Day Two Hundred Seventy Five

Did You Say Something?

I'm struggling with my blog today. I don't know why - I mean it's not like I don't have plenty of material. Already this morning Boo! has climbed to the highest area she can reach next to the fireplace and proceeded to knock over a fairly large and heavy candlestick.

 

Also, she has been letting her brothers know she is not to be messed with by emitting a tremendous scream whenever they dare to try to wrestle with her or take away her favorite toy these days - a tiny pinecone.

That pinecone has become somewhat of a thing. Boo! was happily batting it around when Dash tried to take it (nothing is more fun than the toy someone else has.) She flew into a royal fit. I'm talking blow the top of your head off squealing. I ran out to the kitchen fully expecting to see blood, but all I saw was Dash looking dazed and confused and Boo! hiding her prize behind a gate.  It was also the hiding place of last week's favorite toy - her catnip mouse - and a half of a plastic Easter egg from the week before.

Boo!'s treasures - a tiny pinecone,
half of a plastic egg and a mouse.

As I was leaving the bedroom, I saw the pinecone, which is the size of a thimble, lying on the floor. I kicked it under the door and it immediately came back to me - compliments of a tiny Boo! paw. I sent it back and she returned it. We played this game until she got bored and went on to something else, like a nap.

No, there's a lot going on here. I just can't wrap my head around anything newsworthy. Oh, I could go on ad nauseam about politics and current events. But I have a strict commitment to stay on point - that being funny animal stories. I'm trying here, people.

Over the years, I have observed how the animals in my family seem to be able to read my mind - when it's to their advantage that is. Jack and Rooney will act like they were never given names in all these years - "Who are this 'Jack and Rooney' of whom you speak?" I can stand there calling them until I get hoarse, and they may or may not respond. However, if I am at the dinner table and so much as silently think, "Maybe I'll give some of ____ to Jack and Rooney" they jump to attention and the drooling begins.

I tried an experiment the other night at dinner. I intentionally cleared my head and then thought to myself, "Maybe I'll give some of this to Jack." His head spun around like Linda Blair's in The Exorcist and his ears perked up as if to say, "Wait. What? Did you just say Jack's getting something?" Not a word was spoken.

Trust me, this never works when I want something - like room on the couch; for both of them to go out the same door, or for both of them to come back inside as I'm standing there getting soaking wet or freezing my butt off.

The cats are another matter. Not only will they intentionally ignore you, they will actually do the complete opposite of what you want. It's like they can also read your mind and use it against you. "Oh, did you say you have to leave for an appointment and you want me to not go into your bedroom? Well, then I am not only going in there, I am going straight under your bed to the spot where you can never reach me. Sorry. I'm a cat and we have a reputation to uphold."

Fancy was just calling to me. He sort of panics when he can't see me. In all fairness, I do the same when I can't find him. Anyway, I know it's him because I swear, when he gets nervous, he calls for "Mumma."  I heard, "Mumma! Where are you?" I knew it was him because Eli calls for me by saying, "Hullo-oo?" Well, that, and when I responded with, "Mum's in the living room!" it was Fancy who came flying into the room, looking ever so relieved.

One of these days I am going to get this on tape and prove to the people who think I'm deranged it actually happens. Andy's no help to me as a witness cause he can't hear. Huh! He doesn't fool me one bit. He can hear - he just loves having an excuse to pretend he lives alone....