Yesterday evening's Missa Cantata got off to an unusual start as a Turkey Vulture was spotted in the church grounds sending all the other birds into a frenzy of chatter. It had escaped from a nearby bird sanctuary, who promptly sent someone out to retrieve it. Luckily they only feed on carrion and insects, so my cats were safe from being carried off! There was a small hold-up of traffic into the car park but no-one seemed to mind too much as the spectacle was rather interesting.We had two Masses here for the Holy Day - one in the morning in the Ordinary Form and one in the evening in the Extraordinary Form. The evening EF Mass was the better attended!
6 comments:
Dear Father, I see you worry about your outdoor cats too! We have owls and coyotes to worry about where I live. But every night I ask an entire litany of cat loving saints and blesseds to watch over my outdoor cat and the neighborhood cats, and they do an outstanding job!
Veronica
I expect in an urban setting that could be a problem. Here in the rural American countryside nature tends to take care of itself. We have hawks, turkey buzzards, raccoons and coyotes in some numbers – along with the usual collection of smaller animals and domestic pets. Frequently we see a group of smaller birds driving off a predator with much noise and wing-flapping.
A large dog or two on the ground doesn’t hurt either (we have two…) and it would be a brave predator who took on our cat – a stray who adopted us five years ago. She maintains order on the property through the judicious disposition of mice and ground squirrels. It is her domain and she guards it assiduously. Now as to skunks, that’s a whole other issue – best to just keep your distance!
dear father - i thought the wateres silk fascia was reserved to clergy of the Diplomatic Corps
!!!?!?!?
a brother clergyperson
GOR, we have skunks too. Right now there is a skunk with her four young ones living temporarily in a neighbor's shed - cute little things but a bit on the rambunctious side - especially when it comes to food!
All in all, skunks are no problem; that is, until they decide to spray....
Veronica
Yes Veronica, skunks are cute to look at - from a distance! Usually they won't bother you if you don't bother them. But inquisitive house pets sometimes get too close... Trying to get that smell out of their coats is no fun, requiring lots of tomato juice!
Here is a de-skunking remedy you might need some day, GOR:
Mix one quart of hydrogen peroxide with one-quarter cup of baking soda and one teaspoon of liquid soap. Apply the mixture to the dog. Leave on at least five minutes before rinsing.
This is supposed to neutralize the odor. I got sprayed once and applied this remedy to the clothes I was wearing. It worked.
Veronica
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