Kountry Kitties.....

My recent move to the "country" with my apartment dwelling, city slicker cats is providing me with a variety of unusual challenges and a plethera of comical treasures. I never tire of watching my barnyard challenged felines explore the great outdoors....leaping through the fields, running up the trees, basking in the sun, sniffin' flowers....such charming kitty activities. I am constantly amused by their antics...like when Monkey spends hours stalking a bird only to give his position away by the butt wiggle before the pounce, or the "Ballet" he performs when a butterfly flutters within range. Then there is Peapod and his visible annoyance when the air outside is "pushy", and Lucie's endless attempts to get across the yard without setting a single paw on the grass.
And of course there are the "firsts". The first time they saw the horses next door was hysterical, as was their first encounter with a jackrabbit. The first night it rained, hundreds of teeny tiny frogs appeared out of nowhere and provided hours of entertainment, and the pig...the first time they saw the pig was priceless. They still cannot figure out what the heck rain is, or how to get away from it....they apparently think planes, flocks of ducks, and the occassional cloud are going to fall from the sky and land on their heads by the way they run for cover whenever one appears, and all of them remained convinced that the garden hose is a snake....a snake that occassionally spits.
I'm telling ya, the amusement never ends.
Take for example, the other morning.....as usual, I headed out to the front porch (followed by a long line of felines) to drink my coffee and watch the kitties play. As I set my coffee on the table, I notice that all four cats have made an abrupt stop on the doorstep...and with eyes pert near popping out of their heads, they sit.... staring intently at something behind me. So, I turn around, expecting to see a big cloud, a flock of birds, or perhaps a low flying plane...the usual things in the sky that freak them out....but one of the usual suspects in was not. I too found myself suffering from "pert near eye popped out syndrome" (to the delight of the cats I'm sure) when I saw what hovered above.
It was a big, beautiful hot air balloon taking off from the field next door.....and it took up the whole sky. After the initial shock, I was mesmerized by the beauty of it...it was so close it felt like you could just reach out and touch it. The cats on the other hand, took a bit longer to relax....eventually they ventured off of the doorstep and out into the yard, but they kept a real close eye on the balloon....making sure it kept its distance. Peapod, the baby.....even tried to chase it....cute little shit that he is. Now in the morning when I open the door, all the cats do a quick check of the sky before they step out into the day........just in case.