Holy Cats, Batman!

The new cat, Sushi, or the WC as she is known, (Wee Cat, or Wild Cat depending), is settling into the Rectory just fine, and is finding her place in the hierarchy here. You always hurt the ones you love most, and so although Archie has become her "best friend", his nose is rather scratched at the moment! Everyone is getting along.

However, this wee one seems to be rather protective about the cat food on offer. After all she has to share it with the Silent Assassin. The RW keeps her palm cross on the kitchen windowsill, but it's now being dragged out to cover the bowl after the WC has eaten! It keeps the vampires at bay, I suppose, but the WC just seems to either want things kept fresh, or is warning the SA that it's her food!

Anyone else have other uses for their palm crosses?

New Addition

Always the sucker for the sad story, The Rectory acquired a new family member yesterday, who goes by the name of Simba. I know, I know, it's a dreadful name, from The Lion King I'm told, but wee Simba can't help what she was called. I'll have my own name for her when she settles in, no doubt!

Her life has not been easy, and she had to be be rescued from a house where she was being mistreated. She'd lived in a bathroom, and was going to be used simply to breed and make some money for the owners. (She's already had a litter and she's barely a year old) Enter Janet, who shares my office and spends her life trying to rescue children from dreadful situations. One day she'd rescued a cat instead. However, Janet is allergic to cats and lives on the tenth floor of a tower block. Enter Simba into The Rectory...

The dogs have taken well to her, and want to be friends, but the Silent Assassin is not so sure and has gone in the huff with everyone. I think the term "hissy fit" would perhaps be appropriate to describe her behaviour. However, it's early days, and I'm sure the wee one will find her place in the pack. And "NO!" There will be no kittens! She's off to the vet ASAP!

Two Dog Family

It's been rather strange to be a "man down" in the dog front of late. Toastie has been greatly missed. Archie is certainly on probation after almost taking my arm off! I know I tried to take away his food, but his reaction was rather vicious, and I worry about the possibility of a "wee one" trying to separate him from whatever he might have stolen in the parish bun-fights. It's Peanut who concerns me right now. Not only has the wee lamb had to cope with the loss of her "big brother", but was wheeched into the vet to get neutered before the holidays and close to her expected "season". She's still pretty sore and uncomfortable, and doesn't understand why she's being denied walks and swims until her stitches are removed.

It won't be long now, hen!

Ouch!

Well, I guess it was inevitable! Archie, The Special One, had finished his dinner last night and after escaping from the kitchen, he pushed the other two canines aside and started wolfing down their share too. Although I have perpetually warned others not to try to separate a dog from its food, I feel sufficient trust in the SO, and took hold of his collar to pull him away.

Ever regret anything? He got hold of my arm and drew blood in four places. One cut is rather deep, and today I'm feeling sorry for myself as my arm is badly swollen and I'm wondering if he's damaged a bone too.

He knows he's not the most popular dog in town at present, and is spending most of his time, voluntarily, out in the back garden, looking rather pathetic. The thing is that he's such a biddable big soft lump! Next time, though, I'll heed my own advice and the spaniels can just go hungry!

Disgrace

Often folk look at our three dogs, all clean and prim and friendly, and respond,"Ahhhh".Like in a aren't they just perfect "Ahhhh". Below is the terrible truth of Archie, The Special One,after a walk in Balloch Park.

He is a Golden Retriever, by the way!

Poppy

Well, as dear Toastie seems to be coming into the last stage of his wee life, it was brilliant today to get a photo of my son's pup who has obviously tons of attitude! She's taken to getting everyone up at 4am lately! Poppy is a wee cracker, and is coming to live with us when her owners are off to the States in the summer. Toastie, Peanut, The Special One and the Silent Assassin will soon lick her into shape! Or will they? Take a look at that face!

Toastie

Toastie has been my constant companion for seven years now. An almost perfect King Charles Cavalier who could have won stuff at dog shows if I'd been inclined to do the necessary. I wasn't. Instead he became the parish pet and was spoiled rotten by the congregation! He came everywhere with me, and had a couple of adventures at gravesides which we won't go into! He sat in the passenger seat of my car, and slept with his head resting on his two front paws.

As the years passed he's had to put up with a puppy being introduced, another Cavalier,and a Golden Retriever and even a cat, but until recently still considered himself as leader of the pack.

Unfortunately, of late,he's been diagnosed as having heart disease,and his old lungs are filling up with fluid. He still tries to keep up with the pack, but alas, he suffers for it and coughs up lots of goo for hours afterwards. His days of long runs are over, and when the time comes we'll know what to do, however heartbreaking that will be.

He's started sleeping with his head resting on his front paws again, and today starts a new regime. Instead of long walks, he's getting to sit on the passenger seat again, with the opportunity to widdle as we go about our day. A return to his first two years as my pet. I only hope he gets long enough to appreciate the joys of parish ministry once again!

