December 2000

I think it is fair to say that I much prefer Spring and Summer as seasons, Autumn is not too bad as there are always leaves to chase, but Winter is too cold, and often too wet......however, I was always brought up to believe that "happiness is making the most of what you have" so I have been counting my blessings and also, using the time well.

I've been learning (reading up when I am not out and about), exploring (especially the Christmas decorations and the tree - mostly when nobody is around) and finding out new things (inside and out)  Will and I have spent quite a bit of time chatting too - he is quite interesting once he gets going, he has lived here a long time and seen a few changes - he lived in the original house so he can remember that being taken down, and this one being built.

Out on the farm, they are ploughing and also lifting sugar beet - this causes a few issues as it often means that there is a lot of mud on the road which car drivers do not like - so all the farmers have giant brushes which they use to sweep the road with machines afterwards.  I don't really get sugar beet (it puts me in mind of a parsnip or turnip) but I understand that it is all taken to a factory then turned into sugar - Dad has sugar in his coffee (Mum does not)  Sugar can come from two crops - sugar cane (not grown in the Uk) and sugar beet (as grown here) and there are different sorts of sugar too

Mum and Dad have been out and about with their friends and with Rotaract (this is apparently a junior version of the Rotary Clubs which are international) Mum and Dad met through the local club and Dad has been the President of the club - the club is for those aged between 18-30 (not to be confused with Club 18-30 holidays, whatever they might be!) but they are now just members and not on the committees or anything.  Apart from that, when we're all here, we have nights in front of the fire - I often lay alongside Will, or find a comfy lap to sit on.  

For Christmas this year, no roadtrips for me - Mum and Dad had Christmas with Dad's parents, then on Boxing Day, Mum went to her Mum, and Dad took Micky and Rachel to the airport as they are going on holiday to see some friends in South Africa - this is not the same part of Africa where Mum and Dad  went but they will still see some lions (bigger versions of me!)  I got a few Christmas presents (a new fleece blanket and some food, and I also got a Cat Christmas Stocking from Ruth - the lady who got me my home here.  Last year, I was a bit wary of the tree and all the decorations, but this year, I have been exploring (I find it is best to do this when no one else is in the room though, in case I "accidentally" knock a few baubles off - ha ha!)

I've also been trying different foods "it is important to try new things all the time" - it is fair to say that other than Horlicks and normal cheese, I am more in favour of my Dad's style of food (meat, strong cheese etc) but I have now discovered strong blue cheeses like Stilton - okay so I had to stare him out initially to get him to let me have some, but now whenever he has it, he cuts me some to have (and then some more!) Andrew (Rachel, Mum's sister's husband) is a butcher - he has his own shop, so Dad gets some meat from there, and some from the shop in our villlage and he also sells cheeses which is where this yummy stuff comes from. Some people do not believe that a cat can like Stilton but Dad just says" Az cat would arrange his own transport to get Stilton" and it is true - it really is delicious!

Anyway Happy Christmas to us all and all the best for a Very Happy New Year

this is me and Will lazing in front of the fire whilst the Christmas decorations are put up ...the model in front of the vase is one that Mum had made for Dad a few years ago which is of him, Will, Gus and Ginger the cat........shortly after this photo was taken, Will and I swapped places!

November 2000

It is still raining..............

Mum has had a few days off work, but as usual she had been out and about, although we have had some more "quality time" together, having a snuggle.  She had also been helping on the farm (as have I!) it is potato time again, and everyone is here at this farm, mucking in with the grading  etc - Dad has had to borrow some of Dave's machinery this time too.  Fortunately, most of the grading and sorting now takes place in the new shed, which although cold, is not outdoors in the wet!  Security lights have been fitted at both farms too.  Dad has also fitted some "security lights" to the front and back door at ours - I am not sure they are set up right though as initially one of them could be triggered by a cat's whisker and the other one I could just about scale the wall before they went off.  They are now sorted though and are working properly

Mum and Dad's friends Clare and Ian have been round, I always make a bee-line for Clare because she does not make eye contact with me. It is only later that Mum tells me this is because she is not keen on cats (!) Clare is so far the only person to comment that my dark stripe of fur round my neck looks like a necklace, no-one else has noticed!  

