From My Front Porch ~ The Cat Bird

    I am delighted to team up for a front porch series with one of my dearest friends in all the world, Elizabeth Ours, who hosts the blog Yes They’re All Ours. She lives on the warm, sunny Georgia coast, while we are nestled in the a little cabin in the woods of the SC mountains.

     Porches tell all kind of stories. This week my porch tells a more unsavory one. Let me I introduce you to CJ (Cracker Jack) the Hunter,

and Nipper the Lazy. You will likely see them taking one of many cat naps in my front porch pics. They are old guys, 12 and 14 respectively. Nipper has always been a big eater and non-hunter which translates as a cat who needs to hear The Little Red Hen story one more time. He never wants to work, but he always want to eat. The only time he ever runs is if he hears the rattle of a dog collar heading in his direction or the clang of his food bowl. CJ, on the other hand earns his keep and his naps.    

       I have never, I repeat never, had a mouse in my house. That means that I almost like CJ. I know some of you will nearly faint when I say this, but I am just NOT an animal lover. OK, there, I said it out loud for all the world to hear. I like animals . . . sort of, but I don’t want to touch them, or smell them, or watch them eat anything . . . ever. I like to watch them play or sleep or run or just stand there looking beautiful, but I do not want to touch them. Now in all fairness to myself, I am allergic to pet dander, so I think it is a built in response to avoid that which causes me misery.

         Don’t get me wrong, I am happy to be cordial to your pet, and I have been known to be slightly affectionate to animals on occasion, especially kittens and puppies. I was even mid-wife to Cracker Jack at his birth. (Don’t ask, that’s another story for another day.) Then there was Emma the milk goat! (That’s definitely a story for another day!) However, the cats pretty much know there is no use trying to get in my lap or rub against my legs. Every now and then, they have a momentary lapse and it is not pleasant for either of us.

    Even so, I respect my cat CJ; Nipper I love unconditionally. ;-) CJ serves me even though I don’t particularly like him. We put up with each other. I look out for him; he looks out for me. Yet, the other day we became “unbenefitted” as my Granny Jo used to say. Neither of us was very happy with the other. Generally, I have learned to be careful this time of year---the hunting season in cat world. When I walk out the front door onto my beloved front porch, I am prepared for the artful dodge of various small animal parts dutifully gifted by CJ the Hunter.

        My kiddos tell me that I must. . . I must . . . seriously? . . . I must show my appreciation for the gift. So, in honor of his faithful service, I give him a half-hearted, sickened fake grin of gratitude before I sling the mess off into the yard. Ok, honestly, I beg a child or my husband to do the slinging for me, but I can do it if I have to. I have made my peace with the feline gift giving, but this week was more than I ever bargained for. Not only did CJ bag a bird, he opened the screen door, yes the cat opened the door, and brought the fresh kill into my family room!!!!!!!! I think his motivation was to make sure Nipper the Lazy did not snag the gift before we could appreciate it. Yep, Nipper was hanging by the door, showing the most energy we had seen in years.

        Yeah, front porches tell a lot of stories some lovely, even dreamy, and some not so lovely. It reminds me that in the middle of all that I treasure, there are some things that just are what they are. I don’t have to like it or even understand it. I just have to endure it and remain grateful despite the little hiccups. My mama always says, “Your troubles will make you bitter or better.” Lord help me to receive the joys and frustrations of each day with a thankful heart . . . even  cat hunters. (sigh)

p.s. You can be thankful I spared you the picture of CJ's conquest. ;-)