A Purrfect Imagination Diversion
Today I have lingered in a situation that is foreign to me. I have lounged in bed all day long, convalescing in a fair amount of bodily agony and feeling mental irritation at being bed ridden. In between naps and phone calls from my concerned, lovely family and friends I would cast my hooded eye gaze over the comforter that was keeping my fevered form somewhat warm. Anytime one of us is ill we become surrounded by a complement of what I like to call CNA's: Cat Nurturing Attendants.
It was while I was gazing upon my feline well-being congregation that I was reminded of two things: The Warriors book series and the feral cats that haunted grounds of the Mexico resort that I visited recently.
Whilst enjoying my stay at the Grand Mayan Resort in Nuevo Vallarta I found my attention frequently drawn to the incredible landscaping. I would get up early and wander the grounds, observing the army of landscapers that tended to the myriad of plant life. It was during one of my morning rounds that I spied a different kind of resort inhabitant, a feral cat. I quickly snapped a picture of the white feline, as it's pale visage contrasted greatly with the 50 shades of green that made up the jungle foliage. The young cat didn't twitch a whisker as we silently sized each other up. The remains of my gelato were left as a peace offering to it and it's clan, for cat clans were the first thing that I thought of.
I liked the iguanas too!
You see, there are these juvenile fiction books, The Warrior series by Erin Hunter. Erin Hunter is a collective pseudonym and the books are about cat clans. There are a ton of Warrior books, and I know them all pretty well, as I have shelved the different tomes a few hundred times. Our local youth love the series about brave and territorial cat clans.
So, it was with cat clans in mind that I started paying even more attention to my surroundings. As I floated on the lazy river I would let my eyes wander in and out of the foliage in search for the Warriors of the Grand Mayan. To my unending delight there were feral cats everywhere! During one of my multiple hour floats around the lazy river an entire cat family came out and lounged on a chunk of grass next to the river. With each floated loop I noticed that Mama cat would have different kitten in a loving headlock grooming it like a lioness out of a nature biopic. After multiple float-by observations, I hopped out of my tube and slowly waded up to the edge of the river bank. All of the cats froze and we returned each other's stares. Our moment of silent communication was ruined when another resort guest noticed our interaction and blundered into our silent conversation. The branch of the resort cat clan melted into the shrubbery with silence and efficiency.
Today my cat clan was a balm for my fevered soul, and they made me think of and hope that the resort cat clan is doing well. I also hope they are using their cuteness to manipulate the gelato out of other guest's hands.
And as always, all of the images in this post were taken on the author's cat hair covered iPhone.