The cat days of February

The stretches of subzero weather we get this time of year can make everyone in the household miserable, including the cats. Trapped inside, they hiss at each other and fight over territory. On Friday one of the cats peed on our couch -- yes, right on the cushions that we sit on. This incident led to much yelling and swearing on my part while I was taking the cushions apart to clean them and setting them near the fire to dry thoroughly. Shaggy Hair Boy, who somehow found the incident funny, managed to prevent me from killing the cat responsible.

For most of Saturday, I muttered darkly about giving the cats away to anyone who would take them. And as long as I was yelling at the cats, I decided to rant and rave to the kids to about what a mess the house was. Usually I can just ignore a counter full of dirty dishes, but a cat piss incident just puts me over the top.

Snowboarding yesterday, far away from the messy house and the cats, was just what I needed. The conditions weren't perfect; some slopes were icy, while others were soft. But still, it felt wonderful to spend the day outside in the sunshine and warm air. I drove home, with Blonde Niece in the seat next to me choosing the music, through farm fields where the rows of corn stubble was beginning to show through melting snow.



View from the top of a ski slope.