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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

My world today


Nowadays my world consists of gardening with the thrice-weekly able assistance of my gardeners, John and David (and Simon once a week), with two dogs, Angie and Megan and a two cats, Shadow and Clarice nearby. Eddie our Jack Russel also has breakfast and then lies on the patio in the sun for the rest of the day.  The other four cats eat their breakfast, delicately wash their faces and wander off to a place within ten meters of the house and flop down to sleep. Tigger, my oldest cat at fourteen-and-a-half, sleeps at Grant's feet in his workshop. Chip, who will be eleven in December, positions herself on the motorbike seat and sleeps there for the rest of the day. Puff and Felix wait until Emily has finished vacuuming the sun porch and then they find a spot in the sun where they curl up and sleep!   This is after a solid night of sleeping here in the entertainment area. I read once that cats sleep for twenty-two hours a day. Well, I can vouch for that. My cats do sleep for that long.
 We have a large wooden cover protecting the pool table in the recreation room/sun porch. I've covered this surface with a woven tablecloth and a lace cloth over that. Recently I noticed that one of the cats was sleeping under the cloths. I wasn't sure if it was Felix or Puff.(It could be only one of them as I could see black fur through the lace)  I soon found out: I lifted the cloth and was greeted by a puff-adder-like hiss. It was Puff, my very nervous cat - even today after being in our household for seven years
Felix also uses the tablecloth to hide himself, but he isn't at all nervous. He is the most adorable cat; always relaxed and good-tempered. To me he has a smiley face!

I have a wild garden beside my second pond. I leave the grass unmowed although it is at the stage now where David will have to come in with the lawn scissors and snip it a little shorter. Birds such as robin-chats, starlings and thrushes love this type of undergrowth and can often be seen fossicking in the depths for yummy snails, insects and other meaty snacks. Here Megan explores the wild garden
For the past two weeks I have been hard at work in the garden with my trusty gardeners, John and David. Grant says they probably wish I would go away again as he has never seen them working so hard! Here Shadow sits on the pathway next to a bed of newly planted agapanthus.  (see strip of sunlight over them) The plants WERE there, only they were clumping. So we lifted them all, split them and replanted them. We have done this with the bulbines, tulbaghia (wild garlic) and eucamuis autumnalis (pineapple flowers) That is not counting the trees and shrubs we have pruned, dug around and mulshed with compost or the plants we have taken out to take to Wendy's garden for Simon to plant!
Even though there are water bowls placed all around the patio for the dogs and cats, they all  love to drink from the ponds. Here Megan has a well-earned drink after lazing in the sun all day
 Angie always makes time to smell the roses
And lastly, my waterfall in slo-mo especially for Betsy and George of Tennessee

For more other worlds, click here

16 comments:

  1. Gorgeous, as I've probably said before, Jo. I love the cat under the tablecloth, and the one on top! And of course my darling Shadow, getting so brave and adventurous. Pretty soon he'll be out on his own, without you on patrol with him, and he won't be wearing his harness (because it could get tangled up in bushes, etc.) and he'll be a real outdoor cat.
    I also like your waterfall, wonderful in slo-mo like that.
    -- K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  2. You really do have a menagerie. I like Angie best.

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  3. You have created a wonderful habitat for your sleeepy pets. Warm weather also has a soporific affect on me but no-one lets me indulge myself for 22 hrs. a day!

    Lovely to have running water in the garden.

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  4. What a wonderful world. Angie making time to smell the roses is adorable!

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  5. While some toil to keep a healthy garden others must simply enjoy being there. Your pets really know how to relax in this natural setting. The cat on lace makes such a pretty picture and I love the dog that stopped to smell the roses!

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  6. It is a great time to be gardening and yours is looking lush and a haven for the sleepy animals.

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  7. Lovely surroundings! There's a place for everybody.

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  8. HI Jo, Thanks for the great picture of your waterfall in slo-mo!!!!!! LOVED it.....

    I just love seeing more and more pictures of your beautiful garden and pond... Those doggies and kitties are lucky to have such a wonderful place to live.

    My mother used to have a lace tablecloth like the one you showed... That brought back memories....

    Thanks!!!
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  9. I, too, love all your pictures from around your beautiful home, Jo! How fortunate your lovely group of pets are to have such wonderful home! Hope your week is off to a great start! Enjoy!

    Sylvia

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  10. Great post on your animals and garden - love both!

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  11. one can never be bored with a few cats around!

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  12. Your pets are really cute, I like especially the cats. So you are very busy with your garden and your little four-legged family members. I like also your pictures, thank you for sharing.
    Have a good week!
    Elfe

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  13. It is always hard for me to understand how cats can be so finicky even with their owners. Just recently I've been reading about cats that claw their owners. My cat would never have done that to me. I have limited experience as a cat person. I only owned one cat and she was so precious. She was so afraid of anything and she was like a little one that needed my protection though funny enough she was also like a "guard dog" at times, guarding my home from intruders. I do miss her and it is nice to read about your lovely pets who I know give you the greatest companionship.

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  14. Those are Great pics of your world... Loved them, Felix looks wonderful!! Have a great day:)
    My Yatra Diary...

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  15. I laughed at the two cats sleeping under the tablecloth, and I loved the slo-mo photo of the waterful. Great captures!

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  16. Funny that the cats like to sleep under the tablecloth.
    Your garden looks like heaven for the animals. They have such a great place to play.

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Thank you for visiting my blog and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate your feedback. Jo