Mettle

It is hot here, really hot. A test of ones physical as well as mental abilities. On any given day I am off to the lily pond for a quiet sit, but today I am not feeling so sprite and willing to surrender.  Instead I have another cup of tea and dive into my work. Work for me is also a type of meditation. One that is forever testing my resolve, as I move through it in a way that I feel is respectful to myself and others who are touched by it.
Better than the sitting, is the walk down to the pond. The time spent arriving.

Harlequin

We brought Miss Harlequin (momma cat) home from the vets on Thursday, and due to her wild nature and high stress levels they recommended letting her back out in a couple of days. (Skipping the follow-up visit). Today is that day and I am feeling a bit ambivalent about it. I think I will wait two more days. Sunday is Independence Day and she is a wild independent creature, so in exercising my rights to symbolism I will let her go on Sunday.
We are at our limit on cats, and just yesterday I noticed that our new neighbors cat was in heat. Being chased by our resident males (who are scheduled for surgery on Tuesday). I will likely have to trap one of them, but the other is tame enough now to let me pick him up. Sill, it seems like a never ending struggle. A female cat can have two litters pr year, up to twelve kittens.  There are so many homeless cats in the wild that to let ones un-spayed pet run wild is irresponsible, and I am wondering what these folks will do when the babies arrive. I have lost count of the many cats we have taken in over the years, and the many more that we had to turn away because there just isn't enough room for them all.
Long before we were able to trap Harlequin she was  extremely guarded. We could put food out for her and she would stay at a considerable distance. Waiting for us to go back in the house before approaching the food bowl. I can't begin to imagine how she is feeling now and how guarded she will be once I let her go. I hope that over time she will forget her time in captivity. At least I feel better knowing that she doesn't have to worry about raising more babies.

Little Blessings

After a few days in the big cage, our momma cat is still hiding behind the litter box. I will be glad to get it all over, she may be as well. I wonder how animals feel about having no choice in their reproduction cycle. Ruled by nature a cat will have generally two possibly three litters in a year, and provided they make it without being taken down by illness or injury, this cycle can go on for years. Some will say that animals have no feelings about such matters, yet I can detect a weariness in this momma cat, and suspect it is a blessing to her in many ways. In a few weeks she will be back out in her world, no more to worry about the responsibilities of motherhood and the burden it can be to a wild cat on her own.

The Cycle of Life

This has been one of the most amazing weeks. Started out with two emergency energy healing sessions that lasting three days, one hands on, one remote, (at the same time) and ended with the capture of Harlequin. The female feral cat who has been almost impossible to pin down. I wish after all these years I could say that it gets easier, it does not. I am able to regenerate my own energy much quicker now that my own cycle has shifted. And at the same time I wish I could come up with an equation to solidify a theory of  intentional electromagnetic transference. Can't do everything. Guess I will take what I have been given and call it a day.

Rescue Momma

Finally: We were able to capture the mother cat. Could not believe it.  

A great day in the neighborhood. 

The Newbies

Our latest rescue effort.

After The Rain

The rain last night cooled things down. It is now cloudy and calm and more rain is in the forecast. We have taken in a new litter of kittens, and are keeping them on the back porch until we can acclimate them to the rest of the gang, or until we can find homes for them. It saddens me that so many animals are without homes these days. People are in dire straits and can't afford to feed them, and are barely able to feed themselves and their families. Still, there is nothing like the love of a pet, and the enjoyment they can bring to a family. I have been fortunate to have always had animals in my life. From that first German Shepard pup who got run over. To my first real friend Pooch, a gangly Dalmatian who followed me everywhere, even to school. He would sleep outside the school (I was in the 1st grade) and follow the bus home at the end of the day. Luckily we lived about a quarter mile from the school, and it wasn't a long walk for him. But I think he would have followed me anywhere. I guess in some way I always measured my friendships and human relationships against this model. Devoted, true, dependable and steadfast. Not too many have measured up, but that has been just fine with me.