Due to the weather, I have spend most of my time in the house, but I am reading a lot of books on different subjects "It is important to never stop learning"  On the odd day when it has been nice, I have ventured further (I do go out several times a day anyway as "fresh air is important to keep your mind fresh and your brain cells working" but mostly this month, its has not been the sort of weather I like - and I feel desperately sad and sorry for any stray cats out there - I hope that cats in this neigbourhood can at least find a warm-ish barn with straw or old blankets/bags to curl up in and keep warm.  I know Mum and Dad donate to a few charities and one of them is a cat charity, and one is an animal charity too.    I am hoping that December brings less rain..................

not a great photo (and Mum says to say that the net curtains' days are numbered - not sure why, I find them interesting to get my claws in...........!) but this is me, looking out at the rain (again!)

October 2000

Ladies and Gentleman this is my main thought of the month, "Something will always happen, and somethings will always change.  Life is indeed a "mish-mash" and whatever will be, will be. If it is currently difficult now (or "pants" to you the latest lingo!) then you will get through it eventually, and you will  be stronger for it" Okay, I know that is a bit "Zen" but it is something I feel strongly about and it is just too important to be in the main body of this month's update.

So back to what has been happening here:  Something really terrible has happened: Mum and Dad have two "sisters in law" who are both called Rachel.  One is Mum's sister, and one is Dad's brother Micky's wife.  Rachel (Mick's wife) has had some awful news, her Dad passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.  It is so tragic, Mum & Dad get on really well with Rachel and Mick (and Rachel's sister Tippy) and her Dad was lovely.  Obviously, this has shaken everyone up and it has made me realise the value of the saying "Carpe Diem / Seize the Day"

Back on the farm, they have been lifting and grading potatoes again, and drilling wheat.  I have to confess, I have not been out too much - but I have continued my learning from listening and reading books - because it is not only very wet, but there have been gale force winds.  Some of the windows were blown out of the chitting shed (this is the shed where two sides are glass/perspex so it is part shed, part glass house)  Andrew (Aunt Dorothy's friends' son has been back for a week as he is on something called half term, which is a break from school) and the electrics have been finished in the new big shed - they needed some extra lighting apparently.  Speaking of electrics, the winds have meant that there are often power cuts...I did not realise what this would mean, but basically, other than the coal fire in the lounge, EVERYTHING ELSE runs off electric - so when there is a power cut, there is literally nothing - no hot water, kettle, oven, hob, ANYTHING.  Moreover, humans appear to have a real design fault in that they can't see in the dark.  Cats can see in the dark if there is a chink of light (and round here, as there are no streetlights, there are almost always the stars and moon really clearly visible so it is no problem for me, but really - this is a definite evolutionary flaw for humans ..................although, come to think of it, I can use it to my advantage! I especially like jumping on them when they are asleep in the lounge or even bringing in rodents ha ha ha!!

this is me catching a few of the few sun rays there have been this month "it's important for a cat to bag the best sun spot in the house" (and then claim it as your very own!)

September 2000

Oooh its all go here.....firstly, Mum is worried about her job as she as heard that the bit she does (moving between different offices and covering different peoples' jobs) will no longer exist next year, so that is quite stressful - I am doing my best to provide stress relief and massage/accupuncture (I am really good at this!) in an evening.  At the moment her job is staying the same, and she has been having lunch for a few days with her friend Kate (also a cat lover!) who is also a bit stressed and is now moving back to this area (hooray for cat lovers!) from somewhere down South.

Dad's Mum has been over to Grantham a few times (this is a town about 30 miles away where Dad and his family are originally from) as she had some family things to sort out, this means that they have occasionally been a bit short staffed on the farm - I offered my services, but I don't think they took me seriously, unfortunately. "It is always good to help out when you can" after all!  They have been combining linseed mostly and doing some ploughing, discing and also repairing a few things in the shed (very loud noises!) Dad's Dad has also attended a "World Ploughing Match" - yes, it is amazing to me that such things exist, but apparently it is a competition (like the Olympics) but for ploughing (?!) Anyway, it took place at Lincoln which is not far from here, and he had a good day our.  Mum and Dad have had a day out walking in Derbyshire, but they fed me before they went, left me some food, and then Pam came in later to feed me my tea - Pam and I had quite a nice chat, I like her (even though she is not a cat person!) I let her give me a fuss, and then when she left, I went out to the garden too for another investigative stroll "It is important to know your place as head of the household and to take your responsibilities seriously"

In other news, there have been protests from hauliers and farmers about tax on fuel (apparently all these vehicles are run on something called diesel or petrol, this is very expensive to buy and a good % of this is tax) It has been on the news that there have been blockades and queues at petrol and diesel stations.  I've never thought about this much before - well, obviously, being a cat I don't have to! - and I've also not given much thought to the fact that although we are on a farm, we do have immediate neighbours, and it is quite a busy road that we live on.  Apparently, a lot of farms are quite isolated.  I will make sure I stay away from the road, and the farm machines - although I like to watch them from a distance (I don't however hang around when it becomes apparent that any repairs that are being done are not going well.........when the atmosphere gets a bit tense, I make a move elsewhere!) 

