First of all a little background info. I moved in with Steve 2 years ago but he'd lived in this house about 5 years before that. Not being a gardening fan the only thing that he'd done in the back garden was to cut down some hedges. Hence the garden, due to lack of funds is a bit of a mess. At the beginning of winter one of our neighbours had the adjoining fence replaced and the people who did it left one of the old panels in our garden. As we don't go out in the garden much in winter its still there, led flat in the middle of the grass.

Now outside the backdoor is a brick outhouse, probably what was once the toilet. We use it as a garden shed and like most sheds it was full of rubbish. So last Sunday we had a head fit and cleaned it all out. All three cats stuck their noses round the door, looked at the dirt and walked of in disgust.

We took everything out and bagged up all the rubbish and Steve started sweeping all the dust and dirt out. Suddenly he stopped and said "Go on then" and I thought one of the cats had sneaked in. But out of the door scuttled a little field mouse. It shot of up the garden and we continued with our work. Half an hour later and all three cats had empty bellies and had come home for afternoon tea. They snacked then came back out and went to wash on the panel.. one of their in places at the moment. Dippy and Branston were led on it but Mackerel was trying to get under it. Now Mackerel is the pure white one and our garden is clay based soil, and it had been raining. Mackerel, somehow, managed to get half of his body under this panel but couldn't get at this target so squirmed back out, now half white and half dirt coloured. Guessing what was under there I picked the panel up trying to shoo the cats with the other hand, and the mouse shot out and through a gap in the fence about 4 inches square. Mackerel thinks this is great, mummy is helping him and tries to follow the mouse without realizing they are different sizes.

Needless to say he retired to the roof of the shed and sat there glaring at us in between trying to get the mud out of his fur. I think it was my fault, not helped by me telling him if he didn't clean up he was sleeping in the kitchen.

Copyright © Kim Cole
March 21, 2000