Zip continues his lively and diverse day at Bedlam Farm; he seems to get more comfortable here by the day. He has hideouts and safe spots all over the farm and is always happy getting some attention from Maria and me.
I decided to do a photo album of Zip’s day today. Cat and animal lovers can’t get enough of him, and I can’t take enough pictures of him. I’ll do a Zip photo album occasionally; he is always on the move, always up to something.
Zip is almost never still, except when hovering over a chipmunk tunnel opening.
Maria and I both sat together on the back porch, and Zip showed up; he got hugged, face squeezed, got obsessed with a bone skull, jumped into laps, V, and then went suddenly off to hunt a chipmunk. Do cats get ADD? He is very photogenic but rarely is still. I have to take a lot of pictures to get a good one. He has a lot more fans than I do.
Why do I get the feeling that he’s running things?
It’s Belly Dancing night; Maria is out. It’s peaceful and quiet, and I’m holed up in front of the fire, resting and reading, dogs at my feet. I’m working harder than ever, yet it feels like I’m resting a lot. I wonder if that makes any sense.
Today, he found the skull bone of a coyote or small deer. He played with it for an hour or two.
He sits in Maria’s lap and then in mine. He loves to have his skin scratched and rubbed; we both do it. He was spoiled from the first day.
You could see the hunter in him; he jumped on the skull, moved it with his claws, and rolled over next to it.
He often gazed up on his back while staying close to the shell.
He gave me the fisheye several times, inviting me, I think, to join in the fun.
After a while, he gave up on the skull and went out to the chipmunk tunnel opinion. I heard a squeak coming from there, and Zip went still for a long time. We’ve all seen the chipmunk use that as a path from the composter and the pasture. This is the main entrance; Zip is all over it. He might have gotten a chipmunk or two, but no signs exist.
He loves that spot. It looks like he’s meditating out there.
Playing with the shell.
Inviting me to play.
He seems to love looking out over the pasture and the landscape. He is often restless, but back towards the Dahlia garden, he is a philosopher and a meditator, he looks out over the horizon for hours. He has about six safe spots that I know of, the big barn his headquarters, as should be for a barn cat.
This is Maria’s new Zip potholders, nine of them up on her Etsy Page: $30 plus $5 shipping.
Thank you for the photos and stories of Zip –
You could never post too many of them –
It’s wonderful of you to share him with us all…..
You are a bright light in a dark world of bad news every day………..
Gail
My Gramps always said that even on the farm that the order of authority was as follows-feline, human and if you must (to work other animals) canine. And I have found that’s basically true.
I was chatting up the spouse, who has heard reports of your writing from the day I picked up A Dog Year, until today. I was trying to explain why I am always so moved by your writing as it relates to animals, and I think I finally put a finger on it. You seem to see the soul in your animal companions, and you write well enough to let us join in on that experience. It isn’t worshiping or infantilizing view you give us. You see THEM! You treat them in heart, mind and ink as sentient creatures with their own agendas and motivations. And while I think I could have a whole picture of them in my mind without it, your photography gives that picture dimensions. I would equally love more pictures of your other furry and feathery cohabitants of your farm. You have an eye for catching them in those moments when they are being, well, THEM! And DON’T think the only writing of yours I love is your animal stories (though they are my favorite.) You touch on ideas dear and relevant to my world even when you don’t talk about someone with a furry, snuggle worthy face.