Animals' Tenth Anniversary
Talking to animals - a sign of madness or niceness? Interviewing the animals on the occasion of the Tenth Anniversary of the Moosey Country House and Garden? Surely a bit of both! But since I do a lot of talking to all the Moosey animals, and since this is a very special anniversary...
Taj-Dog - Any Comments on the Last Ten Years?
If Taj-dog could talk I'm sure he'd be full of praise for his last ten years as a country garden dog. I know exactly what he'd mention - the rural smells, the rabbits (oops - too slow!), the walks, the many places to bury disgusting things, the water race to stand in and cool down.
Old Dog Dozing
The river is close by, and dog-cruising is - well - easily managed. Barking is allowed, and there's always something smelly to roll in somewhere on the property. Perfect for dogs, really...
Stumpy the Grey
Grey Cats - You've Enjoyed the Last Ten Years?
If the grey cats could talk I know they'd be moderately pleased to have been country garden cats. There have been mice, and rabbits (the birds are more elusive), lots of glass doors (to stare pathetically inside at humans), and lots of tussock grasses in the gardens - oddly both grey cats like to make cat-nests in the tussocks.
And catmint! Comfortable outdoor chairs which catch the summer sun! And cat-walks at dusk in summer for the brave!
But a fridge is a fridge no matter how rural its location, and one winter log burner feels much like another. In a large garden the most favourite human may be cat-miles away over the water race, but she's never away from the fridge for long.
And in the cricket season the chance of a friendly lap in front of the TV is pretty high...
Jerome The Grey
The award for constantly, consistently, and extremely generously providing top quality cat-company must go to Jerome. For her, no garden area is too far away to be visited.
Mugsy the Cat
Anything to Add, Mugsy?
Even if Mugsy the cat could talk I'm not sure she'd add anything to the above. It is actually debatable whether she even knows she lives in the country, with a beautiful rambling country garden for her shared cat-territory. Mugsy doesn't ramble - it's far too scary when that nasty wind blows - better to stay inside.
Any Other Cats Wish to Comment?
I will need to speak on behalf of the other Moosey cats who have contributed to the country garden (mostly by providing compost underneath memorial roses). Grey Puss and Ginger Puss, then Lucky Puss (who wasn't very lucky), and the fluffy, dizzy black and white Jeremy have each made a rose extremely happy.
Is it possible for a cat to be the black sheep of the animal family? The big brown tabby called Sifter sifted off one spring - he is now living rough, somewhere, semi-feral - but that's another story...
Mustn't Forget the Sheep, or the Chooks...
The sheep would agree with Taj-Dog - life has been pretty good. They've been carefully shorn every year, no-one has yet ended up in a casserole, and they occasionally get to experience the joys of woolly motherhood.
The latest animals to sample the Moosey Country Garden Experience are a small group of poultry. If rooster and the hens could talk they'd tell you the Moosey Country Garden is free-range heaven! It's full of bugs, grubs, worms, slugs - and there's this huge featherless, beakless head-chook who is always digging with a hand digger - apparently she's been doing this for the last ten years...