SNOW!

The patio door opened and I was away in an instant, bounding in great strides across the patio. It took two good leaps and I slammed face first into the fluffy white pile at the edge of the newly shovelled swath of concrete. I rolled, coming through the other side and skidding down the little slope before coming to rest on my back.

I jumped up nd in n instant was standing in snow up to my chest. Smudge was standing on the patio, just as prim and proper as ever. Her nose was turned up slightly, like she was some snooty upper crust Persian purebred and not black and white short-haired dumpster trash like me.

Fat fluffy-white snow flakes drifted from the night sky, like tiny little spirits. They tumbled and landed in my fur. One settled on my wet nose and hung there a moment before disappering before my eyes. It was magical and I for the first time envied the humans who could laugh and cheer over such tiny wonders. That excitement roared in my chest so that the only thing remaining was to roll and twist in that cold wet snow. From the patio Smudge watched jealously for a moment, when she thought I wasn't looking.

"What gives, doll?" I exclaimed, shaking off snow clinging to the fur and whiskers over my eyes. "Cut loose and live a little."

"I'm just fine right here," she replied. Truth be told she had loosened up a bit lately, but there was still that reticence to really let her black and white hair down.

"The fun is out here, in the snow," I said. "You don't know what..."

"What I'm missing?" she looked down her long black nose. Smudge loweredher ears as if to make a point. I could see the gentle sweeping motion of her tail and new it was all an act.

"I'm just saying."

"I spent a winter on the streets, sleeping in dumpsters, chasing scrawny mice for a meal, trudging from one dump to the next through snow and sludge and cold. I ate plastic some days just fill my belly and caught a cold that all but did away with me. Now I have a warm house, humans that are slaves to most everything I want, a nice soft bed, decent food, and I am I thank the good Mother Earth everyday for that blessing. Now if you will excuse me I am going back inside to lick myself and take a nap!"

What an act! Give her the Academy Award. I shook my head and took another run at that snow drift. Coming up a second time I spied Smudge in the window beside the lavender plant. "Dames!"

Hey, Doll

The sunlight was warm through the window. Was a lamentable light, as tired and distant as I felt. Smudge was up on the shelf beside the Lavender Plant, lightly napping. Her tail drifted lazily back and forth. Her face was reflected in the window, those big golden leopard-like eyes struggling to remain open.


I didn't want to be alone. No intention of starting trouble, just sometimes a cat needs another cat to cuddle with. Never mind that that other cat might be a she-devil incarnate. Maybe that was a bit too much, but the tension in the house since I'd arrived had all but exhausted me.


"Hey, doll," I said, matter of fact, leaping up onto the shelf beside her. "This spot taken?"


"Depends on who's taking it?" It was a feeble reply, as if she was growing tired of all this too. Still, I wasn't about to read too much into things, nor was a in the mood for a fight.


"In the meantime, how about I keep it warm, huh?"


"Suit yourself," she said, without looking at me. Her eyes were still closed.


"Could have cut the tension with a knife. Was more than I could take. I hd to get a few things off my furry brown and yellow chest. My tail chopped unconsciously at the air, an indication of just how much she set me off.


"Something I have to say..."


Smudge snapped her head around. Her eyes narrowed at me. I could see the tightness in her whiskers, the agitated beat of her tail. The hair on her back rose just a little.


"Listen," she said, "it's quiet and comfortable here. I can barely tolerate you right now. Consider that progress, just don't push things. In an hour, if we're still here and one of us hasn't been killed then that's a good thing."

With that Smudge turned away and let her eyes close slowly. I laid my head down on the shlf and side heavily, and thought to myself, "love is hell."

ON SPEAKING HUMAN

Started picking up some of their odd language. It’s as much a matter of getting by and getting along, as it is a means of gathering intelligence. Made a break for it the other night. As soon as the male human opened the patio door I bolted for freedom. I was half way down the alley when he chased me down, pulled ahead and cut me off. It was at that moment I realized, I had no real plan and no place to go! I think I learned a couple new human words I can’t repeat in proper company.

Interesting little quirk of humans seems to be their habit of naming everything. They call me Oliver. At the shelter I was called Boris. There were maybe twenty other cats at the shelter, and a dozen or so dogs. Knew ‘em all by sniff. Since the humans control the food and the water, and since innocently digging in a houseplant, playfully hanging from a curtain, or needing to stretch my claws on the soft side of the antique loveseat can bring a swat to the tail, be st that I respond to “Oliver.”

“Outside,” for instance, I believe is the human word for freedom. “Oliver, whanntago-outside,” appears to mean, “Oliver, would you like to be free?” They obviously have an odd idea about freedom. Half way across the yard and I’m getting blasted by a squirt gun, or they change their mind after a short time and drag me back inside.

The oddest phrase is, and mind you, I’m still working on this one, “whoowhannzsumm food?” Bit of a misnomer, this. We obviously have vastly different ideas about food. Nearest I can figure, this phrase translates loosely into, “I will feed you pre-formed cold gruel from a small can.” How about a nice fresh fish for a change, a bony little mouse, or even a hummingbird for a change? Now that's what I call a meal!

There is one word I’ve come to actually appreciate. Not sure entirely what it means. All I know is that it is accompanied by a warm hug, a gentle kiss to the head or a scratch of the belly. The humans use it with one another as well, cuddling on the couch, watching television in the dark, or returning home looking exhausted from where ever it is they go during the day. Just last night, sitting at the end of the bed I watched them kiss gently before turning off the light. It is the simplest of words but seems to say so much more than any other human word I’ve hear to date: Love