gone elsewhere for twenty minutes. When he returns, if Rory hasn't been tempted by the bait, we'll be in charge of the situation.