June 2001

Okay, I am back from the cattery - and yes, I did ensure that Mum was told about the catnip spray, although she hasn't found any in the shops yet unfortunately.

At last it is hot and sunny, so I can enjoy sunbathing and bird watching from the farm and the back garden.  I know I should be catching birds (and indeed I do occasionally) but for some of the larger ones, there is just something quite "zen" about watching them....for some reason, some more unusual species have been in the garden and I have had to look up what they were (jays and a green woodpecker) 

Mum and Dad had a fab time in Canada, they stayed in different places every or every other night and so saw a lot of Ontario - Toronto (that is the capital) and lots of other places - they even stayed in a lakeside lodge which had squirrels come up to the decking for food.  I have never seen an actual squirrely - I wonder if we ever have or had any grey ones around the farm....I will have to investigate.  The day after they came back, Micky and Rachel moved house so everyone was helping them move - humans have such a lot of "stuff"!!  It is possible to "travel lightly through life" and "tread lightly as you go with minimal bad impact and maximum good" too.  Mick and Rach's new home is lovely and they are settling in well.

This is normally the "quiet before the storm" on the farm ie it's the slow bit (June and July) before it gets really busy and stressy for the harvest - this normally coincides with key bits of machinery breaking down, or developing previously unknown quirks and issues (honestly, some of them are as tempramental as humans!) To try and avoid this, the combine harvester has been serviced and a few other bits have been for a service or had some checks done.  The pototoes have been sprayed and everyone seems (for farmers) quite calm at the moment........Will is a bit bored when it is not busy but he has been content to lie in the garden with me as it has been so warm - he is not a very restful companion though, all that snuffling, grunting and wriggling about (not to mention the barking at thin air!) Whereas I am more, "learn to be silent, and let your mind listen and absorb" and there is a quote which says, "how is it possible for the world to know peace when we have lost the gift of stillness?"

Me - lying and sunbathing in the house - this is from May when it was their anniversary (hence the flowers!)

May 2001

Disaster!  Mum used to have a chenille-velvety jumper, (my favourite of al her clothes) it is almost the same colour as me, but it has got a hole in it (very noticable, and impossible to repair) so I don't get to cuddle up to her in it........but she has given it to me for my bed - obviously, not to dress up in, I am not that sort of cat (!) and anyway, you could not improve on the perfection that is my ginger fur!  So "every cloud has a silver lining" and / or "in the midst of difficulty, look for opportunity"

On the farm, there have been a few bits of machinery breaking down, including a clod separator which (funnily enough!) separates clods of earth by breaking them down this means that you can plant potatoes into a clod free seed-bed (See? I am Agri-cat with all my knowledge!)  So the repairs and new bits of kit (note un-technical term here!) have cost a bit of money, and a lot of time wasted in delays.  Mum is still enjoying her job - the training is finished, and she works out of a nearby branch mostly, and then covers at 3 other business centres which are 18, 24 and 27 miles away.  I know she misses me, and I miss her a bit, but to be honest, I am so busy "doing my own thing" that I have enough stuff to be getting on with!  

They have finally finished planting potatoes - which is quite late - but they are all in now, and they have checked on what has been planted so far.  I myself, like to inspect the wheat - this is my favourite of crops to watch ...it looks just like grass when it is is first grown, but then becomes taller and golden as the weeks and months pass - it does not look "furry" like barley does, but I enjoy checking it out!  At some points, it is nearly the same colour as me!  There are lots of fields of wheat around the farm this year - some ours, some not, so I don't have to explore too far to see what's what!

Mum's Mum has been over a few times, as has Rachel (Mum's sister) with George who will be one year old this month!  Later in the month, Mum and Dad went on their holiday to Canada and I went back to see Barbara at her cattery - it is a home from home there!  It is also, endlessly fascinating "cat watching" ....apparently there are some humans who enjoy watching other people eg in a shopping centre (whatever one of those is!) and I enjoy watching other cats and talking to them too....some of the cats in there had bad homes and were badly treated before finding forever homes with loving families, some of them are scared as they have not been away from home before and that is where we can all help each other out - a friendly meow or purr, and a bit of reassurance can go a long way (this is the same for cats and humans!) and we all enjoy watching the birds, plants and butterflies in the garden!  Barbara has got this brilliant spray called cat-nip spray....I love it, it makes me happy and lively (and she says it needs to be limited use for me unfortunately) I have wowl-ed and talked to Barbara to ask her to make sure that she tells Mum about it, so I can have my own stash at home..................watch this space!

Me outside the house at home.............pondering my next move............!!

April 2001

It has stopped raining at last! But there is so much water around that Will and I have joked that we need a canoe to get around in.  I am none too keen on having soaking wet, muddy fur so this is having a real impact on  my practical learnings on the farm - instead I have turned to books (also of course, listening in when there are farm discussions and coffee breaks at our farm - it turns out that farmers are none too keen on the rain either - lightweights - at least they can put on warmer and waterproof clothing!)

Anyway-up (to borrow a colloquial expression I have heard) in more good news, the vet has been to visit the cows at the other farm and given them the "okay" to go back to their own home farm.  None of these cows has had the dreadful foot and mouth illness but there are still a lot of cases in the UK and the news reports are terrible - I feel so sorry for the animals and farmers that it has affected. "We all need to appreciate how lucky we are sometimes", as the impact on those affected has been massive.

Speaking of lucky, you'll never guess what has happened!  Mum and dad have won a holiday to Canada! - this is because last year, they went on a once in a lifetime holiday to Kenya (they are normally more, late bookings in Europe or the UK kind of people!) and because of that, they were enrolled for a year in a holiday club where they get emails and magazines - and they entered a competition which they won!  Dad did not believe the lady that phoned him initially!  So it looks as if I will be going to visit my friend Barbara again which is lovely too...."A change is as good as a rest," as they say, after all

On the farm, they have been flat-lifting after the sugar beet has been harvested and also doing some cleaning up jobs - as best they can - as supervisor, I make sure they have started it and have a plan, then retreat to the house..............well, I have to supervise the general comfyness of the the beds and the chairs, cushions, settees etc!

not the greatest of photos, but this is me with "Inch the snake" and one of the balls that I like to chase around the house - you have to be sure to exercise, even when you can't get outside!

March 2001

There are still a lot of issues around the Foot and Mouth outbreak and a lot of action happening around the UK to contain this disease.  With the cows at the other farm (or "the Mooks" as they are known, apparently it is short for "moo cows") Dad is doing all the feeding of the cows because Alan has pulled some muscles moving some machinery about it.

Will has told me that it is very wet at the other farm - so much so that Bryan (neighbouring farmer) got stuck in the mud with a sprayer and it took some time and a lot of people to get the sprayer out.  Will says he tried to help and looking at the state of him when he got back to ours, I would say that was true (!) he had to have a bath which he was none too keen on....I think it is fair to say that (some) dogs are not as clean as cats!  But the important thing here is that Will tried to help - "Be kind whenever possible, it is always possible" and "If you can't help somebody, then at least do not hurt them"

There have been a delivery of road planings to our farm to fill in the massive holes in the farm yard and also to provide better standing areas which will certainly help me in my "moseys around" the farm.  The farm records are all being updated on the PC and then emailed to the other farm.  Dad has been spending a lot of time on this, and the new software for it, so I have taken the opportunity to "keep him company" by sitting at the side of the pc or on the windowsill in the study (it is a myth that all cats think that a computer mouse is the same thing as a real mouse by the way)  This is quite good because it means that I get a fresh lunchtime "snackette" - I get food for breakfast and food for tea (I don't normally eat all of it - I am more of a "little and often eating" kind of cat.  I also get some dried food left for me all day (the correct term is kibbles, Dad calls them biscuits for some reason) but when people are here in the daytime I can ounge around for some more ...........I must say Dad is nowhere near as good as Mum at this ..and the training is taking longer than I would have thought!

Mum has been to her school reunion but it was just normal dress - she had a good time - it was in a pub/restaurant called "The Packing Shed".  Unfortunately, she had another do on the same night which was a joint 30th and 40th for two friends (one of which was my friend Stuart as mentioned last month) so she left the reunion early and joined Dad at the other party........there are no weird photos to upload though - and I have looked thoroughly!

Strike a pose!  it is so exhausting updating all those computer records.............

