the trill

no, i never really thought i'd blog about my cat. but it's been awhile since i've written about anything, and it snowed today in chicago and the trill is ON right now, and so...here we are.

i just picked a splinter out of my hand, which was acquired while reaching deeply back between the piano and the wall to extricate not one, not two, but THREE mousies from the darkness where pony (the cat) swatted them all in the last couple weeks. actually i suspect one's been nesting in there for over a year.

each cat toy was filthy, coated with a combination of cat hair, dust and whatever else lives behind the piano. pony was ecstatic to see her long lost friends and immediately began pacing nervously as soon as they were liberated. i stashed two away and put one on the floor, where she could have at it. as soon as i left the room - the trilling began.

if you have a cat you may know the sound i'm talking about. it's deeply high pitched, is sung regularly and comes out like a frustrated, rhetorical question. the trilling carries a half dozen tones at once. think bleating lamb. think devastated creature. think ancient. it's a prophetic voice, warning of inconceivable horrors, upcoming. even though it's courting a small package of fabric and stuffing meant to resemble (apparently) a mouse.

so that's how things sound over here tonight. until pony swats her dear friends back behind the piano or under the couch, or somewhere else i'll probably hurt myself retrieving them from, where they'll soon after attain 'out of sight, out of mind' status.