serendipity

noun \ˌser-ən-ˈdi-pə-tē\

: luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for

A wonderful word don't you think?!  And so it happened last September.  Yeah, I know a wee bit behind on posting.  As if this is a surprise to anyone, right?

Anyway, it was at the Yellow Daisy Art Festival that she discovered that rare moment of serendipity.  Fleeting and rare, they are always a thrill. 

As she was loading her purchases into the back of the vehicle and cramming them in (specifically the curly willow) to make them fit she noticed....

...a wonderfully built cocoon!  Nothing like anything she had ever seen before.  So much time had been taken by some little critter to build a purrfectly camouflaged winter home that even she missed it until it was in her face. Literally.

So delicate, she was now a little more careful with the cramming of the curly willow branches into said car.  And hard to believe as it is, the little guy made it home intact and still attached to the branch.

When she got home she couldn't wait to share this moment of elation with me.  As I listened to her, I pondered two things.

One, how the heck did she know what gender this cocoon-bound thing was? Er....never mind, I don't want to know.

So I moved onto the second pondering, and more important, what would emerge?!  I mean look at the construction with the little pieces attached to the outside!  Are those little pieces of lavender?  Did he attach them as he made his cocoon or before?  Lavender! It brings to mind the smells of summer!

Many a night I fell asleep and dreamed of a grand butterfly emerging.  Perhaps a Royal Lavender Crested butterfly!  Oh wouldn't that be most glorious?!?!  I could almost taste it! The lavender that is.  Not the butterfly. Just kidding. Maybe.

But wait! I could keep him as a pet and charge admission to those who wanted to see him up close and personal.  I'd probably be so rich I would have to buy acreage to plant all the catnip seeds I could buy with the bags and bags of money!!!!

Months went by and the branches sat in the studio still tied together so as not to disturb the little snoozing fellow for fear it would simply fall right off.  And me? I keep dreaming of the Royal Lavender Crested butterfly and fields of catnip.

Two days ago, Grammie came over and finally she remembered to ask if they could look up the info to determine the species of this glorious wonder. (It only took her five months to remember to ask Grammie, who has this kind of information readily available in books.)

Later that evening, with information in hand, she returned home to share the news with me.  My cherished little guy....

was a......

bagworm!

A BAGWORM?!?!  

The horror!  I have provided shelter and protection to a BAGWORM!?!  The absolute H O R R O R! 

I should have let my bratty sister, Matilda,  have it. 

Grammie suggested that she put it in a jar.  Just in case it, (not a he anymore) overwintered.  The information said, they are VERY good at overwintering.  Of course it is in the house, would it know that it's still winter and not time to hatch?

Purrhaps, it knows it snowed here yesterday.  Eight and a half inches. We very seldom get snow. I am not allowed to venture outside even though it is melting. I am bored. 

The bagworm is not in a jar yet. Tomorrow she says, it will go in a jar. Right now though, it is unprotected.  

Are you aware that it is not nice to ruin a cat's glorious plans of catnip fields and lavender butterflies?  Well, I'm here to tell you, it is not nice at all!

May she sleep soundly tonight and never hear that which goes bump, for I shall not remain bored or humiliated for long..... 

.... a bagworm? hmpfh!

October, November, and December.

That was the order of things. Until this year. Although I suspect, it may have been headed in this direction for some time now. When it started to turn amuck, I’m not sure I can put my paw on an exact time, day or even year. But I remember a whisker twitch here and there, back then. And probably not even so long ago. But I paid it no heed and went back to sunning myself, it was just a whisker twitch afterall...

October and Halloween came and went quietly. Certainly not as many decorations or fanfare as is normal around here. I had thought it was due to the activity of company and the Country Living show. But now I am not so certain. Was that really October? The leaves on the trees had not turned, well unless you consider the natural color of Fall as brown. But brown some of them were - a sign of the summer heat and lack of rain. But this time my fur started to twitch …..was that October already come and gone? Or is it yet to come? Heck, maybe it was many months ago and I missed it.

But then last week, around Monday, it looked like this….

And I thought, ah all is in order. I was simply suffering from a kink in the tail, napping too much purrhaps. This, now this was wonderful – Fall! Leaves to play in, cool breezes blowing through my fur and whiskers…..and soon Thanksgiving!!! That glorious day of giant turkey drumsticks!!! And I dozed off dreaming….as the rain began to fall. That was Thursday.

Today? I am still eurphoric over the anticipation of giant drumsticks.

Until I look outside.

The leaves are no longer on the trees and the skies are shades of grey. And it’s raining with a wintery look that says, ‘you want to stay inside and use the litterbox’. I’d take a picture to show you (because I know you like pictures) but it’s already almost dark. And what time is it? 5:30. Hmmmm….winter for sure.

Oh wait….winter.

Winter?!? Eek! What about Thanksgiving? What happened to Fall?!?

And for confirmation, I look around inside and it looks like this.

