Well I’ve been quite quiet on here recently, that’s because She has been hogging the computer and tapperty tipping lots. Then She has been working and Tom has been tapperty tipping lots instead. Just when does a cat get chance to do some writing of her own!?

Life in Scarboreough (where the outside doesn’t change) was boring, yet I had to keep on my toes. So many cats about and not one friend to be found! I had an inside tree to keep me happy, from the top I could gloat at Boggy Face Alan and Fatty Betty. There was LOADS of room inside and several comfy beds to choose from. Well that was until they all got nice clean sheets and the doors got closed.

Tom thinks I became a junky for a week, Cannabis is what he thinks I had. If that’s the case he was my dealer, sprinkling it onto my food on an evening! Apparently it was meant to make me a touch more laid back, but with all those cats around I couldn’t lounge around.

I found myself being shoved into the cat caravan and then spending far too long getting all hot around the collar and trying to avoid the inevitable. She did try to help, but I was so glad when Tom stopped turning the wheel.

What was this I saw before me?! Oleanna!!!!!! Our proper inside.

She locked us in the bathroom, wanting to check I was clean. Then She said, ‘Do you know where we are?‘ Of bloomin course I did! Just let me get through that door for a nice calm sit down and a bath please!

The inside smelt a little bit different to how I remembered it. A couple of sniffs and then I decided to sit on my shelf, keep myself out of the way as She and Tom would be busy. Things went away into cubby holes, I checked them out before they opened them up in case anything had moved in whilst we were away, but all was fine.

Outside there were views again, birdies to watch, water to be aware of. Life was back to normal, I could forget about lockdown in Scarboreough.

But hang on something was missing! I had to send them back to get it, I most certainly wasn’t going to join them. Tom said that they hadn’t forgotten it, but there just wasn’t space for it and anyhow they had to go and see Bill. Off they went leaving me to get settled back in. I checked things over, feed me shelf, my shelf, Houdini’s shelf, the curtains are too clean and the insides of them don’t have enough grip factor yet, but I’ll work on that once my claws have grown back. Just a shame she’d left the lid on my toy box, I’ve missed playing with Transgender Mouse.

When they came back, the first thing into the boat was my missing item. She hadn’t even got in through the door properly before I was using it. My scratch post! Then she opened up the toy box and there were my friends again and the really good bouncy balls, they are pathetic in a house, but great on a boat.

After a few days they went outside. It was time to let this outside go, they untied it and pushed it away. I wasn’t sure if they could remember what they were doing so had to sit on the back steps and shout at them through the door. Don’t forget to push the thingy! Put the ropes where you can lasso the outside again. I’m not sure they heard me, although She kept opening the slidey top and asking if I was alright. I was fine, but were they!!!

I decided my nerves couldn’t take it any longer, so I had to go for a snooze and just hope they caught a good outside. After three nervous snoozes they tied one up. The view from the windows looked good. No trees or sideways trees, but plenty of friendly cover. It took them forever tying it up.

‘You have an hour. NO friends home dead or alive, or putting them on the roof for later. No jumping in. No falling in. No bullying. Go and enjoy yourself.’

She and I had a little walk up the towpath to check it out then I was allowed to go solo. Here there were friends! Tasty friends, oh how I’ve missed them.

Since then they have repeatedly tied up the marina outside. This means I can’t go out, the close proximity of friends has been used as an excuse.

But I’ve been fairly happy just watching things and occasionally twanging the bolts on the back doors.

They have also changed the outside several times. Sometimes with trees, other times fishermen (who apparently don’t require my assistance), other times some other boats. Apparently if the weather is good, the tide right and when She’s finished her working they will be letting go of this lot of outsides. They will make the outside go up and then it will zoom away and escape. She says I won’t be allowed out for a few days as it will all be tidal outsides, so I have to make the most of things now.

I’d best lend She a paw with her working then they can get back to moving the outside properly again.

It’s purringly good to be back in this inside.

This post also appears on my very own blog Mrs Tilly