Watching the World!

While in Georgia visiting my son, daughter-in-law and new grandbaby, I am still in "Bayou Mode".   This means that I rise with the sun expecting to take a hike to the pier.  Well, that does not happen here.  Although there is a pond behind their house, there is no Bayou!  Still, I enjoy the peaceful sunrises and quiet time.

Someone else enjoys this time of the morning as well.  Both their dog, PJ, and cat, Kiki, rise with the sun. I like these animals!  It seems like they remember me from their visits to the Little Bayou House and consider me as a friend.  While PJ is allowed access to the backyard, Kiki is housebound.  She is strictly an indoor cat.  She does, however, love the sunshine.  The windows in the house have large sills that allow her to have a perfect place to eye all of the wildlife just outside.  She watches the birds, squirrels and lizards when she is not napping.  Early in the morning, the sunlight streams through the windows making her one happy camper.

To me, there is just something intriguing about a cat silhouette against a sunny window.  I watch Kiki as she watches the world outside and wonder just how she would respond to actually being outside.  She acts as if she really wants to chase everything that moves!  Today, a gray squirrel scampered along the deck railing and came withing just a few inches of the window where Kiki sat.  She saw it immediately.  Her tail started swishing excitedly and her ears perked.  She was within reach...but still far, far away.  That old squirrel was oblivious to the nearby danger or perhaps he was "window-savvy" and knew that he could torment the pent-up cat.  Whichever the case, the whole situation was quite comical.  The squirrel stayed a bit just scampering about the railing and nearby fence.  The cat had a great time pretending to stalk the squirrel and I immensely enjoyed the show.

Here, Kitty, Kitty!

Ms Kiki has come to visit! Kiki is my son and daughter-in-law's cat. She is so much different than Ms Put, the Bayou cat, that sometimes I forget she is feline at all. Where as Ms Put is a standoffish kitty and most likely invented the word "fickle", Kiki is the type that wants all of the attention. I do mean "ALL" as in constant. If perchance you are busy, she will climb between whatever item you are working on and your face. There is nothing so important that she should be playing second fiddle. She also has a desire to eat at all times and just knows that "her people" are at her beck and call. Life is all about Kiki and we had better not forget it! All hail, Queen Kiki!

A little background about Kiki..she was a stray that my daughter picked up during a wintry rain storm. The little half-drowned kitten immediately made herself at home with my daughter. Darling Daughter knew that at the time, she could not take care of a cat but her heart just would not let her leave the kitten. She was in college so that weekend, she brought the tiny bundle here. "Mom...could you take a kitten?" Oh, geez! Just what I needed..another cat! That first night proved that Kiki did not want to live here. She, as tiny as she was, almost demolished my daughter's room. The canopy was pulled from the bed, things were knocked off of the dresser and shelves and Kiki lodged herself behind the huge cedar closet. She was having nothing to do with living here and she made sure she let us know it! Needless to say a few days later, Kiki went home with my daughter.Well, this was just a few weeks before Christmas, and Darling Daughter decided that her brother needed a cat. She slyly started working on his sympathy and soon convinced him that his wife would love a kitten for Christmas. "She is a loving kitty! She is no trouble whatsoever!" Son finally caved in to the wiles of his younger sister and Kiki moved again. This was several years ago and now Ms Kiki is a full-fledged family feline! She endears herself to anyone that has a movable hand. If you do not pet her for..oh say..four seconds, she will push her head into your hand. She adores attention.

Ms Kiki is also known for..ummm..being a..well, a cat! She is a tad bit mischievous. Given the opportunity, she will "investigate" everything. That said, it is easy to see why when she visits the Bayou, she has her "own room". Another factor in this decision..she and Ms Put do not see eye to eye on life in general. The human family members decided that it is most pertinent to never let the two felines within reach of one another. "Better safe than sorry" comes to mind. When Darling Daughter is not visiting, Kiki claims her room. It is in this room that she prowls, she purrs and she purloins any item that is not nailed to the floor. Darling Daughter decorated this room in sort of a "Moroccan" theme and across the foot of the bed is a faux-leopard skin. Ms Kiki has claimed the throw. Kiki is a Tortoiseshell Cat. Her fur is a beautiful blend of orange and black with a trace of white on her paws and chest. When she sleeps on the leopard skin throw, it is almost difficult to tell where the cat ends and the blanket begins. They are so near the same colors.

I am glad Kiki has come to visit the Bayou House, she gives me all the attention I can stand! It is actually nice to be able to pet a cat without worrying that you might wind up missing a few fingers. Certain folks have jokingly called her "Demon Cat" but other than demolishing the room at one point, she seems to be the total opposite. Welcome back to the Bayou, Queen Kiki!! It is nice to have you grace our abode with your presence!