 

Baby George has been Christened (I had to have this explained to me, but then I looked it up in a book too) it means that he is welcomed into the family of the church.  Mum and Dad (who are also his aunt and uncle) are his legal guardians, and Mum is also his god-parent.  This seems quite a sensible idea that humans put in place.  

I've been exploring some more, it might be getting to Autumn, but it is still quite warm, and I get to indulge my "inner kitten" by chasing leaves around the garden too - and it is all exercise "looking after yourself and keeping in shape and healthy" are very important!

this is me on some old wooden poles - out and about exploring - these are all going to be used for the farm "projects" soon...................

August 2000

So the harvest has started - initially it is the barley as this is always ready first.  A field of barley looks like "fur" when it is in a field and the wind is blowing it gently.  This is because it has "awns" - which are like cats' whiskers - these grow on the end of each grain and it give it a soft looking appearance, although the awns themselves are very  sharp.  Other cereal crops do not have these.  Barley is used for malting (beer - an alcoholic drink some humans like to drink) or for animal feed. 

The wheat is normally ready a few weeks later, but both are harvested by a massive green and orange combine which has spoke-y wheels which go ahead of the machine - these spokes provide a way of raising up any of the crop which might be laying flat due to weather etc and a blade goes along and cuts the crop.  This is then harvested by the machine and the grain goes into a storage bit on the back of the machine.  Every so often, when this storage tank is full, a tractor and trailer comes alongside the combine, a huge "spout" comes out of the side of the machine and this transfers the grain to the trailer, so that the combine can keep going, and the tractors and trailers can ferry the grain back to the shed.  I am really proud of myself for learning all this by watching - I asked Will, but he prefers to remain around the shed with whoever is there, having a snooze in the old armchair - I've been watching from my vantage points on Pam's shed roof and the fence post at the end of the farm which is in just the perfect viewing position. 

Dad's Aunt (or as he pronounces it "Ant") Dorothy has been over too - well, she is not really an aunt, but she is Dad's Dad's Cousin.  Some friends of hers have a son - also called Andrew - who is really interested in farming, so he has been over and stayed at Dad's parents.  Andrew want to go into farming when he is older so he is taking the opportunity to learn more now.  "It is always important to learn new things and challenge yourself" and this is especially good in an instance like this as Andrew is "keeping one eye to the future" which is always important - and why I am interested in learning about all aspects of farming (although some of these are a lot more boring than others!) 

Some of the farmers are also carting the bales of straw - most of the farms around here have "bats", "bales" or even "hestons" these are varying sizes of the rectangular bales but only one farm has the round style of bales........Mum and Dad refer to these as "Dougals" which refers to a dog (?!) in some old tv programme called "The Magic Roundabout" (this is more Dad's vintage than Mum's!) 

Mum has been busy at work but still has time for me in an evening, although, to be honest, I am often out and about on the farm.  But on a weekend, we enjoy some time together - it is so nice to be out in the garden with company (or without!) feeling some sun on my fur and watching over "my domain".  After all, to borrow a famous quote, "The hours when the mind is absorbed by beauty are the only hours in which we live" and there is so much beauty in a garden, the plants, flowers, leaves, butterflies.............although I do like to try and catch them (well, Mum thinks I am trying to catch them, I am really only just pretending!)

these are "dougal" bales as the apparently resemble some old dog in some old tv programme!

July 2000

Can you believe that I have been here for a whole year?  So much has happened, and I have learnt so much (and tried to train my humans too..............!)

I've invented yet another new game, well, I think it is brilliant, but I have to accept that if my timing is slightly "off" then it may not be entirely comfortable for the humans.....but, they could always learn to move a bit quicker?!!  Essentially, I have discovered that Mum & Dad's bed has a light switch on a cord that hangs down so this is just the thing for a bit of sport/exercise for me, and a change from the usual game of "feet".  What happens is, I sit on my back feet and catch the light pull with my front paws, I am really good at it, but sometimes I get so excited that I jump around and I may have once or twice accidentally ended up with a back foot in someone (Dad's) ear - which he did not find amusing for some reason!

