Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Daily Pics #303.
Good morning everyone! It’s a cloudy and chilly morning here today, with a temp of 18F (-8C). And there are some snowflakes blowing around out there as well, with a light dusting of snow on the ground. When I put the feeders out this morning it was just getting light and it was quiet, not a bird anywhere. Then I heard some redpolls chirping as they were flying around, likely waiting for me to get out of the way so they could come down for breakfast. They do come early those tiny birds, always before there is much daylight. I guess that way they can eat in peace for awhile before any other birds show up. Then a couple of ravens flew past. Soon the chickadees were here as well. It took a little longer and the blue jays finally showed up also, so I put peanuts out for them. Jasper must have heard those peanuts dropping on the step and he came running through the trees amazingly fast and arrived in time to get some peanuts too. Of course he had to spend some time chasing the blue jays as well, but that came after he got a couple of peanuts.
Then he went ‘crazy’ again, running in circles and then charging after those blue jays! The blue jays don’t seem to be at all concerned about any of this. One blue jay just flew over to the bench beside the house, Jasper came after him, he flew back across the deck to the feeder pole, Jasper ran after him, he flew back to the bench with Jasper right behind so back to the feeder pole. This kept on for awhile and there wasn’t even any peanuts to fight over at that time. So I tossed another handful of peanuts out there and Jasper was first to get one and ran off. At least it stopped that back and forth chasing. Jasper must have been getting tired. I wonder how long they would have kept it up? I think the blue jay was enjoying it but I don’t think Jasper was. The blue jays got the rest before Jasper returned, so I gave him another peanut. Yesterday Jasper took a peanut and ‘hid’ it in the yard. A blue jay was watching. Jasper left and the blue jay came down, grabbed the peanut and was back up in the tree very quickly. But Jasper saw him and he went running up that tree and out on the branch, but the blue jay just flew off with the peanut. Jasper sat there chattering at him.
Speaking of Jasper, that’s him in our featured image at the top, sitting casually on the hanging feeder eating his breakfast on a warm July morning. Then we have a beautiful and bright Asiatic lily to bring cheer on a cool, cloudy morning. Or any other morning for that matter. Thank you all for stopping by this morning, I hope you have a most wonderful day and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2020 Steve McLeod.
20/20 Investigations, Inc. The curious Letter. Chapter 8.
Meow, meow!=Hurry, hurry! We have to find Mr. Cat right away! You take too long, hurry! Poor Muffin. She was running in circles. “Hey kitten, slow down, you’ll wear yourself out before we even start looking,” I told her. I was ready finally. “Okay Muffin, let’s get going,” I said. We went to the kitchen first to let Charlie know we were going out, but all 3 of them were in there. “Mr. Cat is gone,” I said, “we have to look for him, we have already checked the other rooms.” Lena handed me a note, “grandpa found this on the kitchen table.” It was a simply worded note on a torn piece of paper. ‘Go home. You have lost one cat. If you stay you will lose the other cat. Then you lose your life. Your choice.’ It was written in french, but Lena interpreted it for me.
Muffin looked at me. “We’re not leaving without Mr. Cat Muffin, so don’t worry,” I said to her, “we’ll find him.” “We’re going out to look around,” I said, “not sure when we will be back.” “I packed some food for you two, I knew you would want to look for him,” said Lena, “and I’m going too.” “It’s better for you to stay behind,” I said. She went out the door ahead of me. “Are you coming?”, she asked. I guess she’s coming with us. We looked all around the farm buildings but Mr. Cat was nowhere to be seen. Could they have taken him somewhere else? If they did we will never find him. He does have his special collar on, but we are not getting a signal from it. Maybe they took his collar off? Did they kill him? I don’t even want to think of that and I’m certainly not going to mention that possibility either.
Now I wonder where Muffin went, I thought to myself. “Muffin is down at the other end of the field,” said Lena, “you can see her bouncing through the grass.” Lena and I must have been thinking the same thing. “She’ll be worn out quickly if she keeps that up, and she hasn’t eaten anything yet either,” I said. We checked the small fields near the farm but still no sign of Mr. Cat. Muffin came running back. She looked at me, she was so sad, and so tired. I picked her up. She put her head against mine and finally meowed. Meow, meow?=We find Mr. Cat? Please tell me we find him. “Yes Muffin, we will find Mr. Cat and if anyone has hurt him they will pay for it,” I told her. “There’s another field behind those trees,” said Lena, “and some old broken down buildings too, let’s check there.” “Good idea,” I said. “And I’ll carry Muffin for awhile,” Lena added.
I think Muffin enjoyed that and we were on our way. Lena didn’t mention just how far behind those trees we had to go, it was getting to be quite a walk and it was now noon. Meanwhile…Meow.=Ohhh, my little head still go ‘boing, boing’, not fun, and I still on big hill. Sun shining, it hard on eyes, can’t see good, not feeling good, I go sleep again, maybe I feel better. What happening to me? Where everybody go? I tired, sleep now. He goes back under the the pine tree and curls up in the shade on a thick soft mat of pine needles. We finally made it to that field Lena mentioned. Muffin took off right away to search the broken down buildings while Lena and I walked around checking all the junk that was lying around the field. Near to what was likely an old house, we found a well.
Someone had been walking around here before us. We looked into the well. It was deep. We both got that terrible feeling. “Muffin, come here,” I called. She came running over. Meow, meow?=You find something? “No, but I want you to sit on my shoulder and call for Mr. Cat as loud as you can,” I told her. She jumped up and started calling. Meanwhile…Meow.=What that? I thought I heard something, I turn ears…I hear again, it sound like Muffin, I call to her. Poor Mr. Cat, he tried so hard to call, but could barely get out a small meow. Meow…it is Muffin, I need to call…but so weak…can barely sit up. Finally he let out one loud and long howl! Meow, meow!=Over there, cried Muffin and off she went like a little gray rocket with Lena and I trying to keep up running through tall weeds and brush. “There he is!” I yelled.
To Be Continued.
Pictures of Mr. Cat, above, are supplied by his human, Nina.
Previous chapters and stories can be found on my home page under 20/20 Investigations, Inc.
©2020 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 