Attack!

I love mornings on my Bayou. There is just something calming about greeting the day by looking over the water or seeing the sun peek through the trees. This morning was beautiful..the sun was bright and cast shadows on the front yard, the birds were singing and life was good. I sat in my favorite chair with a cup of coffee and contemplated just what the day would bring. I thought of all the chores that I would accomplish this day..the grass needed cutting again, the tomatoes were ripe and the crowder peas should be fertilized and hoed. I finished the coffee, went in to put a load of washing in the machine and headed out the back door to pick the tomatoes. There was Ms Put. She looked a tad miffed this morning. She had on her "Don't even touch me!" look. I wondered just what had gotten my kitty in such a foul mood.

I went off to the back tomato patch and left the cat near the steps. I could hear the Mockingbird singing up a storm on the grape arbor. His songs always cheer me. Something had chewed on several of my large tomatoes, but I still managed to get a nice large bucketful. As I headed back to the steps, I again noticed Ms Put's strange attitude. What was wrong with my cat? By now she had moved next to and almost under the wheelbarrow/herb garden. She was staring up at the sky and snarling occasionally. Now, Ms Put is prone to having hissy fits now and again for no apparent reason, but this was different. Something was agitating her. I sat on the steps and watched.

Suddenly, my sweet Mockingbird swooped down off of the arbor and almost smacked Ms Put in the head! The BIRD was attacking the CAT! Isn't that a bit backwards? Poor Ms Put! She lowered her head..the bird swoop-attacked again. This bird must have a nest near the back porch! I started looking in the obvious places and finally spied the nest in the wisteria arbor. That explains the role-reversal! The bird was protecting its territory and Ms Put was the enemy! I sat a bit longer to see just how long this game of tag would last..and who would win! I did not feel sorry for Ms Put..she is a wily one and might just be biding her time. She has been known to take a beating just to give the birds a feeling of confidence before she snatches them from midair. The Mockingbird dive-bombed the cat a few more times before it noticed something wiggling near a large flower pot. A cricket was scurrying around in the mulch! Its attention diverted, Ms Put took her leave. The bird had breakfast as Ms Put hurried inside to have hers.

I headed inside with the veggies. Just as I was entering the kitchen...BOOM! Huh? Could it be?? BOOM! Yes! Thunder! Within a few minutes..rain! Beautiful, cooling rain! I opened the back door...ahhhh! Rain! After nearly four months with hardly a drop..rain! Needless to say, the grass did not get cut and the peas were not tended..but I did get the tomatoes picked! Change of plans...it turned into a "tomato sauce cooking" day!