November 14, 2011
A Thousand Years
As a light breeze gently rustled the last leaves of fall, the hunter crouched motionless in the brown grass, his quarry finally in sight, just across the small clearing, but…
still too far.
Choreographed by the ages, the dance had begun. A thousand years of hunting drove the hunter. A thousand years of being hunted fueled the instincts of the prey.
Stay low. One slow silent step after another, closing the distance. Place a foot carefully, then freeze… and stare. Closer now: an hour passed. Don’t blink. The sound of the wind in the leaves is deafening: can he hear my breath?
A small depression ahead in the hillside; cover for the hunter, danger for the prey. Near the slope at the far edge, nearly close enough. Under the shadow of a pine, its trunk shielding his movements, a few more steps and the time for the kill…
Suddenly shattering the stillness of the moment: “Jingles! … Dinner!”
The small gray cat stood, turned, and trotted back toward the house.
Oh well, a nice warm plate of “Fancy Feast” would taste better than that old chipmunk, anyway.
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Wonderful! I could just see it all.. lol!
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Comment by Roberta — November 14, 2011 @ 4:31 pm
Thanks Roberta. The age-old saga.
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Comment by montucky — November 14, 2011 @ 11:14 pm
Great story!! Sounded just like our Callie, the calico cat as she stalks all the wild things in our yard. She’s partial to Friskies. 😉
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Comment by Mama's Empty Nest — November 14, 2011 @ 4:34 pm
Instinct is a source of amazement. The instinct for Friskies is just being developed.
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Comment by montucky — November 14, 2011 @ 11:18 pm
This is great! No photo needed 😉
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Comment by TheDailyClick — November 14, 2011 @ 5:46 pm
Thanks!
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Comment by montucky — November 14, 2011 @ 11:19 pm
“Jingles” is such a demeaning name for a hunter. But I like what it did for your story. 🙂
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Comment by jomegat — November 14, 2011 @ 5:59 pm
I agree. “Jingles” wouldn’t impart much fear or respect although in a chipmunk, maybe.
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Comment by montucky — November 14, 2011 @ 11:21 pm
Great story. I could picture the whole episode.
Thanks
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Comment by Frances Schenck — November 14, 2011 @ 7:40 pm
I’m glad that you liked it, Frances!
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Comment by montucky — November 14, 2011 @ 11:22 pm
Nice ending to your story, you had me!
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Comment by farmhouse stories — November 14, 2011 @ 7:52 pm
My hunting tales usually have unusual endings.
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Comment by montucky — November 14, 2011 @ 11:23 pm
You captured the essence of a cat hunting! Have watched it many times…
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Comment by kateri — November 14, 2011 @ 10:32 pm
They are fascinating, and actually, hunt very much like I do!
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Comment by montucky — November 14, 2011 @ 11:24 pm
Haha, you mean you can be distracted by a plate of Fancy Feast? Does Jingles exist? Do you have a new family member?
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Comment by Candace — November 14, 2011 @ 11:39 pm
Well maybe not “Fancy Feast”, but take a good Reuben now… No, we don’t currently have a cat: one hasn’t found us yet (I hold the same opinion as my friend Malcolm Campbell that a cat has to find you). We loved one for ten years, but she is gone now. Did you ever read my post on The Christmas Cat?
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Comment by montucky — November 14, 2011 @ 11:50 pm
No, I hadn’t read that sweet story until now. She was so cute, she looks so much like my little outdoor family of “triplets,” especially Ebony, who is a boy and very big, but long-haired and marked like her, at least from a side view.
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Comment by Candace — November 15, 2011 @ 8:30 am
I always enjoy your posts about your cats. Perhaps another one will find us again. It used to be that a lot of people would just take them outside of town and drop them off hoping the folks in the rural area would take them in but I’m very happy to say that has stopped in the last 5 or 6 years.
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Comment by montucky — November 15, 2011 @ 10:54 pm
Made me smile this morning!