Is that Winter? Or Christmas?!? Either way, it is NOT Fall and certainly the making of a bad dream for this cat.

The horror! I flee to the porch…..where upon my whisker thermometer told me it was a wilting 65 degrees.

What did I just say?

Yes – sixty-five degrees.

I look to the newspaper for the date, because I am so confused – no leaves on the trees, sixty-five degrees, pumpkins on the porch, and winter/Christmas décor creeping into the cracks and crevices (which NEVER EVER appears before Thanksgiving). The date is November 21st. And I do not live in Florida.

And yet I am not sure. Tomorrow they are predicting 75 degrees. Really and truly, cross my whiskers. I’m very serious. This is all very serious. You realize that don’t you??!? I mean c’mon now my calendar (which may no longer be accurate) says that Thursday is Thanksgiving day -that glorious day when all my turkey leg dreams come true!

But if the weather says Spring, the trees are bare and the interior décor is a mix of white pumpkins and pointsetta…..is it October, November or December??? And if Thursday rolls through and "she" thinks that it’s April….does this mean no turkey legs for me?!?! And maybe no Christmas catnip either?!? Do you see my horror?!!? Someone, purrlease, I am begging you put the calendar and mother nature back in sync….October, November and December. In that exact order. Purrlease.

LuLu said...

So a few of my furriends wrote to tell me about their snow.

Sherry in western Massachusetts said they had TWO FEET of snow.  Someone send that poor woman some fishing waders! Boots simply won't work at all!

And Deb in the Bayou said it's snowed twice this year.  Since when does it snow in Lousiana?

Cami in Texas and Linda in Atlanta, Georgia say it's been that way there too - snow?!  So there's no telling where I was transported to via tornado express.   Although Cami was kind enough to suggest that maybe I never left. 

Oh dear. Do you think purrhaps, it's the catnip?

My furriend Lulu said that I should find a pillow and take a nap.  I think that's a very good idea.  

She has such good ideas that LuLu! Case in point....she is having a giveaway to celebrate 100 followers!!! Whoa!!!  I wonder if I'll ever have that many followers?!?!  Congrats to LuLu!!  Be sure and hurry over to leave a comment - it's a wonderful giveaway, custom tailored to the lucky winnner!!!

Tomorrow, I think I shall go out on an adventure and find signs of spring!  "She" will be working amongst the junk, getting ready for the open house.  So I'll have an excuse to got out - yes, "she" requires adult supervision when I let her outside.  Everyone stay warm and grab a ray of sunshine....it's good for napping!

360 Minutes

Is six hours.

Is a really. long. time.

Seriously! A lot can happen in 360 minutes.

360 hours today starting at around 8 a.m.  Wake up and find that your otherwise peaceful junkyard domain has had a tornado rip through.  Went for a tornado ride - whirled and swirled through the air.  As a sound sleeper, used to distractions, this distraction was no different than the norm and I continued to sleep.

But when I awoke during the 360 minutes, I find that I am no longer in Tennessee.  Nope.  Because this will be the fourth time it has snowed this winter and it is snowing B I G hunking frozen white stuff.  In Tennessee, it doesn't snow more than once maybe twice.  Where I used to live.  In Tennessee.  Toto? I don't think we're still in Kansas Tennessee.  Look out the farm window, if you don't believe me.

Still a part of 360 minutes.  It continues to snow and doesn't stop.  The flakes are huge.  Where in the world do you think they have huge snowflakes? H U G E hunking snowball size snowflakes?  Not Tennessee.  Not Kansas.  Toto, where are we?

There are others here.  Where ever "here" is.  The local grocery store becomes a crazed flurry of chatters.  Pushing. Shoving.  Long lines to check out while others stock up on supplies.  And still it is snowing.  And the line at the check-out continues to grow....

And it's still snowing.  Where did that stinking dog put my boots?  No I don't have any snow boots.  I have rain boots - it's what we always need in the spring.  In Tennessee.  I didn't need boots for snow in previous springs.  I sure need them now. Toto, where did take off to with my boots?

Where am I?  Obviously somewhere other than Tennessee.  Because it's still snowing.  Really SNOWING!  Any suggestions where the tornado dropped me?  Just curious.  Really.

I am calm.  Really.  If this is Oz, and it might be I will not be afraid of the wicked witch or the flying monkeys.

I lived with "her" and "them" in Tennessee.

Where I used to live.

I am calm. Yeh, seriously. Calm.

As long as the muchkins don't show up.  But let me tell you, the minute I see them coming up the sidewalk, I am going to hitch a ride on the next tornado or snowplow.  Whichever comes through first.  Anyone got an empty cat bed and heater vent that I can rent? I still have my allowance from last week.  A new shiny quarter. Or maybe I can catch a plane back home.

Wait....

I think.  It has finally stopped snowing.  But don't think for one minute that I'm still not going to try and find that stinking Toto dog and get my boots back.  I might need them.  A lot can happen in 360 minutes. Don't you think?