Midnight Mutterings | Urban friends

||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES |||

About the photograph. I am in Bellingham visiting my son and Molly and Rose Cats. A few days ago Rose escaped the house and was hiding in the weeds of the uncared-for garden in the front yard of my son’s house.

I am no longer shocked by the deer that wander the streets and yards of Bellingham. These deer are twice the size of Orcas deer and just as bold. I was watching this big buck with points (I don’t know how to count them) as he wandered in the small yard, sampling the weeds in the former garden, while Rose the Cat was fearlessly watching him from her section of the weeds.

I took a few shots of the buck and some of Rose when I could spot her in the overgrowth.

Then, almost simultaneously they moved toward each each other almost touching noses. It happened so fast I wasn’t even sure I got a good shot. I don’t know if they actually touched noses, but neither seemed afraid or aggressive.

Rose and Molly Cats spend a lot of time staring out of the windows as the wildlife goes by and Rose and Buck may have a history of trying to meet up. They certainly seem to be looking directly into each other’s eyes. I’m not sure how they parted as I was totally absorbed in the image on my phone.

And though Rose looks tiny in the photo, she is a big cat, maybe twelve pounds of solid cat muscle. In the days since my lucky photo, I’ve seen several bucks and large does crossing the yard, but not this particular buck again.

I know we’ve all missed great shots when we couldn’t get the perfect shot and/or the subjects moved while we fumble with our cameras or phones, but this time I got really lucky and I’m so thrilled. I just had to share my luck.