I've had a few days away again with Barbara at the cattery because Mum and Dad have been to Yorkshire (that is another county in England) to do the 3 peaks challenge with a group of friends - 12 hours to walk 24 miles with 3 "mountains" Ingleside, Whernside and Pen-y-ghent they are called (weird names) and it was hard work but they managed it - "don't give up, you can always achieve more than you think" I have always been told.  But, they did enjoy it, and I liked being at the cattery too - Barbara is lovely and kind, and I had a long chat to a homesick young grey cat "Smokey" who was staying there for the the first time - I think I helped him, and I reassured him that he would be going home and it was not a permanent stay. "If you can't help someone, then at least do not hurt them" - I THINK ALLHUMANS AND ANIMALS SHOULD LIVE BY THIS MANTRA.  Smokey likes Barbara too, there were also a lot more cats there than last time, I think that July and August are the most popular times for humans to go away on holiday.

I'd not been back from the cattery very long when Dad went to have a day watching the cricket (some sort of strange sport where people in white run about between two sets of sticks!) at a place called Trent Bridge.  It was a really hot summers day, so Mum spent some of it reading in the garden in a rope hammock.  It looked really comfy so I joined her - for some unknown reason, she did not seem to think me being draped round her neck was a great honour for her, so she kept shifting and jiffling about which was not very relaxing for me, I can tell you!  Eventually we came to an agreement though "Compromise can often be the key", but as I am the cat, I ended up with three quarters of the hammock and a towel in it to make it more comfy for me - this is only my "due" after all.  Dad's parents have been away again for a few days - everyone needs to be back for the end of July as that is normally when the main cereal crop harvest starts.  This time they bought a present for Mum and Dad - two cartoon pictures of a dog and a cat who look a bit similar to Will and myself .  This is now on display in the kitchen.  They didn't buy me a present for having to put up with sharing my home with Jack the huge black lab, but then again, he really is no trouble (not that I would say that out loud, obviously!) And at last, the weather is sunny and hot most days ......and about time too!

these are the pictures that are now on the wall in the kitchen - Mum has picked me up several times to show me it (I am obviously slimmer and better looking in real life!) but I really like them!

This is a "legs" photo from one of the training walks for the Three Peaks.....Mum was trying to re-create a huge photo she has seen in one of the walking shops (whatever they might be)  the person on the far left is Mum, Dad is on the far right, and the other three are their friends

June 2000

The weather has not been too bad, so I have been out and about with and without my trusty side-kick Will.  I've heard it said (by Dad's parents) that we are, "like Batman and Robin" - really not keen on this comparison, as I am clearly the brains of the operation (and this should be obvious to everyone!) However, it is nice to feel the sun on your fur, the wind in your whiskers and fresh air without it being cold and wet.  

So I have been taking advantage of sunbathing time (obviously, I am a cat!)  This is a time of general maintenance on the farm making sure that all the equipment is working etc, along with grading a few potatoes (still),  and spraying wheat and beet.  I've been in the shed quite a bit with Dad to see what he is getting up to with the mending and repairs too, but to be honest, each time I found that a bit dull (sssh!) so I made my excuses and left.

Mum has had some time off from work, but they have not been away, so I have not been to the cattery, or had people in to feed, chutch and check on me.  Mum and Dad have already had their holiday in February so it's been nice to spend more time with them (there might be a thing called "rolling" on the farm, but I can do a much better version of it on the bed, in the garden etc! There are a lot more birds in the garden too, I like to take a keen interest in new bird species - I can hone my hunting skills too, but I am not keen on the taste, and it is just nice to see them flying about and hear them singing in the trees."It is important to find pleasure in the simple things in life"  There has been an event called "The Lincolnshire Show" (now I am a Lincolnshire resident) Mum and Dad went - it is fairly agricultural, but they did come back with a wooden sculpture-type thing for the lounge - I am discreetly eyeing this up as a scratching post, although this might be best for when there are no observers present, then I can blame Will.

Mum and Dad have been out doing a few walks on a weekend too, apparently they are in training for something called "The Yorkshire Three Peaks".  I have been listening in, and this is where you have a challenge of walking 24 miles up 3 peaks (says Dad) mountains (says Mum) and it has to be done in less than 12 hours.  They are going with friends, and training to ensure that they can manage it "it is important to be prepared for every eventuality" (although, I must say, I am not entirely sure where they are finding any mountains/peaks/hills/slight inclines to train on around here!!)

this is me catching some rays on Mum's car - "it is important to be creative and use your initiative" - the ground was wet, and the sun was at this side of the house, not the side with Pam's garden shed roof, when this was taken