Cat in the sky

So I’ve been working on building a cob shed (check out Dancing with Mud Blog for more) and just installed a clear plastic roof temporarily.  It wasn’t 10 minutes after I was done that “Tom”, one of our outdoor cats began walking out on the roof.  My initial emotion was a bit of frustration as I hadn’t designed the roof for cats to walk on, just to shed water, and frankly I never considered a cat would even try being it is clear and has some give, I just figured no animal in their right mind would voluntarily step out onto it. 

Very quickly I became fascinated.  I had never before had such a perspective and it was a bit strange and exciting to see life from an angle I had never even considered. 

I have often wondered what it would be like if all the trees were suddenly turned upside down, and what we saw above ground was stuffed in the ground, and the roots were sticking out above ground… what a strange and exciting perspective that would be!

This was kind of like that for me.  What if we could watch all sorts of animals move from underneath like this?  Imagine how that would change our experiences in tracking!  Maybe this is how Grandmother Turtle sees us.     

There was just something incredibly beautiful and intriguing watching him in this way.  He didn’t tarry long, just wanted to experience it I guess.  There are several other cats and after two days no other cat has tried, only Tom.  He is the smallest and lightest and maybe instinctively knows he isn’t too heavy.   

Today I found him curled up in pocket of plastic draped underneath the main roof.  How he discovered this I do not know, but he seemed quite content.  Once again animals capturing my imagination in a clever and thought provoking manner.... gratitude.  

The amazing bird's nest on the stones

So I was walking to my neighbor’s house and scared up this beautiful moma bird.  A Plover maybe? She had her nest amongst some rocks near his garage.  The nest was out in the open, yet was well camouflaged, amazingly so I thought for being so exposed.  So did this species develop this trait long ago when all the trees in their neighborhood were filled?  I mean if I could fly, I don’t think I’d keep my nest on the ground, and certainly not open to attack from every direction.  I wondered how often she get scared off the nest and how she cares for chicks running will-nilly out in the open if any of them actually make it that far… which apparently some do. 

  I am constantly amazed at the breadth and diversity of life on our planet, and am saddened for those that miss the opportunity to marvel at things such as this bird’s nest.

Take a quick look, do you see her?

 Now she left her nest

She was trying to get me to follow her away from the nest. 

Her eggs amazingly look like rocks