My Throne Is Missing!

  The Bayou Princess is missing her throne.  Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess Cat, has claimed the throne room (aka side deck) since the death of the Bayou Queen.  When Ms. Put was alive and well, she reigned over the entire Bayou and...what she wanted...she got.  The princess conceded many times to the elderly queen even though they were unrelated and had only known each other for a few years.  (Both were throwaway cats that arrived on the Bayou at different times. Both stayed.)  Since the demise of the Bayou Queen, one would think that the Bayou Princess would take the crown. She has not.  Even though she is treated royally, she has not learned to reign in the stead of the queen.  Still, she laid claim to the deck and the old bench.  This was the throne and since no queen was ever crowned, the Ms. Nycto figured it was hers.  Good enough.  She would while away the hours snoozing on the old bench. If anyone neared, she would hiss and dart into the jasmine.

  This was all fine and dandy until last week, when we dismantled the deck.  Its time had come as it had become nothing more than a catchall for fishing gear and gardening tools.  The bench was moved to the side and the boards removed.  Now, a large empty spot sits where the deck once was.  The boards, however, are still in a pile waiting to be hauled to the back of the shed where a new deck is to be built.  Ms. Nycto was confused, to say the least.  The first morning after the deck was removed, she darted out the door and headed straight to the nonexistent deck.  She was bewildered.  Where was her throne??

  This afternoon, I went out to find Ms.Nycto relaxing on the pile of deck boards.  Her throne room had been demolished, her throne removed but she was still the Bayou Princess and she would lay claim to anything that her heart desired...the pile of boards was hers.  She is learning...slowly but surely.