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September 15, 1999 |
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fringes of floyd |
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Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society
September 15, 1999 Mammals Today's Starting Pitcher: Pedro Martinez Pedro rocks! Today's Reading: Danube by Claudio Magris
Copyright © 1999, Janet I. Egan |
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My mood improved as I listened to Pedro Martinez striking out Cleveland batters. The rain started coming down harder, but I felt no urge to go out into the night to buy white bread and batteries. There's enough time for that tomorrow. Just as I as about to call Joan-east, who had called asking which of the proposed dates for the annual North Conway trip would not conflict with my planned trip to Italy, Joan-west called to discuss a change in plans affecting the Italy trip. She might still go to Milan for the Dalai Lama's teaching, but there isn't time for us to get together before and after because of her schedule change. And since we wouldn't be staying together in Milan (I'm too old and achy to sleep on the floor of some Italian dharma bums I don't know), it didn't seem like we'd really have any time together at all. It began to sound less and less like a good idea. After much discussion, we canceled it. Joan-west says she'd rather go somewhere away from Italy with me on vacation. I agreed, suggesting Greece or Portugal. Actually, I started out suggesting Churchill, Manitoba but Joan-west hates cold places as much as I like them. Possibly more. We'll figure something out. I'm a little disappointed, but mainly because I wanted to see Joan-west, not His Holiness. People looked at me strangely when I said I was going to Milan to hear the Dalai Lama. I guess Milan is a very little known dharma hot spot. And my frequent flyer miles are no longer expiring at the end of 1999 so I don't have to use them up on this questionable jaunt. The Red Sox and Indians have gone into extra innings and I must go listen. Also must continue to track Hurricane Floyd. |
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After
her stunning victory over Chloe in the battle for the big
yellow bucket, Midgee has decided she really prefers the
dryer! Once again, somebody piled clean laundry on top of
the bucket. This time Chloe took control of it and wouldn't
let any humans near. What is it with clean laundry? You'd
think they'd like the dirty laundry better because it's all
smelly.
Chloe
even went after Jaguar when he jumped on the counter for a
drink from the community water bowl. Jaguar screamed like a
banshee - not that I've ever heard a banshee - like I always
imagined a banshee sounded every time my grandmother
mentioned one. Anyway, the sound that came out of Jaguar was
unearthly. I shooed Chloe away with a towel, lest the fur
begin to fly.
Since
Chloe has been asserting herself with the other cats - umm,
attempting to dominate them might be a better term - she's
actually become much friendlier to people. She likes being
petted now and head butts everybody on the Wednesday
crew.
Cats
have such individualized quirks. At any given time we have
about 45 of them and maybe only 2 or 3 get really interested
in the big yellow bucket. Even fewer lay claim to the
laundry room. Once we had a cat who carried around a
medicine dropper in her mouth as if it were her kitten.
Another one was obsessed with the step ladder. Then there
was Shanti with her flamingo Beanie Baby she wouldn't let
anyone touch. Getting to know all these cats is definitely a
trip.
Somebody
brought in a stray cat while I was there this morning. I
didn't get the story, but he looked exhausted. I suggested
naming him Floyd after our anticipated "not-unfeared
half-welcome guest". (Extra points if you recognize the
quote).
By
the time I finished with the dishes and litterboxes and with
photographing the new cats, I was ready for some drive-by
birding. Floyd isn't close enough to have driven in any
interesting birds yet, but it is getting to be fall warbler
time. So after lunch and coffee, I drove to the refuge just
as it started to rain. The rain stopped soon after and
didn't resume for about an hour and a half or so.
The
air was calm, no wind at all. The waves were about normal
size for incoming high tide. The gulls were gathered on the
beach, resting in the sand. There were a surprising number
of mosquitoes at Stage Island, small ones. I got a few itchy
bites before I took refuge in the car.
I
finally saw a kingfisher today. I've been looking all summer
in all the places they usually hang out, without success.
Today two of them flew right past me at Stage Island making
their ratchety noises. Kingfishers are loud anyway and in
the calm air over the Stage Island pool their voices carried
and sounded a little echoey. The lesser yellowlegs sounded
unusually loud and echoey too. Just me, the kingfishers, the
lesser yellowlegs, and those pesty little mosquitoes in the
curiously intensified calm before the storm.
Back
home, I had tons of voice mail messages, the most
interesting of which was from Mailboxes, Etc. telling me
that UPS had returned the package I'd shipped to the camera
service place because they couldn't find that address in
North Andover. North Andover? I shipped it to Manchester,
NH. So I drove over to MBE and sure enough, the package was
addressed correctly except for the city, state, and
zip code. I must have been really jet-lagged! Either
that or I have premature dementia.
After
I shipped the camera again to the right address, I drove
around doing errands while getting more and more depressed
over developing early Alzheimer's. By the time I got back
home with the groceries etc. I was convinced that writing my
city, state, and zip on the form instead of the addressee's
was clear evidence that my mental faculties had deteriorated
so badly there was no hope for me. This could explain my
difficulties setting the timer on Kevin's microwave, the
disappearance of the chair postcards, attachments crashing
Eudora ... Fortunately, things looked a lot better after
chili and cornbread and a cup of chai.