Autumn

Jade, cat, has now taken over the swing from Cat, Midnight, who sleeps in the kitchen.
Midnight came out in the early hours and saw Jade in the middle of the swing. Jade sat upright, and they stare at each other. Then Jade goes back to sleep. Midnight looks around, and then gets on the shelf at the side of the swing (you can see his eyes) and carries on staring for the next 10 minutes at Jade who is fast asleep...(there was more than 10 more minutes of video clips one after the other of just Midnight's eyes watching over Jade)...
https://youtu.be/2Dbg73ImGpU  

Yesterday, I was coming back home when I noticed there was a charity shop next door to the shop I was getting something I needed from. It was a Barnardo children's charity shop. And I thought, maybe I might be able to get a large toy for the swing again to replace Big Ted. I went in and at the back of the charity shop was a big display of soft toys, but it was a tombola which you paid a pound a go and there was a promise of a soft toy with each ticket. I bought two tickets. I picked 2 out of the tin, opened them and gave them to the lady at the till. But she couldn't find a toy with a matching ticket number. Pick 2 more tickets she said. Five minutes later, she could not find the matching ticket to the toy. Pick 2 more tickets she said...no joy as to matching the ticket number to any toy. Finally, she tipped all the tickets on the counter and we are both going through them. Then I told her she needed to get some new raffle tickets and re do all the toys. She lifted her head, this is embarrassing she said. I'll tell you what, just pick a toy. Can I please have the biggest toy, I asked her? It was still only a third of the size of Big Ted, that badger destroyed, but I wanted it to keep Jade warm on the swing at night. Certainly she said and handed me the lion, now pick another. There was one more big toy, but I couldn't ask for that, I had to leave this tragic tombola with at least some hope. You pick, I told her. She picked a small but really nice teddy bear which said Harrods on it (as if!), which Midnight was cuddling last night in the kitchen...

And when I got home, I found Midnight had discovered the joys of playing in cardboard boxes... I think the kitten in him has awoken...I gave him his very own 'Harrods' Teddy Bear.

As an aside, does anyone remember Harrods and their zoo department in London from the 50's? I had a fascination for lions and tigers as a child. Once at a travelling circus, I gave my parents the slip, as I often did, and wandered round the trailers at the back. There was a tiger in this tiny trailer with vertical bars. There was no other barrier between me and the tiger. I had my hands round the bars of his cage, and we looked each other in the eyes. Then, finally, reluctantly, I took my hands off the bars and left. I never told anyone what I had done...it is still vivid in my mind.

Creative is Autumn, painted in Procreate.


Now, time to feed the beasts that live here...and see what happened in the night on the trail cameras...