Swiss Cheese

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit seen through a fence
August 3, 2014
conté pencil

We lost our cats. last year. The secret is that the nearby wilderness veritably crawls with coyotes and we let those cats roam outside everyday. For years all went according to plan. And then, one by one, our two enchanting and wise cats: a kitten and a twelve year old veteran with stories to tell, never came back. Big holes in life; a life like a Swiss cheese.

We have two new cats now. They are siblings and couldn't be more different from each other. They are endlessly amusing and they teach me things. And we keep them indoors now.

I wonder that one result of having indoor cats is the plethora of rabbits I see this summer. Also, a deer has been visiting our yard and garden and has had a significant impact on the beets and lettuce. I'm sure it's merely a coincidence. But that veteran cat, misnamed "Cupcake" could stare down any deer! Or perhaps, Cupcake told the deer stories and protected our beets like Scheherazade entertaining the king. The deer misses the stories. Imagine the stories our cats could tell us. My kingdom for this ability!