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Yesterday was a lovely Spring Day here in deepest rural Norfolk. The sun was shining, a blue sky and although the breeze had a chill to it, it was the best day we've had in ages.
The cats made the most of it - especially Waffles.
I went out into the garden and she followed me out. I love watching her face as she sniffs the air. Her whiskers come forward, her eye widens then and then half-close in feline happiness and her ears go up listening to the birds chirrup and the grass move in the breeze. She then did her crazy lap round the garden. She could be seen zooming about at ninety miles an hour, a black blur of fur rushing by, leaping into the air, full of the joys of the day. Then finally bounding up the trunk of one of the weeping willows on the bank of the stream, to sit up high, watching out over her realm and generally having fun in life being a cat.
Once she'd had several minutes looking out over her realm from her vantage point halfway up the tree, she climbed down and strolled across the lawn to see me. She greeted me by standing up on her hind legs and brushing her head along my hand, purring as she does it. Then once more the joys of Spring set in and she was off zooming around the garden again. We had a few games of "Pounce on thuh stoopid hoomin" when she leapt out at me from the long grass and shrubs along the stream. Of course, I have to pretend to be frightened by this vision flying through the air, all four paws spread wide, as she leaps out at me, three feet into the air and goes sailing by me
Waffles then discovered a particular shrub was great for this purpose and used it as an ambush point for several leaps out at me. Next to the shrub is a small patch of dandelions and a lovely thing happened. I spotted my first butterfly of the year and it was a beautiful purple peacock butterfly. Now this butterfly landed on a dandelion only a couple of feet from Waffles. Her eye came out on a stalk! She immediately went into hunter mode and decided that she was going to have this purple thing sitting on her dandelion. She immediately became flat to the ground, her ears came forward, her eye wide open, whiskers pointed forward in the direction of the butterfly and she stalked it. The butterfly lazed on the dandelion drinking nectar and this feline version of G.I. Jane crept up on her, unnoticed - jet black fur with fluorescent pink collar against a green lawn - perfect camouflage. I could hear butterfly laughter. Waffles managed to get to within six inches before she went into full bottom wiggle mode prior to the final pounce. The she leapt and the butterfly flew off. Waffles looked at me with that feline "I meant to do that!" look and started the "If in doubt, groom fur" routine that avoids all embarrassment to cats that have just made a mess of catching something.
Lovely day.
Editor's note:
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