So Pumpkin went walkabout Saturday night.
My fault, totally, because I put her outside. She was going into heat and she was yowling and the farmer was being noisy and I needed sleep... and I couldn't put Dave outside.
Although it was tempting.
He wouldn't have appreciated it.
So I tucked Pumpkin on the porch and when I got up at 4:00 AM to write, she was gone.
Just that.
Gone.
No yowling or meowing or whining or anything. And she never went off the porch (stinkin' hormones, you cannot trust anything with rampant hormones!!! Although they are quite necessary for production of the species.)
Silence.
It was cold, and the warming light for the kitty house was on, but no kitty.
I called her.
Yeah, I know, my cats don't respond to calling, either, but it seemed right.
And she didn't come.
Nor did she show up by morning. Or afternoon. Or Sunday night.
PANIC MODE.
I'd killed her. Clearly. A rogue coyote came up from the back field and must have eaten her!!! Or an owl swooped out of the night sky and grabbed her! Or a hungry fox or weasel came along and feasted, although there were no orange owl pellets around, nor dead bodies, but that didn't stop my imagination from running wild.
This very big coyote was caught on a hunter's camera two weeks ago.... behind my house. Which meant he ATE MY CAT.
That's the writer in me. And the mom.
It's always my fault.
So no Kitty on Sunday.
Alert some of the neighbors.... alert Facebook folks nearby to keep a lookout....
Nothing.
No wailing, no meowing (except for me as I went from porch to porch doing a pretty fair imitation of a cat in heat or a male responding yowl.... Years of practice have clearly developed my ear, and you should hear me do a rooster!!!!
Very convincing. But I digress.
Nothing on Monday.
On Tuesday I went to a couple more neighbors... knocked. Rang bells. No one came to the door. Cars in driveway. So that's a little odd, but maybe out with someone else.
Nothing Tuesday night. I kept watching and calling.
No answer. No little orange kitty dashing across the yard or the field.
And then Wednesday morning, at 4:45 AM, there she was. Tucked in a rocking chair, curled up, clean as a whistle (so, inside??? Someone thought she was a stray, maybe???) and the minute I opened that door, VROOOM! SHWISH! ZOOOOOM!!!!
That cat scrambled into that house so fast that it was cartoon worthy.
She went to each of her favorite spots. Her dining room chair. Libby's chair in the living room. Her playroom perch, Maggie's pen, another playroom perch, checked out the food area, her water... then did the rounds again. Twice.
As if she couldn't believe it!
HOME!
You could see it in her excitement, her look, her gaze, the way she trotted from place to place.
So funny.
And Maggie the Golden Doodle is probably the happiest of all. She had no idea where her buddy had gone.... and she was watching for her. looking all over. So we have a Homeward Bound kitten and a happy pup.
All is well!!!!
And here's an extra note: I have made Mindy's Sour Cream Blueberry Bundt Cake (although I didn't use a Bundt pan, I used this amazing pan I got a few years ago because I couldn't resist it:
https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Platinum-Collection-Heritage/dp/B0021CEREA
I love this pan. I don't even have words to say how much I love this pan and how cakes look.
SIGH.
It's like the greatest pan ever, so now you know.... I love cool stuff!
There. I said it out loud.
When it comes to my baking, I love cool stuff.
And that's it for today.
And I'm just going to say that you'd think with all this stay home/stay safe stuff the weeks would be boring. Well... parts are.
And parts aren't.
And isn't that just the way of it?
Multi-published bestselling author Ruth Logan Herne is tucked at home keeping baby tomato plants alive that came too early, rejoicing that her very silly kitty came home, missing her grandbabies and people in general but is enjoying writing a mystery that makes her smile.... You can friend her on Facebook, visit her website ruthloganherne.com or email Ruthy at loganherne@gmail.com. She loves talking faith, fun, fiction, food and romance!
Alright. I have to try this recipe!
ReplyDeleteWalt. It's ridiculously delicious. I must get this second cake out of the house before I regain all the pounds I've lost walking senselessly through our little village each day, LOL!
DeleteDid not know was a blog but on this very rainy day in Indiana this girl loved your true story of the Prodigal coming Home. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad Pumpkin made it home! Because, you know, one night out...well, maybe she got locked in a neighbor's garage by accident. Two nights out? It's sounding bad. Three nights? That's sad. After three nights, you start giving up hope. But this story has a happy ending! Yay!
ReplyDeleteAnd I haven't been to the store to pick up blueberries yet. I scoured the freezer, but to no avail. I had used the last of them! But when I get them, I'm making Mindy's blueberry bundt cake, too.
I don't even care that there are only two of us here to eat it. :-)
I forgot to mention...you ARE expecting kittens to come along in a couple months, right?
DeleteLOL, Jan!
DeleteRuthy, I'm so glad for a happy ending!! And I just adore that last photo!! What sweet buds. :)
ReplyDeleteLife is never boring at your house! LOL!
ReplyDeleteMy heart was in my throat that whole read and then...whoosh...happy sigh over that last pic...only, tsk,tsk, those two are not practicing social distancing!
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so glad this story had a happy ending. That'll teach Pumpkin to roam. It's obvious that wherever she was fell below par.
ReplyDeleteI love the quasi-Bundt pan. It's way cooler than my mom's 70s era Bundt pan. I'm still thinking about trying that recipe in that mini Bundt pan I have. Will keep you posted.