blamebrampton: 15th century woodcut of a hound (Default)
[personal profile] blamebrampton
It was a long weekend in Sydney. On the Saturday we went on a little night-time bushwalk with friends in the mountains to a glowworm cave, which was nothing short of delightful. It was particularly good to see how physically adept most of the kids in the group were and how open to Odd Things in the Outdoors. The one who wasn't was actively helped along by some of the others, which was lovely.

Yesterday, the rugby league team we sort of support (we don't really follow league, but they are Erskineville locals and were always so lovely when they were training at the oval or grabbing a kebab that we started to watch their games and cheer for them) won the premiership for the first time in 43 years. Their opponents were enormous, one of them looked like a polar bear, and for the first 65 or so minutes of the game it was very scary and could have gone either way. And then in the last quarter hour, the Rabbitohs went from securing the lead to streaming away to 'Chaps, are you still playing? The game is still on, you know.' I may have cheered quite loudly, which made this morning a little awkward when I realised my neighbours had bedecked their house with flags for the opposing, losing team.

They're still going to like us more than the previous person who lived here, he was a bastard.

Today I was catching up on the gardening. One of the biggest jobs was laying new pavers in the front yard, where there was originally a muddy path and where we've been making do with slabs of sandstone I just plonked down when we moved in.

Mr Brammers said that he was going out the back to read a book and let the cats have some outdoors time. I told him to keep an eye on the cats, as Rusketus had been eyeing off the Catproofing, looking for ways to thwart our efforts. Some half hour later I could hear a little chirruping miaow. I looked around and could see nothing. 'Have you got the cats?' I called down the side passage. 'It's fine,' came the reply.

I went back to digging in the concrete-like ground (the WORST soil: building waste, stones, cinders in one bit. HOW?! And full of onion weed …) and then heard the same sound. I looked up to see Ruus with his tail straight and high (the position that says 'I am cleverer than my humans! Hurrah!') trotting across the front garden towards the gate.

He had slipped through the catproofing at the side of the house, trotted down the passage to the gap under the neighbour's fence, squirmed through, made his way down to the front where he could hear me and offer commentary on my work, then squirmed through another gap to return to our garden.

The good news is that he does come when called, and since I had just dug a hole, things were relevant to his interests. He was extremely offended to be returned to the indoors. This was his face:
image

I suspect he is plotting my death. It will probably involve divebombing from the shelves beside the bed, and occur around 5am.

Date: 2014-10-06 12:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ecosopher.livejournal.com
Haha :D Banjo has that very same face (and is also a tabby).

Date: 2014-10-06 12:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com
A boy tabby? One of my friends warned me that boy tabbys were to mischief what girl torties are to naughty, I, fool that I am, said 'Fie! to your stereotypes! I am a kitten whisperer! My kitties are all calm and well adjusted, if slightly tricksy and hilarious …'

So wrong. So very wrong.

Date: 2014-10-06 12:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ecosopher.livejournal.com
Yep, a boy tabby. I am particularly partial to boy tabbies :D Actually boy cats in general, but tabbies especially.

Banjo hasn't been especially mischievous... but the two boy tabbies we had before him were both hit by cars, so perhaps Sasha whispered something in his ear about behaving himself!

Date: 2014-10-06 12:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com
I haven't had a boy cat in years and had forgotten that they only get survival instincts somewhere between three and seven. He is hilarious and adorable, but we're having to keep a little bit of ourselves prepped for the 'And then gravity won' possibility.

The last boy tabby I had was when I was young and he was officially an indoor cat, but he shared some gene pool with the farm cats. He used to beat up all the farm dogs and sneak into the farrier's van and get a lift into the village, where he would beat up more dogs, before demanding a lift back with the grocer or walking the several miles home. My Dad accidentally ran him over once, breaking his leg. From that day until his death years later, he would swipe my Dad's leg whenever they walked past each other. He was a magnificent beast!

Date: 2014-10-06 01:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ecosopher.livejournal.com
I hope he manages to stay one step ahead of gravity for the entirety of his life!

Your old cat sounds so ace. One of the things I find amusing, talking to 'dog people' is how they dismiss the potential for cats to be able to have any kind of personality. Adam used to make silver balls out of aluminium foil and throw them for our first boy cat to fetch. We'd be able to throw them from the upstairs window into the garden, then he'd dash downstairs and go hunting for it, and bring it back upstairs about ten minutes later. So awesome.

Date: 2014-10-06 01:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com
I think those two cats would have been excellent friends if they'd had the chance!

You're right, I've had dogs and cats, they *all* have their own personalities. Though Monster the cat these days reminds me of nothing so much as my old corgi, both ambulatory pillows ;-)

Date: 2014-10-06 04:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] queerbychoice.livejournal.com
I'm confused: what is the difference between mischief and naughtiness?

Your kitten is adorable!

Date: 2014-10-06 09:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com
Naughtiness involves wilful plotting: 'I see you like to sit on the sofa. It is mine now. I hear you telling me not to steal the chicken. I ignore you.' Mischief lacks thought beyond the immediate moment: 'A hole! I will investigate it! Hey! I can reach the roof from here!' He's quite a good boy when it comes to the known rules :-)

Profile

blamebrampton: 15th century woodcut of a hound (Default)
blamebrampton

May 2020

S M T W T F S
     12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31      

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Aug. 18th, 2025 03:27 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios