Maria’s view of Log Cabin Living

  Whew!  This has been a weird week so far.  For one thing…..the other night, we couldn’t find Cowboy the cat anywhere!  We looked and looked and waited and waited and worried, but no kitty!  It was going to go below zero that night, and I knew I couldn’t sleep with him not accounted for..   

We thought…maybe he went back to his owner’s house (even though they’re still in Mexico), or maybe he was out tom-catting around (but he’s neutered…though he could tell the girls he’s had a vasectomy!  ;))…or maybe a coyote got him…or a bear…

Around 1:00 a.m., I was going to try for a few hours of sleep, when an idea finally occurred to me!  I put on my warm booties and heavy coat and grabbed the flashlight.  I went outside and walked quickly to the little barnwood shed (the picture shows the shed last Summer).  I opened the door and shined the flashlight inside.  Looking back at me were two huge cat eyes.  Cowboy had accidently been closed into the shed, when I went outside at 3:00 pm to put out some sunflower seeds for the birds!!

The poor kitty had been closed in that shed for 10 hours in below freezing weather!!  I felt SO bad!   Cowboy forgave me, after a good hugging and a head scratch.  But of course, hubby had fun laying on the guilt for that one! 

Then yesterday, while working on our web site, with a view through a loft window, I spotted a golden eagle flying close to our cabin.  I immediately went downstairs to make sure the dogs and the kitty were inside.  Just as I got down the stairs, I saw the golden eagle flying low alongside the deck.  My heart almost stopped when I realized Cowboy the kitty was outside!  I ran to the edge of the deck and called for Cowboy.  Soon, he emerged from under the deck.  I coaxed him onto the deck and took him inside to safety.  My heart was still pounding as I wondered…had he ducked under the deck to escape the eagle?  Or was it a coincidence that the eagle dove that low? 

I could tell that hubby had some doubt, as I described the close call.  And still, my heart pounded.  We both agreed that an eagle had never flown so close to the house at 4 or 5 feet above the ground!

Then this morning, the eagle was back….again, very close to the house.  I was sure now that he was scouting for a cat or a dog for a hot lunch.  I think I even got hubby to agree, though he argued that an eagle could never pick up Daisy, our 29-pound terrier–she being the biggest of the three pets.   I made the point that golden eagles are known to have picked up dairy calves and baby lambs, which probably weigh 50 pounds, so Daisy’s not safe from stalking, either!

I’ve kept a close eye on the three pets, since then..

I think my heart’s still pounding a little.