The Cat’s Meow

Lazy Summer

Slumber softly, summer cat, Dozing in the sunbeams.

Needing neither rhyme nor reason

To become one with the season;

Tawny, yawny, warm and mellow, 

Sun-drenched days and cat of yellow

Loving lazy daydreams.

                                                                                                                                                                                    –Blanche Day Manos

I penned those words back in 1981 but they are still appropriate for the furry visitor who seems to like my front porch. So though it’s appropriate, the poem isn’t exactly accurate for this cat of 2013. He’s not yellow, he’s gray. And although he may love the sunbeams, when the sunbeams’ temperature hovers around that century mark, this friendly feline loves the shade. So, truth be known, about the only thing in the poem that applies to this particular fellow is that it’s summer and he’s a cat.

You’ll notice there are two pictures for today’s blog. That’s because I started out to take a picture of the container garden to show you how much the plants have grown.
But then I noticed this little fellow and I couldn’t resist a picture of him too. If you’ll look closely in the flower photo, there’s an unidentified gray object on the porch. I didn’t realize it at the time but later discovered George (that’s his name) resting on the cool concrete.

Cats are independent, self-reliant creatures but they also like to be comfortable, as we all do. They move quietly through life and have a healthy curiosity about mysterious objects.  They like to investigate but dislike sudden movements, loud noises, and storms. In winter, they believe that a soft cushion by a warm fire is their right and in summer, a cool spot (like my front porch) will do nicely. And cats, bless them, have come into their own with the writers of cozy mysteries. Have you ever noticed how the heroines of many cozies are owned by a cat? Even Darcy and Flora in their second book, Grave Shift, have been adopted by a stray named Jethro. So, do you think perhaps George realizes that I write cozy mysteries and he dropped in just to add atmosphere? Those yellow eyes are inscrutable. Cats, by the way, are very good at keeping their own counsel.