Small Pleasures

It was still dark when Ollie the cat woke me this morning. There was a gentle, steady rain, the soaking kind, and that led me to forgo my usual walk along Casco Bay in favor of coffee on the deck. Only raindrops on tree leaves broke the silence as the sky turned from black through purple to gray until a lone seagull greeted the day with a complaint. I have lived 65 years, until now, without knowing the pleasures of a covered deck.

On mornings when Ollie allows me to sleep in a little, this is what I see when I first open my eyes. Now don’t laugh at that funny roof across from my deck. Well, go ahead and laugh. It's okay; I do it every day. You have to wonder what the architect was thinking when he designed that odd, little topknot.

It spoils the view, but if I could afford oceanfront property, I would have and anyway, Casco Bay is only two short blocks away. Besides, even if the peculiar-roofed garage weren’t there, houses on the next street would would block the view.

It may not be New York in size, but Portland, Maine is just as much a city, a municipality, an urban area of cars and concrete. Still, we’ve got plenty of critters here. Too bad this isn’t smell-o-web or I could introduce you to the skunk who wanders by of an evening now and then. I’ve never seen him, but he (she?) is otherwise evident - as it were.

Squirrels are everywhere, as out my library window. They habitually run around on electric wires and when the power occasionally goes out for a few hours, I’ve been told that fried squirrel is often the cause. Perhaps that explains their puny tails.

Local cats, obviously well-kept pets, prowl the neighborhood, but even though cars are sparse on my street, I’m not willing to take that chance with Oliver. In fact, I didn’t allow him on our deck until this week. Look at this - I should have named him Ferdinand.

It’s tough on my nerves when Oliver’s on the deck. It’s not beyond his walnut-sized brain to take a flying leap in pursuit of a bug or a bird and it’s a long drop even if it’s only the second floor we live on.

There’s no accounting for what piques a cat's curiosity. You’d think flowers, plants, birds, bugs, the sunshine would be a compelling draw, but oh, no. There is a door to the laundry room off the deck where Oliver checks out the washing machine in great detail every time we’re outside.

And maybe next year, when I do a proper deck garden, Ollie will help.

More likely, he’ll continue to give me the willies by getting too close to that fence for comfort. By the way, does anyone know if cats can get fleas from hanging out on a deck with potted plants?

One of the best things about blogging is the people you meet. I was still unpacking boxes when Mary Lee of Full Fathom Five welcomed me to town with a whole bunch of plants for the deck. All of them in the photos above are from Mary Lee, including this lemon balm and this begonia. If you look closely, you can see tiny, white flowers that recently popped out on the balm.

Shortly before I left New York, I had lunch with Tamar of Mining Nuggets just as she was leaving on her trip to the Isle of Rhodes. Even in her anticipation of that important trip, she thought to bring me a hamsa for my new Portland home.

A hamsa is a Jewish charm traditionally hung by the door as a blessing for the home and to ward off evil. Sometimes called God’s protective hand, it is said that if you touch it as you leave, you will be safe while you are away.

Then one day not long ago, an unexpected package arrived from Cowtown Pattie of Texas Trifles. Another charm, this one a kitchen witch to keep meals warm and tasty, prevent burnt pots and to weave the family together.

Here’s a Kitchen Witch’s Creed I found on the web:

In this pot, I stir to the sun
An' follow the rule of harming none.

Banishment of bane when goin' winddershins;
An' with water and salte negativity is cleansed.

Household duties are more than chores,
Magick abounds when mopping floors.

With this broom, I do sweep
To clean my house and safely keep.

Marigold, Basil, Thyme and Yarrow
My spell is cast for a better tomorrow.

Lemons for joy and apples for health,
The power within brings great wealth.

And, in this kitchen I do pray
To truly walk the Witches’ Way.

Beautiful plants and mystical charms to remind me, when they catch my eye each day, of fine friends. Not such small pleasures after all.

Comments

[Steve Sherlock]

Ronni, the small pleasures, the simple ones are indeed delightful. It sounds like Portland is rapidly becoming a welcome home for you and Oliver. The pictures help tell the story of New England city life. Enjoy!

[tamarika]

Ronni,
Dear blogger friend! How lovely to see you enjoying your new home. Ollie looks happy too. I know *I* would be on edge with him on the porch. But he looks as content as could be, and enjoying the home just as much as you.

It was an exciting surprise to see the Hamsa on your wall. I hope it brings you peace and joy always and forever!

[karen]

In your climate, I would not expect Ollie to get fleas from being on the deck. Here is the swamp (near Houston) it would be a chich! Beautiful plants by the way

[Heidi]

You might want to consider installing transparent netting around the deck, both to calm your nerves and in the off-chance Ollie decides to take the plunge...

[Rain]

The pictures of Ollie were great. He is so beautiful, looks so bright and was enjoying exploring his new world. I do love cats. I also enjoyed seeing your home gifts :)

[Chancy]

Ronni

Your latest post spoke of a deep contentment with the choices you have made. Your deck is lovely. Such beautiful flowers and sweet Ollie getting a breath of fresh air.

I have a small deck on my townhouse where I enjoy sitting in the late afternoon and evening. Right now it is too hot to be outside at all.

BTW, I decided when we moved in here 3 years ago to call my deck a "porch"
Somehow porch sounds more elegant and peaceful...;)
and porch reminds me of my childhood when our front "porch" was the site of many pleasant times.

