Snowpocalypse Report

[rolanni]

Yesterday, that would be Thursday, the 13th, the Plan was to wake up at 4:30 a.m. so that Steve could be delivered at the train station in Brunswick in time to catch the 7:05 to Boston, where he was to partake of Boskone.

The Plan went awry before it was fairly underway, with Jasmine Sprite, Princess of the Night declaring at our wake-up time must be 3:30 a.m. in order that she didn't miss any play-and-snuggle-time.

Despite this change, Steve did arrive, somewhat blearier than anticipated at Brunswick in good time to catch his train.  The sky was gray and lowering.  I waved good-bye as the train left the station, then boogied up to Topsham, where I paused at Tim Horton's for an asiago-cheese-sundried-tomato-and-parmesean (ohnomNOM) bagel and a cup of coffee.  I dawdled over bagel and coffee, and read the Portland Press Herald, just like folks in Olden Times used to do, and after breakfast drove back to the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory, where I proceeded to Do Chores and wait for the arrival of the Snowpocalypse.

It did not take very long at all for the father-and-daughter investigative team of Sooper Trooper and Jasmine Sprite to tumble to the fact that Two had Left Together, but Only One Had Returned. They mounted a Thorough Investigation of Every! Room! In! The! House! meeting frequently in the hallway to sniff noses and mutter at each other, doubtless proposing this theory, discarding it, and forming another theory as more facts were uncovered.  At one point, they interviewed Scrabble, who was. . .not cooperative.  Mozart was asleep.

Having Definitely Established that the One who had Not Returned was Steve, the investigative team decided to stick to me like candy on an apple, which made chore-doing. . .interesting.  But, it all got done, eventually, and even some words written, though no nap was taken, because by that point I was too tired to sleep.

Snowpocalypse arriving, I took a couple turns at sweeping snow away from the door and off the steps.  The power went out once, for less than five minutes, and eventually I did go to bed and to sleep.

And here, I want to talk about Trooper for a little bit.  This may be triggery for some folks, so if you don't like to hear about pets sleeping in beds, or on people, skip on down 'til I say WHEN.

In Trooper's former life, he was taught to put his front paws around the neck and give a hug.  Which is nice.  However, he also likes to lay on my chest at night, put his front paws against either side of my neck and knead, which is, um, Really Kind Of Scary, because he's a big, athletic cat with, yanno, scimitars in each of his toes, which I do, yes, clip, but. . .

We've had several discussions about this, and he's tried to modify his behavior, to just lying companionably on me, but. . .it's no good.  Eventually, he'll give this little yip and throw his paws around me in a frenzy of kneading.  He can't just not.

Until last night, when I woke up with Trooper sleeping on me chest and his paws, with claws completely sheathed, resting gently against my cheeks.  He was purring; it was comforting and not at all scary. . .and I went back to sleep.

He really is an Awfully Good Cat.

WHEN.

So, up this morning to find that Snowpocalypse deposited about six inches of pretty heavy, crusty snow all up and down the road.  I've cleared the deck and the steps and after I finish this report, I'll go outside and finish clearing off the cars, so I'll Be Prepared when the plowguy gets here.

We're now in the stage of the drill where we hope nothing goes bad with the wires to the south that might affect the power here -- and getting on with Things until our next scheduled snowstorm, which is. . .Saturday night.

I hope everybody weathered the storm well.

More later, after car-cleaning.

Comments

[timepiece]

I am so envious of your Very Cuddly Cat. I have two who love their people, and like to sit *beside* their people (though generally not too close), but not ON their people. And being picked up is just ... evil, evidently. Which is unfortunately, because I dearly love to snuggle a cat in my arms or be anchored to my bed, chair, or sofa by an immovable cat.

[amm-me.livejournal.com]

My cats are much more affectionate in winter than summer. This forever winter they have been cuddly indeed, often under the down cover with me. Come May, they will retreat aloofly to the wicker chair and the cool flagstone hall floor. When the stone has absorbed enough July that it has no cool left, they'll disconsolately wander, seeking any scrap of coolth. Until suddenly, in October or November, my lap is preferred again. My new hobby of knitting -- well, we're discussing it.

[aldersprig.livejournal.com]

Awww! We have two craigslist probably-mostly-Norwegian-Forest-Cats, who have decided that humans are Mostly Too Warm For Anything. Then we brought in a Barn Cat, Black Shorthair Version, who has been teaching the others to sleep on the bed at night.

But I'd love kitty hugs.

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

The current cats love sleeping or sitting on people --- Jewel prefers my brother and Cleo prefers me.
Jewel likes to sit right at the bottom of my brother's neck.
Cleo mostly prefers my lap or legs ... except when she sits on the back of my chair and tries to catch my ears or comb my hair with her claws. Do other cats comb humans's hair?

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

I've had cats chew my hair, and cats who kneaded my hair, which was. . .interesting.