The Quack, issue 379

The wayward cat returns edition

Hello friend. It’s very nice to see you.

It’s just below zero out in Charlottetown as I start writing, but it sure does finally feel like spring. We’ve had a couple of nice days that have some of the early spring flowers popping. Now even the chilly moments feel less like winter.

I’m feeling optimistic this morning. The weather is nice, and, well, a bit of good news strolled in our back door yesterday morning.

I’ve got a fresh pot of tea. You grab us a couple of mugs from the cupboard.

Let’s catch up.

The wayward cat

He’s back!!!!!

Four weeks to the day this little cat went missing, he strolled in our back door as if nothing had happened.

I was a little late yesterday morning leaving the house for my paper route. I looked at the clock and realized if I didn’t feed the cats before I left, they’d all be harassing Erin within a few minutes for breakfast.

I pulled the food and bowls from the kitchen closet and started filling them on the counter. As I worked, I remember thinking:

How much longer will I keep taking out four bowls for our three cats?

No sooner had I thought this, I heard a cat meowing fairly incessantly at our back door.

The only cat outside at this time was Lolo, and she would never meow like that. (Too needy.) Was it possible….

I walked to the door. There was Lolo, waiting patiently on a chair. And there was Bubs, pawing desperately at the door.

“Bubble!” I shouted, as I opened the door.

He trotted into and past the kitchen, not even waiting for a pet or a cuddle. He strolled to the front door, clearly waiting for me to let him into the sun porch, which is where I always feed him his breakfast.

He’s a little banged up, with a strip of missing fur on his left foreleg. I’m not sure what exactly happened there, and he’s not talking. I’ll take him into the vet for a checkup Monday. He spent most of yesterday curled up in a chair in the living room. I imagined it was pretty nice having all the familiar sounds and smells of the house swirling around.

Welcome home, Bubs.

And because it’s PEI

There’s a whole network of people on PEI dedicated to spreading the word whenever someone’s pet goes missing. I updated the Facebook group yesterday, not long after Bubble returned.

Less than an hour later, I was walking up University Ave on my way to pick out a new collar for our prodigal cat, when a car passing by started honking. I looked up.

Our friend Lindsey was smiling and waving frantically out the window.

“Your cat is home! Best news ever!”

I smiled and waved back. Literally, I’d shared this news less than an hour earlier.

Turn off the hose, Davy

I must have left a slight drip in the hose the other day when I filled the bird waters. By next morning, I had this glorious reverse-icicle growing out of the ground.

I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like it before.

Have I loaned you my piano tuning hammer?

I have a distinct memory of loaning someone my piano tuning hammer sometime within the last six to twelve months.

I remember explaining it’s actually easier than you think to do a bit of basic maintenance tuning on a piano, or at least to fix a sour note.

I cannot, for the life of me, remember who I loaned it to.

If you have my piano tuning hammer, can you get in touch? Just reply to this email.

Thank you!

Pick up every spike

I found this bad boy the other day whilst walking along University Avenue. It’s been many a month since I’ve found a metal spike on the road and picked it up.

For the uninitiated, around these parts, we pick up every spike we see on the road as a tiny act of karma.

I’ve had no fewer than 7 flat tires since we moved to this house 10 years ago, so there may be a bit of self-interest to this act of karma. Which may negate the karma. I’m not sure exactly how karma works.

Dunnock Bay

Over in Dunnock Bay, we’re spending time with the world’s favourite octogenarian chess prodigy. Check out how Muriel’s chess career is faring here.

I was half-way through writing yet another chapter in which not much happened, following a fairly unknown and unexplored character as she did something mundane, when Erin said I should likely return to some of the larger stories I’ve left to dangle. I looked, and it had been nearly two months since I introduced the character of Muriel and left her story at a bit of a cliff-hanger.

I’ll spend the next few weeks updating some of the ongoing stories in Dunnock Bay, whilst still sprinkling in some of the mundane bits.

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Thanks for spending part of your Sunday morning with me. It’s nice to have someone to share the good news with.

Thanks also for the folks who pitched in last week to buy me a coffee (or two, or three…). Every little bit helps keep the lights on for my little writing projects. Thank you!

I hope you have a great week.