Dear Adele,
It is my last days staying up here at The Centre for Creativity and Learning.
You have received some posts about the people here and even the xmas decorations. Well this is an homage to the pets.
There are six pets living here. Yes six. Three cats and three dogs.
Let me introduce you to Red Eyes. He was named so after a child's superhero. He is by far the friendliest in the house. He gets along with all the other animals. His purr is a locomotive and his meow, loud as a whistle. He hangs out with the dogs sometimes and will even make a dive for one of their treats if I toss one on the floor. It's a brave act to get in the way of doggies' mouths but he is that adventurous. For a tough old cat he surprisingly likes to be carried about and gives the best hugs.
This is Buddy Bob but I call him Orange Kitty. He is like a fluffy cushion stuffed with love. If he could crawl right inside your heart and cuddle you from the inside out he would. Unfortunately he has the most stinky farts I have ever smelled in my whole life.
Maybe he is stuffed with something other than love?
This is Mitzy and he has been Angela's cat for 14 years.
He lived with Angela's mom for a good part of that time it was she who named him Mitzy in remembrance of her previous kitty cat. Mitzy is gentle and sweet, though less so when defending his territory of Angela's bed from the other cats. When Angela comes home it is Mitzy who meows at length to give her all of the household news.
Ok on to the dogs.
I am new to living with dogs.
I am not used to barking or to dog behaviour but I am learning.
This is Maya. She likes to sing.
In the evening she she will come up to you and whimper a bit. This means she would pretty please like to sing with you and is now a good time. You must start to howl first and then she will let fly a howl that would combat the best opera singers. Often the other dogs and people in the house join in and we all howl together. Then we clap for her.
Here is a video of one of her performances.
You really gotta see this to believe it:
This is Athena. She was Maya's litter mate and they do tend to operate the world like twins do.
Athena is a tad less wild than Maya and that is a good thing. She is very aware of all the deer and other animals around the property and always feels the need to go out at night to bark at them.
She does a grand job at keeping us safe, even from the deer.
The above pictures make Maya and Athena seem docile but it is not so.
They are quite something to see when they go out and play together.
And this is darling Mitaine
That's Mitten in French and pronounced with an accent - like Mit-TEN.
He is the size of a cat but feels responsible for everyone in the house including the other dogs.
When he wags his tail he is so small that his whole body wags with him.
If he likes you a lot he will sometimes come by and throw up beside your bed.
His favourite place to be is behind the xmas tree. This gives him a clear vantage point to peer out the window and bark at anything and everything outside
and it also protects him from the ungainly larger dogs.
Mitten gives good hugs too.
I carry him around saying positive affirmations to sooth his sense of responsibility.
"The outside world takes care of itself, the other animals take care of themselves, the people in the house take care of themselves, Mitten too takes care of himself and everyone is safe and loved."
I bounce him like a baby when I say this and it is a kind of a lullaby. He likes it.
It has been quite a learning experience to live with so many creatures.
As an empath it is a very full experience to feel all of their needs and hopes and happinesses and wishes.
I offer up a little prayer of blessing to these furry creatures and to furry creatures everywhere.
I hope this little bit of storytelling has been amusing to you today Adele.
Thinking of you.
Nicole
