Storm Clouds Gather Without You Noticing

Sometimes things just creep up on you, like storm clouds that gather without you noticing until the rumble of thunder just before the rain.

Storm Clouds Gather Without You Noticing

It Started With A Bang

We got hit by a bad storm yesterday afternoon. But what was creepy about it was there weren’t even a lot of storm clouds, just suddenly a loud bang and it started raining. Then we had a hail storm and then it was like rivers were running down the water with the sheer amount of water. I had to go outside with a shovel to clear some debris to ensure the water went round the house instead of pooling in front of it.

By now we had heavy storm clouds so it was like dusk outside at 4.30pm.  That is always a funny kind of light don’t you think? Punctuated by forked lightning. There was a strong wind too.

So Much For Sun Umbrellas

Because we hadn’t noticed the weather changing the sudden violent wind caught the sun umbrellas in the cat garden that we had neglected to put down. It had a cascade effect, blowing one umbrella over such that it caught the patio table and second umbrella and they came down in a crash.

But Where Were The Kittens?

My first thought, as always, was the kittens. It was pouring with rain and my heart was in my mouth hoping there wasn’t a little person caught under it all. There wasn’t thank goodness, there were big eyes looking at me from under the stairs. Soggy kittens in their beds keeping out of it all.

And as the storm clouds cleared eventually, we got electricity back on and life returned to normal. Though there are storm clouds gathering again today outside as I write and rumbles of thunder in the distance.

Lost Kitten Came Home

Eleven days ago, Scrappy and the five kittens went up the drive to go exploring. The kittens were just coming up to 13 weeks old. Unfortunately, Scrappy only brought four home. One of the little girls, Sandy, was missing. And stayed missing. I searched and called and called. My only hope was that she had walked further up the mountain and been taken in by one of the houses up there.

Each day was a like a hole in my heart at dinner time when the kittens were lining up for their food and she wasn’t there. Remember I have raised these babies with Scrappy since they were four weeks old so I am pretty attached to them! Not for nothing do they call me ‘Nanny’!

And then this morning I looked out the front door and there was Sandy sitting waiting for me. Very thin and desperate for cuddles but otherwise perfectly healthy. A bowl of salmon cat food and she is fast asleep with her brothers.

But a different type of ‘storm clouds’ were gathering even as I was pleased to see her.

Elvis Has Been Hit By A Car

I went to see Sandy for yet another cuddle and suddenly saw that Elvis was in one of the cat beds under the stairs in the cat garden. Unusual for him to use one of the beds let alone at 10.30am!

Elvis looked odd so I encouraged him out of the bed only to find he couldn’t walk. He had been hit by one of the (maybe) ten cars that go along the top road every day (what are the odds of that I wonder?). Bless him, he knew he would be safe in the cat garden, though how he managed to get there from the road we will never know.

I rushed Elvis to the vet where he remains at the moment. X-rays showed no obvious broken bones but his shoulder muscles are torn so he can’t use his leg. An ultrasound didn’t show any internal problems but there is blood in his urine so further tests are being done.  Hopefully we will know more tomorrow.

Coping With Emergencies/Stress

Someone said to me it was a lot of stress for me today. But I don’t really get stressed (or should I say obviously stressed) with emergencies but approach them as practical things that have to be dealt with. The flooding that started yesterday was urgent but just needed action to resolve the problem. With Elvis, panicking and running around wouldn’t have helped the situation. He had to be caught carefully and put in his carry basket without him biting me in the process. Using a towel I managed to cover his head and then managed to get him in the carry basket. I then helped the vet with all the medical procedures – when you have a lot of cats you get to know the routines!

I tend to react after the event rather than during. In a crisis, I am a good person to have around, but then afterwards please give me some space and a hole to crawl in for a bit. Or at least some salted caramel ice cream.

I saw a sparrow today, struggling but still managing to fly with a piece of bread in its beak almost as big as it’s body. I was reminded you only get what you can handle. When storm clouds gather.

Before you go

My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.

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Thank you for reading!