[ml]

Ronnie:
Perhaps age is bringing latent talents to the surface: What are you doing to those plants? I never had them blooming like that!
How wonderful to see them, you, and Ollie thriving. I don't know much about cats, but Ollie looks much like our dog Cody did when he first came from the shelter: he went right for the deck. With ten acres and more to roam, he didn't want to be anywhere but the deck, just looking out through the fence-slats.
Finally we realized that he feels protected there, and likes the elevation. He can survey the outside world, smell the air, hear the birds, etc., but he knows he's safe, enclosed.
Ollie's relaxed but regal look seems to say the same thing.

[Wanda]

What a beautiful home! Thank you for showing us where you are. Ollie is tres handsome, too.

[louise]

What a beauteful cat!! And yes you can get fleas on a 2nd floor deck. It is noted they can jump 8-10 feet. Also you can carry them inside on your clothes if you come in contact with them

[goldenlucy]

Oh how I love your picture-stories Ronni! I'm so happy, but not surprised, that you and Ollie have found contentment in your new surroundings. However I have a suggetion that could increase your peace.

Re your apprehension about Ollie booking the deck Strong and nearly invisible mesh is available in any home supply store. You can get it in various widths and it is easy to install around the rails of a deck.

Our family house has an 800 foot drop off the back deck and many brainless pets who are safely (and to my mind, perversely) restrained by this system. It's a thought.

I have nothing to say about your previous post---and I don't want to hear any more about it either.

[Peggy]

Ollie is one beautiful cat! What breed is he? When I saw your hamsa charm, I was surprised. It is also a "Hand of Famitma" charm. A very popular Muslim charm. Fatima was the daughter of Mohammed. I had a Hand of Fatima that I bought on a trip to Tunisia years ago. Hamsa is also Arabic for five. I never knew it was a Jewish Hamsa charm. Learn something new every day.

[Melinda]

Just a beautiful deck Ronni - what a lovely, peaceful place to start your day. Your flowers are beautiful. Ollie sure looks like he loves the deck too...a curious feline indeed. So happy for you, it seems each day you are enjoying your new home more and more!

[Ronni Bennett]

Peggy - Oliver is a Savannah cat, part domestic Bengal and part wild serval - a cat which is native to the African plains. You can read more about him here.

I only recently learned that the Jewish hamsa is also a Muslim charm. It appears there is at least one piece of common ground between the two peoples. Now if we could only expand on such meeting of minds to other areas.

[Frank Paynter]

Beautiful writing, beautiful pictures. Screening the rails of the deck will just send him up one level if he chooses to exit. Here's an odd bit of science from Wikipedia that might ease your mind. (I had heard about it before Wikipedia from my scientist brother-in-law):

The cat righting reflex is cat's innate ability to orient themselves as they fall so as to land on their feet, often uninjured. The righting reflex begins to appear at 3-4 weeks of age, and is perfected at 7 weeks. They are able to do this as they have an unusually flexible backbone and no collarbone. After determining up from down visually or using their vestibular apparatus (in the inner ear), they rotate their upper body to face downwards and their lower body follows. In addition to the righting reflex cats have a number of other features that will reduce damage from a fall. Being small, having a light bone structure, and thick fur decreases their terminal velocity. Furthermore, once righted they may also spread out their body to increase drag and slow the fall to some extent. A falling cat's terminal velocity is 60mph whereas a falling man in a free-fall position is 130mph. At terminal velocity they also relax as they fall which protects them to some extent on impact. Padded paws will also soften impact.

Using their righting reflex, cats can often land uninjured. This is, however, far from always the case, and cats can still break bones or die from falls. In a study (in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) of 132 cats that had fallen from buildings, it was found that cats were most likely to die if they had fallen about seven stories.[citation needed] Below that height they may not have reached terminal velocity and would hit the ground with less force. However, if falls were further than seven stories the chance of cats dying also decreased as they had more time to right themselves, spread to increase drag, and relax.

[Terri]

Enjoyed the post and the photos, but have to agree with you. I'd be a nervous wreck about Ollie suddenly jumping on the railing and,....down!
Easy to see you're both settling in there and enjoying it.
On yesterdays post...I guess all I can say is....I'm speechless, especially to the comments. I had NO idea women over 50 felt this way! Cripe...and my main character in my current manuscript is 51, but she's far from sexually dead. Nor does she want to be. Intimacy is important to her. Hmmm, seems my character isn't very "believable" in today's world, from what I've read here.

[Cowtown Pattie]

Glad you are enjoying the little red-headed witch!

Ollie is drop dead gorgeous - but he knows that!

[joared]

Small pleasures are, indeed, what life is all about. There are so many when we live in the moment. Nice to see some of the enjoyed pleasures in your moments with the photos you shared here.

Was especially intrigued with the hamsa charm; appreciate the related descriptive information. I, too, wish the symbolism of a shared charm could somehow be expanded into reality for a "meeting of minds" elsewhere.

Loved the kitchen witch and her creed.

These seem sure indicators that the forces for positive happenings in your new abode will predominate in your life. Ollie will, hopefully, do his part to see that happens.

[Bill]

That "top knot" view from your wonderful deck is probably a charming cupola that has been the victim of a botched, amateur roofing job...maybe you might consider splitting the cost of a
new one...

(I am not selling these things)

[Joy D]

Love these pictures and the descriptions. Wish I were there.