My Summer Job
A Gracie T-t. report for April 17, 2012 ~~ I want everyone to know this Mews. I have gotten my very first summer job as a Crow and Squirrel Hassler. Have any cats here got jobs yet?
There are two maple trees in our front yard and one wily gray squirrel. When I see him I plop my black body down low on the grass under the tree, fix my best evil green-eye on his, and stare up at that young squirrel. He races up and down the trunk, all around, out to the branches and back while keeping eye contact with me. In this job he does al the work. After he races around like this for a while on one tree and when he thinks I am not looking, then he races off across the lawn to the other tree. I run right after him and plop myself again under that tree. I call this the "Back and Forth" game. I don't want to catch him. He doesn't want me to catch him; but he seems to think I could be some kind of squirrel and climb the trees & chase like I have seen two squirrels do. So, that's all there is to that job.
My Scare Crow job is an off and on, part-time employment, not an every day kind of work. This is how it goes. Whenever Mom puts stale crusts or rejected dried cereal out at the end of the drive for the crows, I switch into action. There are Nine in the family now. Mom said when she moved here there were Three in the murder. Yes, that’s what she called the flock of crows, 'a murder.' That should give anyone who works as a crow-scarer fair warning.
Usually they are out on the highway cleaning up. But they'll send one off to do fly overs a couple times a day. My, self-appointed Scare Crow job is to keep them OFF my propurrty. I imagine it's a little like chasing ducks off a pond. If I see them coming I run out from under our car and try to wave them off. They must be surprised to see my big white mitts out there waving them away... but not for long. First one, and then two, and finally all land near the day's offering. Today it was a pile of old oat circles. I slowly walked over and plopped my soft black body right in the center of the pile covering over most of it to keep them away. Then I watched them circling me. I had no idea that a crow is about the same size as I am! Didn't matter 'cause I sat on their breakfast and saw no reason to budge. They were not taking anything off our propurrty—not on my watch!
That is until Mom came outside. Although she called me a few times, I played deaf. The crows were getting more and more hungry while closing their circle around me. I decided to drop off for a brief nap. A pile of dry cereal makes a comfy bed. Suddenly, I felt myself being scooped up in the air! I opened my eyes but it was not the crows carrying me away, it was Mom bringing me into the house for payday -- to eat my own special breakfast. Umm, thanks Mom
Purrs to All,
Gracie Twinkle-toes