Runaway

The pepper and the eggplant are putting along nicely and we keep watching them in case the squirrels or raccoons try to snatch them. Last night however, Alice decided to run away. It was dark, and the keeper called, and knowing the dangers that lurk in the dark at this time of year, I came in fairly quickly. However, Alice decided to run out the front door and sit on the neighbors porch and taunt their cat. It was warm out and the stars were out. The keeper chased her and caught her and carried her home, but just as she deposited Alice in front of the back door to let her in, Alice tore off over the back fence into dangerous territory. She didn't come back for several hours. The keeper called and called. But no cat. So we shut the doors, and the keeper made chowder..oh what a rich smell..fennel, cream, leeks, lemon....And she was MAD. Finally around 10 PM, Alice shows up at the deck door, and the keeper let her in silently without a word, not even a "Bad cat!" She ignored her stonily for a long time. Alice, the attention hog, understood quickly that she was felina non grata. I took pity on her and licked her head and neck and tried to tell her about the raccoons and what they had once done to me. Today, all is well, and of course, because of Alice's escapade, we were grounded all day and night inside.

Sometimes when I am around Alice I feel very old. I have learned so much in these last 14 years. I have made many mistakes and paid for them, and no one could have talked me out of running into the woods to find the raccoons. I am just grateful that the keeper was there to chase after me, tend my wounds, and let me and my wounded pride heal. Alice will have to learn the same thing for herself, I suppose.