Where is Percy?
Hello Percy!
A new week, and nearly spring, so I should be feeling suitable active, excited, energetic, enthused... But I'm none of those. No need for any self-analysis as to why. Just head down, gardening clothes on, and do the work, I reckon. You see, Percy my ginger cat is missing, presumed - who knows? I can't find him.
Monday 10th August
But I've made a list of plants that I can shift in to adorn the Wattle Woods stream, and I've got enough black plastic to finish the stream bed. Purely practical tasks, where mood won't matter. Except it's still too cold outside for gardening.
Sorry to sound so droopy. I've just walked around the property again calling out for Percy. No luck. He's been 'missing' for two days and two nights now. Percy is nine years old and has Feline Aids. If he's 'in trouble' (infection from a rat bite, etc.) he'll need vet help immediately. Trouble is, he's always been an independent, free-ranging, country hunting cat and I have no idea where he'd hide himself, if ill.
Dear Percy...
Dear Percy, there's always a window open for you, yummy food, and a winter-warm fire. Please come home. I half-slept all last night waiting for your 'kerplunk' - leaping in my cottage window to have a snack. Can't believe I used to complain about these nightly visitations. Would give anything for your noisy, nuisance arrival...
Big Fluff-Fluff
And thank you dear Fluff-Fluff the Faithful, who has provided sympathetic plodding company, right around the orchard, along all the boundary fences, squeaking and miaowing as I call. 'Don't worry! I'm still here, cat-mother!' Yes, Fluff-Fluff, I can see you. Thank you, dear cat, for being my constant searching companion. And for keeping up...
Later...
OK, so I'm not going to do anything in the garden today - it's just too cold. I've wandered around taking photographs, mainly of Camellias flowering. I've tried to notice all the cute little things, too. I've tried not to get too cross at Escher and Winnie when they totally ignore me. And now I'm going to clean the downstairs of the house. Confession : I now have a groovy pack of colour pencils, but I am nervous and apprehensive about starting my colouring-in book. Too silly!
Takanini Camellia
Here's that list, by the way : Coarse green Carexes from the Jelly-Bean Border, spotty Leopard plants, Hebes from pots, Pittosporum and Bamboo from a pot, Phormiums from here, there, and everywhere, large leaf Agapanthus (if more are needed) from the Hump. Much of the shifting will be actioned tomorrow. Perhaps one more sweep of the gardens, calling out for Percy. I wish I could find him.
Hellebores
Tuesday 11th August
So far, so good - I've been further developing the little pond, fiddling around with the soil and laying stones. It's taking ages, but does that matter? No. I'm just inside for a decaffeinated coffee break, and then I'm removing all the clumps of miniature Agapanthus, and putting them into pots. Replanting them immediately is not a high priority. I am sticking to my pond and stream. Right. Back outside I go.
Much Later...
I feel so much better about my garden. I've planted Carexes and Anemanthele, bucketed in soil, and raked up gum leaves from around the pond. It's really looking wonderful. And so I've made a start on the stream which feeds the pond, removing the invasive Lamium and starting to lay the stones. The nearby Phormiums tenaxes have been tidied up, too. I finished the day by burning my bonfire rubbish.
Big brown Escher has been in a 'bone bubble' all afternoon gnawing at a huge bone, which he's proudly been carting around. He is under tight surveillance for jumping fences into next-door, but the bone has done the trick. Nothing naughty has even entered his doggy head!
Pond Cottage in Early Spring
I feel much more measured and calm about Percy, too. I miss him, but he's enjoyed such a wonderful life here. Gently sad is how I'm feeling, gently sad. And, after all, he may re-appear. If not, I've been blessed to have had him in my life for nine, healthy years.