When the tomcat comes home....

 We've seen you out in the pastures hunting, stalking your prey, frolicking amongst the alfalfa fields in search of the Thirteen-stripe Ground Squirrel and the mole and the vole.  By the Springs you have been seen pouncing on unsuspecting frogs and basking in the penetrating sun. What a summer!  What a life!  Fluffy, you wouldn't let us touch you out there.  You wouldn't come to our loving calls of  "Here kitty, kitty, kitty."  You ignored us, you ran away from us, and only thought about your exciting life living in the wild -- no cares, no worries, only fun and frolic.

After all of this, today, you showed up on our doorstep.  You came nuzzling and caressing us.  You slinked between our legs and purred.  You didn't think for a moment of ignoring our call, "Here kitty, kitty, kitty," but you came running and jumped into our arms again, rubbing and loving on us.  What has happened?  What's come over you, Fluff?

Is it time now?  Is it time for the cold winds to start blowing and the temperatures to begin to plummet?  Will the days get dark and chill and bitter?  You know it.  You want us to feed you and comfort you through these next months.  And of course, we will.  Fluff, it's good that you're home, but your coming has deeper meaning.  You won't make it out there in the wild without us.  You need us.  You don't want us to forget about you and leave you out there starving in the cold of winter.  Alone.  You HAD to come home, didn't you?  Well, we can't blame you for that.  Who would want  to go through winter alone, cold, and without a friend?  Welcome back.  The barn is full of hay and straw.  There are mice aplenty in the granaries.  I've got a big sack of dog food in the garage, and I know you'll join the chickens when I bring the pail of scraps from the house to feed them.  Welcome home, old friend.  You're looking good.  The Peach and Toodles will be so glad to have you back home.  Cupcake will get to know you this winter too.

Now, as for me, you remind me that it's time to clear off the garden.  The pumpkins are gathered up, the acorn squash too.  The vines are cleared off and the last of the green tomatoes are on their vines in the garage in hopes that some of them will yet ripen.  I even pulled up the gladiola corms that I thought I'd discard this fall, but they were too big and beautiful to ignore and throw in the trash heap.  Nope.  I'm saving them up for next spring.  I pulled the last of the fall lettuce and snipped the herbs to bring in and dry for winter suppers.  The parsley really took off and there's plenty of rosemary and thyme for roasts and stews.

The garden hoses are all rolled up and the pumps are covered.  It's supposed to freeze tonight, and hard.  Twenty-nine degrees sounds harsh.  It is.  But it is mid-October after all.  It can't stay summer forever, although some days I wish it could.  We both know it can't.  So come here, Old Fluff Boy.  Jump into my arms and I'll scratch you behind the ears and tell you what a good cat you are.  Close your eyes and enjoy it.  Thanks for the reminder that when the warm days of the good life come to an end, you can always go home.