A few months ago I wrote about my sister's visiting black cat whom we've nick named The Black Knight. Here's another installment.
The Black Knight isn't her only visitor but he is far and away the favourite. He is a prince among cats. He doesn't have that standoffish haughty nature common to some cats. He is friendly and affectionate. I have met him a few times and once he's got used to my presence and returned from his fast exit at the sight of a stranger in his domain, he's decided I'm OK, sitting in my vacated chair, but I digress, onto the other visitors.
Alan is a black and white cat. So named after Alan Titchmarsh the TV gardener because he comes and digs in my sister's garden. Unlike his namesake he is not planting pretty flowers but leaving little deposits, often whilst glaring defiantly at her from his position in the flower bed. The Black Knight has often squared up to him but it hasn't deterred him from using the flower bed as his latrine.
"Of course," I once pointed out, "Alan might be a girl with a very pretty name like Jessica or Jemima."
"I hadn't thought of that," she answered, but Alan he/she remains.
Then there is Bobby Carrot. Bobby because he kind of bobs when he walks and Carrot because he is tortoiseshell but more orange. I think I have seen him over my side of the modern housing estate where we live occasionally. He is a timid little cat my sister says and Alan bullies him - or her - it could be a her.
There is the resident owl, Hootie who owns the estate, flying from her end to mine and sitting on posts by my sister's and my neignbour's houses making his/her presence known.
Although we live on the outskirts of a town we get lots of wildlife, foxes, squirrels, all kinds of birds, I've had sparrowhawks in the past and had mixed feelings about them, beautiful birds and lovely to have them in the garden but very sad when they take my little birds.
Here's a conversation my sister had with The Black Knight one lovely sunny summer day. As she pegged out her washing he came running along the fence miaowing.
"Oh I'm glad you've come," she said, "I want you to do some modeling for me."
"Modeling?" queried B.K.
"Yes. For a blog."
"Model for a blog? But I've come for chicken."
"I'll find you a treat."
"Oh go on then."
"Make yourself comfy."
"I'll sit on the bench."
"Dis my best side."
"Enough now, get the chicken."
******
Many of my novels have animal characters in them. After the Solstice (Willow's Dip Book 2) has Chula, a beautiful Siamese cat who is a law unto herself.
Free Flight (Willow's Dip Book 3) is set in a bird sanctuary and has many bird characters including an avian romance between a pair of snowy owls, Casper and Claudia, not to mention a ghost dog called Boris and an African grey parrot called Bramer who has a very colourful vocabulary.
The Author, The Gardener and The Woman What Does has two gorgeous rough collies, Bella and Donna and Song of the Phoenix has a Jack Russell terrier called Tim who is rather partial to toffees.
My two memoirs Shadow Across the Sun and Better or Dead have all of the pets I've had, loved and lost.
Animals enrich our lives and although I can't have a pet now for health reasons I have two fur grandsons, a black and a golden labradoodle who I'm dog hotel to when their families are away. It just gives me a little animal contact.
For more information on my animal friends both real and imaginary visit my website
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