Her worn collar long faded and stained used to be hot summer pink with lime-colored palm trees dancing ‘round Set against a pale yellow-white coat – she might as well have been wearing diamonds Later came the grass and mud, chocolate (swiped pastry) and a few garden remnants… over time each stain became an embedded…
After reaching the waterfront she settled on the old concrete bulkhead next door I at the end of the dock Maisie rested against my hip as Fox and I regarded each other from a suitable distance A few water birds passed lazily overhead but did not disturb And so we sat ignoring, and wondering about…
Cats? No more. more cats? No no more cats! Please. Traded: one good airplane for tiny flea and pneumonia ridden kitten it must have been the heat – and humidity of late July Maisie the dog licks, cajoles, barks plays the daily game of chase while we sit and watch Doomed by birth into an…
In the foggy Seattle dusk it was easy to ignore the silent wending through our maze of legs Neighbors gathered, discussing the somethings – and nothings – of daily life She seeking only warmth nourishment, safety from predators When the inevitable question was carelessly loosed into the night laughter couldn’t disguise the response – No…
I love the sense of freedom and quiet the sights sounds and smells that I experience on an early morning walk Rabbits silently lope from spot to spot in search of breakfast an old dog greets us from well within his castle gates Occasionally someone else is also up and walking usually (like me) with…
December had barely finished spelling out its name, yet huge, wet snowflakes silently …
In comes tree (bearing the faint chill of a Chesapeake December) Shake loose its branches and gather round to mark the end of another year! Catching scents of pine and cinnamon Annie slowly, tentatively settles on the green chair to oversee decorating from a distance Hot mulled cider tastes especially good on a night such…
We never wanted two cats and a dog the white picket fence and the station wagon The world waited just over the horizon Odd isn’t it how our fondest memories are of kids and dogs two old cats rule we no longer need yet have two station wagons all a part of creating a place…
No feral cats roam the island sit on windowsills sleep on forgotten front porches Trimmings that made houses homes days holidays seasons special. Gone. war came. duty called. Then the world changed. Snug in St. Maggie’s Dale cats hiss and scamper sneak around corners bivouac under a chair Jimmy the dog has come to stay…
Out of storage comes one love seat two boxes of books three cardboard chests marked ‘fragile’. Five candles, found, can light windows. still needed – a little space for the Christmas tree. Reunited with love seat and a patch of sun Annie and Coco snuggle peacefully. Ah, the wisdom of cats! Merry Christmas!
After days (and nights) of constant activity I sink into your chair the bigness of your flannel robe softly folded around me Cat jumps into my lap and we surrender cocooned in the warm leather How long could I feign ignorance of your absence? Hurry home
& then it was Christmas Day! sleep – silent snow blankets the earth with only an occasional whisper the world is at peace. even the cats sleep on…