Horse Rally

My muscles are still complaining today following a very exciting and exhausting day on Sunday in which I took part in a horse riding rally. One of approximately thirty riders of all ages, we took on the challenge of a 30 kilometer ride through the green French countryside, navigating a wide range of terrain and speeds. I was on a horse called Jazz who belongs to the riding school I have attended for almost two years and although she can be a little stroppy at times, on Sunday she was mainly well behaved. I particularly loved galloping around the lakes and through the almost tunnel like paths we took through the trees. If you ride yourself you will know what a thrill it is when your horse picks up the speed and carries you like the wind, if you've never done it then I certainly recommend giving it a go. I will be back on a horse again before long, perhaps jumping which is my favourite exercise, but until then my muscles would just like a couple of days off.

Say hello Jazz.

Some of the horses tethered up as everyone has a short break.

A Sad Day

Today's post is a very difficult one to write and so I will have to keep it brief. Sadly Dolly never recovered from her illness and she passed away Wednesday on a warm evening beneath a beautiful red sunset. The world feels emptier now she has gone and I only hope that with time it will become easier for all who miss her. She certainly won't be forgotten.

A Loyal Friend

It has been a very long, hard and emotional week, and I imagine many of you out there who share your lives with pets know exactly how I have been feeling.
Last weekend my dog, Dolly, fell ill and for 24 hours I thought my loyal friend was going to pass away. I have lost cats before and it breaks when heart when I remember them and those final moments we shared, and so I stroked Dolly's head thinking that this was it, she was ready to go her own way, somewhere I couldn't follow, but I am relived to say that she has been so strong and pulled through.
She's had me in tears so often over this last week I'm surprised I haven't run out of them, but she's curled up in her bed now as though nothing had ever happened. Finally I will be able to sleep soundly again with the knowledge that she's okay and I hope one day soon we will be walking together across the fields once more.

Catherine Walker is the author of The True Story of a Not So Crazy Cat Lady, available in paperback and eBook.

A Cute Surprise

Well this week I have been treated to a very rare surprise. Late one afternoon I was delighted to find that a baby owl was taking a nap in a tree in my back garden! I got out my camera and almost filled the SD card with photos. It was so fantastic to see such a shy creature in daylight and at close range and he looked so comfy just perched on that branch. He stayed there until nightfall when his mummy and daddy came to fetch him. He looks so fluffy!

I'm also so thrilled at the moment to see The True Story of a Not So Crazy Cat Lady at the NUMBER 8 SPOT on the cat care bestsellers chart for kindle books on amazon.co.uk

Thank you everyone, you've made my day!

Rooftop Sunbathing

Archie

I'm not quite sure how they're doing it. I give the cats their breakfast, turn my back, and before I know it I hear a meow from up high and one or more of them is looking down at me from on the roof! Yesterday it was Archie. He strolled across to the chimney stack and sat there looking very pleased with himself. Within another two minutes he was back on the ground. Considering how tall the roof of my house is, and its an unusual house at that, I was wondering how he'd managed it. He certainly hadn't climbed a tree and gone from the outside anyway.

I'd forgotten about yesterday's event until just. I'd given the cats their breakfast, nipped to check the post, and this time it was Roux I heard meowing up on the roof. Only unlike Archie, hers wasn't a boastful look what I've managed to do meow, but a help, I'm stuck up here kind of meow.

Roux

Fortunately there is a safety measure for cats getting stuck on the rook here. A window from one of the bathrooms looks out over a section of the roof and going to it, I opened it up and called out to her. She came running like a lamb who'd heard her mother bleat! She's back on the ground now, happy and purring, but I wonder how long it'll be before she's tempted to follow Archie back up onto the roof again!


Love cat stories? Click here to start reading the beginning of The True Story of a Not So Crazy Cat Lady by Catherine Walker!

The Perfect Sunday

It has been the perfect weekend for lounging about in the garden and that is exactly what the cats have been doing. It was also a perfect sunny opportunity to get out the camera and take a few photos. Here are a few of my favourites I captured over the last couple of days. Maybe you have some caption ideas? Enjoy!

Love cats? Check out The True Story of a Not So Crazy Cat Lady! Available in paperback and eBook.

Midnight Feast

It seems my little animal collection is growing!
With winter and the cold weather gone, the hedgehogs who live in my garden have reappeared after months of hibernation and decided that they quite like the taste of cat biscuits! I woke up this morning to find that every last crumb of biscuits had been nibbled by the little tinkers over night and I probably wouldn't have minded quite so much if they didn't leave such a mess behind!
But it is also seems that my cats aren't too chuffed at having to share their grub. Today they turned their noses up at the bowls, maybe because they smell of hedgehog I wondered. It seems I will have to make two separate eating areas, one for the cats and one for the hedgehogs, each with their own specific bowls. And then of course there is the little dog who lives next door who trots over each evening to take her fill as well!

I also received a surprise in the post this week - a certificate of recognition from the BlogPaws Team regarding this years Nose to Nose Awards! The True Story of a Not So Crazy Cat Lady blog is proud to say that it is a finalist in the Best New Pet Blog category! Thank you BlogPaws!

Catherine Walker is the author of The True Story of a Not So Crazy Cat Lady available now in paperback and eBook.