Cats find good places to hide out, to be warm, to observe the world. Every morning, at dusk, we put the two barn cats outside, they are reluctant to go in the snow and the cold. We bring them in after the afternoon feeding around 3, they are happy to come in, inside and out they now have their own spots.

Last night, I watched a TV show with Maria – rare for us to do that – and I noticed we each had a cat in our lap, Flo curls up on my knees and purrs softly, every now and then I stroke her fur. Minnie curls up next to Maria, I see this nurturing ritual is something we both value. In the daytime, Minnie patrols the barn, Flo vanishes under the porch or into the woodshed, I’m never sure.

How curious that cats have entered my life at this point, I kept that at bay for a  long time. Flo knew how to do it, but I suppose I was ready for it. In the warm weather, when the snow and ice are gone, I suspect they will be happier to be out patrolling for mice and moles. Minnie gets around, but her motion is much more limited than Flo’s, cats like to be high, I see and it is not always easy for Minnie to do that.