November 28, 2021
Reflections, Day 48
“There is no place like home.”
― L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”
― Mother Teresa
It was an enjoyable three-day holiday visit with family. We visited Dekie’s parents and the experience was enhanced by the arrival of my mother-in-law’s sister Kathy and her husband, A.W, who had travelled from Geneva. They had not visited in quite some time due to the recent unpleasantness. Everyone was fun and most interesting. We enjoyed the visit. And on the fourth day, we returned to our home.
Trouble, the black and white cat, met us at the door and had a good time examining our shoes to see where we had been. The orange cat, Lightning, is not quite as forgiving and he sat petulantly on the rug in Dekie’s office. It wasn’t that they didn’t have food, either, we have a person who conscientiously feeds and waters them while we are gone—it’s just that I don’t think we asked their permission to leave in the proper manner.
But, then, they became excited and responsive when Dekie whispered the magic word, “outside.”
You see, living in a neighborhood close to town, we feel that it is dangerous and impolite to just open the door and let them out, so we have trained them to enjoy the fenced-in back yard. We take them outside most days for a half an hour exploratory run. They have a ball and are delightful to watch as they explore their territory. After about thirty minutes they are ready to go back in for their cat food treat. It is a pleasant ritual.
We had to watch them at first because they can scale an 8-foot wooden fence in a split second. Trouble decided that he would climb the tall fence one time. We stood there wondering if we would have to go get him when we heard the two next door Labradors notice him. Trouble came home as rapidly as he had left, only with all of his black and white hair standing on end. He hasn’t done that again.
Yesterday the cats quickly forgave us for “leaving them all alone” and they were their joyful selves running around and exploring. An orange leaf from a Japanese maple was half submerged in the fountain and Trouble must have thought it was a goldfish. He got his paw wet and repented for the error of his ways.
Then it was snack and nap time for the felines.
The human units also thought that was a good idea.
—john schulz
Power to the peaceful
johntheplantman--Gardening 
Your posts always bring a smile. This one made me grin from ear to ear. The picture of your cat, Trouble, adds to the story, like extra frosting on an already delightful cake!
Thank you, Sandi