On this page are a few black contour drawings of the way things look outside today in the relentless rain and gloom. There's one green pipsissewa plant popping up from under the damp dead leaves. I wasn't really in the mood to draw at all today, and then Jesse came and sat by me and stood still, so I decided to do some quick brush drawings of him.
Jesse has been preoccupied with protecting our house from the ravages of Ghengis, an ancient cat that lives a few houses down the block from us. Ghengis is an old cat who generally stays at his end of the block, but one day a couple of weeks ago he sauntered down to our house and walked through Jesse's territory, even got within ten feet of the Sacred Compost Heap. A few nights later Jesse came home with a torn ear, and we assumed he had gotten into it with Ghengis, there being no other cats around.
We had caught Jesse coming out of Ghengis's driveway, so we concluded that Jesse maybe tried to get into Ghengis's house through the cat door, and Ghengis objected. Lots of animals frequent that cat door-- raccoons, opossums, other cats; and Jesse roams the neighborhood, so he has probably discovered it, too. He's looking a bit battle-worn these days and a little sheepish. He spends a lot of time sitting on the picnic table on our back porch like he's guarding our house from Ghengis. P, who adores Jesse, has been slipping him many treats. We think his ear, which is healing nicely, is probably itchy these days and maybe contributes to his apparent uneasiness.
Now, please greet him from me over in Germany. He is a brave one and full of sorrow in the last sketch. Tell him that everything will be fine when mice come out again in Spring.
ReplyDeleteI wish you and your family including Jesse - who is of course also a member - a happy Christmastime and much luck and mice in the New Year.