February 2001

Lots to report this month:

It is a little bit warmer, so we have been out and about more. Alan and Janet (Dad's parents)have been on holiday to Cyprus, and when the came back there is a major farm issue to deal with.   Will is often at the other farm, and he comes back and tells me lots of things.  I've been watching the news, and there is an animal disease called "foot and mouth" which affects cloven animals ie cows, sheep, pigs, goats, deer etc.  This disease is highly infectious and can be spread through contact with contaminated farm equipment, feed, clothing and vehicles - and also by other animals.  The UK had been free for FMD but an outbreak has just been confirmed.

This is really serious.  For the poor affected animals it is serious, for their farmers too...and also for other farmers and everyone really.  A lot of national events have been cancelled and there are strict policies in place, and changes.  Both Will and Jake have to be on a lead now as they can't roam freely because the cows are still in place at the other farm.  There is a straw disinfectant barrier at the other farm (so Will tells me) and also, this obviously has an impact on the machinery being moved between our farms.  I feel so sorry for everyone concerned, "it is important to be compassionate and understand what others may be facing" and I can only hope it is sorted soon, although I am not sure how.  "We all need to reach out and help others where we can" and I know everyone around he is worried about and for the animals and farmers out there

On our farm, now it has thawed a bit, the fields are really boggy and underwater - in fact, Dad has been digging trenches to get the water off the land.  I declined to assist (even though I am a champion digger...Dad says it looks like I am attempting to dig my way to Australia whenever I dig a hole in the garden) as I do not want that much mud in my fur, but I did watch from a vantage point of the car bonnet - which was also warm - bonus!  He has also been replacing some of the perspex sheets in the chitting shed - I did go and help him with that.  I like the chitting shed, it has fascinating smells and nooks & crannies to explore, and it is also quite warm due to the large windows.  

Mum is still training in her new job - so this is all new and exciting as there is a lot to learn.  She has also had a phone call from someone she went to High School with called Julia (humans don't learn on their own apparently, they have to go out all day to learn things from age 4-18 (ish) )  Julia is organizing a school reunion...................I can't wait to see the outfits and photos!! Mum and Dad's friend Stuart has been for tea too - he is not a cat person, but "not-not" a cat person if you see what I mean, so he enjoyed having me on his knee for a bit as his parents had a cat like me when he lived at home when he was younger.  I do enjoy training people in "the art of chutching a cat"

also not a flattering photo, but this is Mum holding me wearing her "sheep fleece" - we called it this before the F&M outbreak

January 2001

Happy New Year Everyone!

I have been taking advantage of the cold and staying in a bit, as it has been quite frosty. Sometimes Mum wears a brown/beigy chenille top which is nearly the same colour as me, and I love snuggling up to her....and best of all, when I "tread it down" (also called pedalling, most cats do this before they settle down) she does not mind if there is a thread pulled because it is really old and the style of it "lends" itself to my alterations, shall we say! 

Mum has got a new job - still with the same company, but now instead of working out of different branches, she now works out of different business centres.  There are 4 in total, but she will mostly be working in 3 of them - one is 6 miles away, one is 13 and one is 24 so not too bad, and she seems happier with this than with all the uncertainty.  She will have a few months training in the nearest office though so that is good too.  I am happy with both being "self sufficient" as you know ..."it is important to be true to yourself" (and in my case, that means, be your own cat!) but I like people being here too.

Dad has been in the shed mending a beet harvester (I could tell that this was not a straight forward job, so I did not stay too long, and I did not offer my services either (!)  They are just about "worked up" on the farm - which in normal speech means they are "up to date"  It is always important to "keep as up to date as you can, to allow time for other eventualities"
Someone called Lance was talking to Dad in a field recently (Lance works for one of the neighbouring farmers, and had cut some verges for our farm)  They were just discussing things when I saw them, so I went over to see if Dad needed any help (I've not met Lance before so I did not know who he was)  Later, this was reported to Mum as, "Az came running up, because there was someone in "his" field" - that makes me look like it was me that was afraid, whereas I was running to his aid in case he needed me - humans eh?!  

Dad calls me Az or Az-ley, and irritatingly he has started to call me "Da Waz" which I am not keen on at all.  That said, he is quite a quick learner, and I have been teaching him the art of "belly surfing" as demonstrated in the picture below.  This also has the added benefit of warming my paws up............Dad likes it because it means that he can ask Mum to fetch him things "because he does not want to disturb the cat" - sounds like a win win !

not the most flattering picture of either of us, but you get the idea.................it works better when he is laying completely flat!

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!