I have written of Stevie before, the large grey cat who drew blood on the vet and two of her technicians at his last visit. His fangs are faster than fast, with no warning shots fired. If you're done, you're done, neatly and efficiently. He has stopped trying to date the blankets on the bed, and has gone back to his bachelor ways, leaving the girls alone since they put him in his place. He has a new trick, and it is endearing. This temperamental, dog-sized terror is a mama's boy, a lover, a smoosh who, after four years, is beginning to like me.
He enjoys drinking from a dribbling bathtub faucet, and as the water streams down, sticks his head directly under it as he drinks. This means he gets soaked, doesn't seem to mind, one of the oddest cat things I've seen; to rid himself of the wet, he shakes his head and the water goes flying. But there is another dimension, he then sits himself next to me and waits for me to wipe him off, closing his eyes and tipping his head up in bliss. Deliberately. I knew he liked the fussing, but not as a game until I was sitting at the computer and he trotted over, head wet from the tub. I don't leave it on for him all day; this was Saturday and I was able to sit to read the news before a shower, so the water valve was left slowly dripping. I grabbed a paper towel, wiped his head with many "Good boys" and went back to the keyboard. Stevie disappeared, but three minutes later came to me again, his head soaking, waiting expectantly for paper towel adoration.
I wouldn't think it odd that the cat went back for more water, but he came to me for a drying off; the growling leave-me-alone-dammit cat is letting his inner kitten relax and come out. He now washes me on occasion, sleeps next to me, and butts his large head into my leg in demonstrative cat affection. He trusts me, which is a grand award in my eyes, and I trust him, if only a teensy bit more. Funny things, us critters.
But not as funny as the monkey business going on at the zoo on our third grade field trip. The kids were enchanted by the peacocks who had the run of the place, and of course, the larger animals. We traversed the "Rain Forest" building which is a beautifully designed imitation populated by animals in a more natural manner. It smells to high heaven due to the hot, humid artificial climate working on the animal urine and feces,which hits you like a bag of nickels. Woof. We went, we saw, we scooted out gratefully into the cool spring air and there, and there, Look, LOOK MS COBURN IT'S HYENAS!! The hyena exhibit was directly kitty corner to the Rain Forest Howler Monkey Toilet and they were out in their area, a large, meadow-like romping field displayed through ground to above my head-sized thick, plastic windows. Large enough for All the Kids to crowd towards. Look, LOOK THEY'RE PLAYING!! One was chasing the other. The big one was chasing the littler one. Hmmm, I thought. This look familiar, and I don't think I be liking it. But, no panic yet.
The littler hyena came running up to the window, u-turned and hit the pedal to the metal back to yonder. The kids squealed in delight; these are children who get excited when they see a Real Bug, so imagine the happiness found in hyenas. The animals were nipping, jumping, playing, and chasing, ending right up in front of the window, smashing into the window, oh. Uh oh. Yup. The kids went "EEWWW, what are they doing? Look! He's eating him!", said as the male clamped onto the female's neck. A few were choking on raucous giggles, and I said in my teacher voice, Alright, let's go. Let's go!! LET'S GO NOW, IT'S LUNCHTIME! And of course you want to eat lunch after seeing that, right? They were glad to get away from the hyena spring is in the air and up your butt fest, and we went for our packed lunches.
They had fun, got tired and thus crabby with each other and tried to pick little fights. I was able to herd them onto the bus and we got back to school in enough time to write about the animals we saw. And what was your favorite, honey? In the writing journal was a picture of two hyenas, "playing". Oh, nice. Thank god she can't draw and so the lumpy bodies and legs made no sense unless you had been there, which I was. Eew. I can scan it for you if you like.
Spring is indeed in the air, and the trees are in blossom; lilacs are out, and the freshness of new growth is running rampant, making u-turns, and chasing itself through yards, parks, and every other growing space. Rains blow in from over the lake and spin towards the east, spiraling to the next town over. Sleep well: the hyenas did, I imagine. Oh, great, good, night.
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