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Comment by Jo Woolf — November 15, 2011 @ 2:09 am
I’m pleased, Jo!
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Comment by montucky — November 15, 2011 @ 10:54 pm
This is terrific!
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Comment by dhphotosite — November 15, 2011 @ 8:46 am
Thanks David!
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Comment by montucky — November 15, 2011 @ 10:55 pm
Smiling! And yes, how true it is. Cats find us……and the timing is always quite perfect 🙂
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Comment by Colleen — November 15, 2011 @ 10:52 am
It’s interesting how that works, isn’t it! We will always have a place for one if it needs us.
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Comment by montucky — November 15, 2011 @ 11:01 pm
Lol! You had my full attention! =)))
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Comment by Tricia — November 15, 2011 @ 11:54 am
I’m glad you got a chuckle out of it Tricia.
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Comment by montucky — November 15, 2011 @ 11:31 pm
Omg!! You fooled us good! Terry, you really should write! You have the flare for it, for sure! 😀
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Comment by Barbara — November 15, 2011 @ 12:26 pm
Thanks Barbara!
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Comment by montucky — November 15, 2011 @ 11:32 pm
April Fools in November. A post without a picture is a first, in my visiting your site. But you have a way with words as well as with pixels.
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Comment by Kim — November 15, 2011 @ 1:18 pm
Thanks Kim. When I first started blogging (at a different site) I didn’t have a camera, so I just wrote, and rather enjoyed it.
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Comment by montucky — November 15, 2011 @ 11:36 pm
You got me! I was sure this was a deer hunting story. Jingles has his priorites straight.
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Comment by sandy — November 15, 2011 @ 3:37 pm
I do hunt, but mostly with a camera these days.
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Comment by montucky — November 15, 2011 @ 11:38 pm
An excellent story with an even greater twist ending!
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Comment by Ratty — November 15, 2011 @ 9:50 pm
Thanks Ratty!
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Comment by montucky — November 15, 2011 @ 11:38 pm
You caught me off-guard! Surprise conclusion, for sure. I love those kitty-cats. Great companions. I like all of them, but my favorite is the gray-stripped tabby. Good story, Montucky.
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Comment by Jack Matthews — November 16, 2011 @ 6:28 am
I like cats too, but we don’t have one with us presently, partly because in our location, we only a strictly indoor cat would work. There’s a highway that’s certainly within “cat range” and too many wild critters around.
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Comment by montucky — November 16, 2011 @ 11:21 pm
Those little cans of fancy feast really to lure in the fearless hunter.
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Comment by knightofswords — November 16, 2011 @ 8:36 am
I guess I’ve gotten too used to the human variety myself too. There is still another week of elk hunting season though.
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Comment by montucky — November 16, 2011 @ 11:25 pm
Hi Montucky, A super-expressive and interesting story of your kitty. I miss having a cat and have not had one for almost ten years. May be time to have a little farm buddy – but then, there are those birds! Oh well. Have a great day!
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Comment by wildlifewatcher — November 16, 2011 @ 11:02 am
I miss having a cat too, and really miss the one who lived with us for ten years! She was a very sweet little gal!
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Comment by montucky — November 16, 2011 @ 11:26 pm
LOL I was riveted as to the hunter…. then “Jingles! … Dinner!” What? ….smile… Great little story. Love kitties. 🙂
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Comment by Anna — November 17, 2011 @ 1:16 pm
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Anna!
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Comment by montucky — November 18, 2011 @ 12:25 am
Love this little story you told here! You should write more often. Terrific!!!
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Comment by Marcie — November 18, 2011 @ 7:09 am
Thanks Marcie!
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Comment by montucky — November 18, 2011 @ 3:47 pm
well written Montucky!
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Comment by Tammie — November 18, 2011 @ 12:47 pm
Thanks Tammie!
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Comment by montucky — November 18, 2011 @ 3:47 pm