Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Too Many Prima Donnas

by admin - 22:42 on 13 July 2010

Pine martens are contrary creatures. For weeks we've been able to almost guarantee sightings in the evening, but when Dolphin James turned up tonight accompanied by Terry Whittaker – a  real, proper, professional wildlife photographer – they were nowhere to be seen.

Maybe they're shy of strangers. Or were affronted that neither James nor Terry brought cameras with them, having come to observe rather than snap. Pine martens are such prima donnas.

So we passed the time in idle chat punctuated by outcries from Matchgirl about the unfairness of life and her rubbish letters. She still struggles against Dee in their never-ending online Scrabble challenge.

I expected a marten to appear within minutes of the visitors' disappointed departure at 10pm, three hours after they entered The Rural Retreat, but by the time darkness fell the sweet treats remained undisturbed. They'll be gone by morning.

Earlier in the day, Matchgirl reported that an alliance of Bess and Spider had sent roving Romeo grumbling back to his own garden. The new era of feline co-operation broke down in the evening, when Bess allowed herself to be irritated by the newcomer's lack of respect. Détente will have to be worked at a little harder.

Cats can be prima donnas too.

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