She Has an Excuse

The Silent Assassin is also asleep. At least she has an excuse, having been out all night clubbing!

It's a Dog's Life

Peanut has a kip after an exhausting night sleeping....

Early Call

Wakened this morning to the cat, the Silent assassin, yamming at the bedroom window to get in. It's a very thin and precarious ledge with a fair drop to the next level, ie the the living room window! As I sleepily opened the window for her, it became apparent that she'd brought me a bird for breakfast.

I freed the bird and caught the cat as she began to fall from this amazing height! Proper little St Francis, me!

She's obviously now settled in her new home, but the early morning calls are something I hope she doesn't make a habit of!

Wonderful

Toastie isn't quite up for this, these days, but I know the Special One would take the biscuit!

Dogs in the Covenant

A wonderfulpost from MadPriest! Toastie,Peanut and Archie loved it!

New Family Addition

My son has just got himself a King Charles/Cavalier puppy, a relative for Toastie and Peanut, and she's a beauty. Meet Poppy....

Dogs

One of the chores of winter means that I'm responsible for the daily "walkies"! Today I'll cope, but the Clyde Shore on a freezing wet windy day is not for the faint-hearted.

Bring on the lighter nights when the RW takes over the responsibility again. Meanwhile, I suppose, I'll have to get fit again!

Let Down

The poor RW took a day off today, one of her precious holidays, hoping that we might get some time together. Firstly, All Souls Day got in the way today with two services, a meeting tonight, a funeral tomorrow which I had to prepare for, and several discussions with builders who are now attending to the snagging in our new hall. (Yes, Blethers, snagging with an "n"!!)

The dogs got a decent walk, though, in the rain, so they were happy.

Tomorrow is the dreaded "Assessment Meeting" in my dad's Care Home. He is so unhappy, but nobody seems to be coming up with any options, except some numpty in Social Work who is thinking he could maybe be ok back in the community with mega support. We've tried this so many times with disastrous consequences.

So, say a little prayer for us tomorrow! Every little helps!

Disasters

The RW had a couple of disasters yesterday. We won't go into them too much, but the last one involved our dinner all over the kitchen floor, broken pyrex, three dogs and a lot of tears.

Today there is another one! The laptop won't start up Windows, however much I swear at it, and it obviously needs a doctor. I've had to borrow the church laptop meanwhile, but I'm sitting thinking abour all the files I should have backed up but didn't! Will they be saved, or will it be the second big computer disaster in nine months? Can only hope and pray that it will be healed!

Father is very depressed just now, and still in hospital awaiting a Care Home place. He's thoroughly miserable, and is good at transferring that to me. He knows the buttons to push!

Then He Goes and Spoils it All....

Awwww!

Archie shows his compassion for the injured Silent Assassin, and even lets her get first pick of the space in front of the fire!

Cat Fight

The Silent Assassin has been hobbling about on three legs since the weekend. At first we thought she may have been hit by a car, or had something nasty embedded in her paw, but the vet confirmed last night, after lightening our holiday fund of £25, that she'd been in a cat-fight, which she'd obviously won. (God help the other cat). I'm not sure whether to be proud or displeased!

Meanwhile night-time clubbing has been suspended and she's sleeping a lot, although in the day she's still desperate to get out and inspect her territory.

Archie, the Special One, has taken to try to bully her, but she's not that badly injured, and even just three sets of claws down his nose is enough to deter him. The other two dogs don't care. They're too busy trying to wolf down their food before Archie gets it.

Life in The Rectory is never boring!

Crawling Back to Reality

After about 22 hours sleep since Sunday night, I'm crawling back into life again today, and even feel awake enough to lift my laptop!

Being "on team" at a Cursillo weekend can be an exhausting experience, and this one was no exception. However, so many beautiful things actually happened as a result and, undoubtedly, the Holy Spirit was hard at work! Together with the joy and laughter which is so much a part of the "Cursillo Experience", there was a lot of pain that surfaced and was dealt with, as well as it possibly could be, in the hurly-burly of the weekend itself.

The participants from Dumbarton certainly were as high as kites on Sunday evening, and even brought Linda and me a couple of freshly caught rainbow trout for our tea last night! Now we gear up for a long trip to Dumfries on Friday to welcome "home" the two Dumbarton participants! (To the Diocesan Group of course!)

I was welcomed home on Sunday night on my return by Archie and Toastie and Peanut, and ended up on my back being licked to death by three dogs! Eek! Somebody missed me!

After cutting myself off from the world, and my family, for almost five days, there were big updates on my dad. (I would have been contacted if anything serious had been happening). He has shown signs of an adequate physical recovery, apart from blinding headaches, but mentally he's "away with the fairies" as we say here, and I have no idea what's going to happen now. I'll get a chance to speak to hospital staff today, I hope.