Silke goes to England, the third story
Silke Goes to England
For some time now, my forever human has being saying the word adventure to me. I don't know what this is. Things arrive and are placed by the front door. There is a new covered dirt box for me with a door. Hmm.
There is a visit to Rosa. She does not prick me with a needle, just checks me over. At home a suitcase has been lying around of a week or so, My forever human re packs it. The car is parked in a new place and is heavily loaded. Some of my things are in there.
In the morning it gets finally loaded with my new high level basket bed too. Then my human gets in the car with my harness, I get in and we and we set off. We are not going to the cattery but to the road with the lights and barriers, I sit in my new high level basket and watch the world go by. It rushes past. I go to the back shelf and the armrest and the basket. Every so often a woman’s voice comes from a little box on the windscreen, it sounds like she is angry. I don't like her so I answer back with miaows. She can shut up.
My human puts on some music. I don't like it and miaow until he turns if off. That is better.
I love watching what happens at the toll barriers, we approach slowly, a thing goes bleep lights change from red to green and the barrier goes up. The car speed rises, and off we go again, racing past the huge noisy trucks that do not seem so noisy in the car.
We stop to give the car a drink of some vile smelly stuff, then my human leaves me in the car with my lead tied into the car and he goes into a building. He comes back shortly and we move to a space away from the building, he lets me out, I cannot go far as the lead stops me. Then a huge truck grinds and grumbles and clatters its way past us before stopping with huge hisses. I jump back in the car and crouch low so it cant see me.I don't like big trucks. This one is bigger than any I have seen. I see them everywhere here, this is their home, on the big fast roads. My Forever human is eating and drinking some coffee. He wants me to eat and drink. I don't want to.
He gets back in the car and off we go. We have come a long way. After many more toll booths and many miles we stop again and the car gets its smelly drink. I still do not want to eat drink or use the dirt box. Huge trucks come by scaring me, I get back in the car.
All the time I am not sleeping properly but dozing. I am in my bed next to human when we slow down in a queue of cars. I look on with interest as we stop, and slowly we inch forwards. There are men and women in blue uniforms and cars with flashing lights they wave us through but some cars are pulled over and stopped. I don't know it, but I am now in France!
Every time that woman in the box on the windscreen speaks I yell at her to shut up. It is getting night fall now, but my human and the car know where they are going, we turn off the motorway and start off down some small roads. They are dark and turn and twist. I am tired and first get down onto the armrest then push my head onto my forever Humans lap. Normally he does not let me come into his space in the car, but this time he does. I snuggle he says soft words and gives me a comforting little stroke. I love him.
We go through villages, I sit up and take notice. Then into dark countryside again. Then we take a small turning and drive next to some big rocks, the road is not much bigger than the car. We come to a house and stop. Two lovely humans are there to meet us. Stuff is unloaded from the car. We go inside, and up to a room. My Forever human takes off my harness and I eat and use the dirt box.
I relax as he goes downstairs shutting me in the room. I can hear him downstairs, and I can hear a big dog.
He comes back later, I am so pleased to see him! We go to sleep snuggled up .
The alarm goes off, he feeds me, it is still dark. He goes down for some breakfast I want to come too, he does not let me. I hiss at him. Then he comes up, packs our things then the nice lady and man come she takes me on my harness and carries me downstairs, there is a HUGE dog behind a glass window door, we go outside it is still dark and cold the lady takes me for a little walk to a stream. I love it. I want to stay here for a while.
Then it is into the car. My human takes me to another place and we have a little walk with me on the harness. Then it is into the car we go. The roads are slow at first as we wind through some mountains, then we get on the big fast toll roads again rushing past the big trucks.
We go though many tolls with their lights and barriers and we drive for hours before we stop to give the car its smelly drink. My human gets some coffee and lets me out and takes me for a little walk. There are cats here! I want to say hello but they run away. My harness does not let me say hello. We walk around some grass. Then get back into the car and drive for hours more, every time I wake out of my doze the scenery is rushing by, we just don't stop.
We stop to give the car a drink again. This time there are trucks everywhere I am scared. We get back in the car and go. It is far into the night now. The car growls on relentlessly, I doze, and tell the woman in the box to shut up. My Forever human soothes me with a stroke every so often and his kind words.
Finally we have slowed down and coming into a place with lots of lights. We stop at something that looks like a toll booth the lady in there and my human talk he attaches a piece of paper to the mirror and we go to another building. He gets out and comes back and puts me in my carry box. he takes me into the building it is like going to the vet but there is no smell. A gang of dogs is waiting in a queue before us. I yowl at them. Warning them. If they were not on leads there would be a fight.
I get a scanner passed over me and then we go. We have to to queue with other cars then go through other booths. People smile at me sitting in the front seat on my bed watching. Then we stop at another barrier. The engine goes off. I can smell the air it is strange then my Human grabs me puts me in my bed and we start the engine and go into a line of other cars, we then drive into a brightly lit silver tunnel. (its a train) we get waved forwards by a man, the car engine goes off and we sit. An annoying loud voice comes over a system outside. I miaow at it. Shut up! Then there is a gentle motion and some rattles, I can see lights going by the windows. The car is silent the engine quiet. But we are moving. My human and I are tired.
Then there is noise, doors opening, lights and engines starting my human starts our engine and we are off out of the silver tunnel into the night. We drive on the wrong side of the road. But everyone does so there is no problem. It starts to rain the wipers come on, slip slop…I don't like it and think I might get wet so I go the back shelf and stay there perfectly dry. The rain rattles on the glass and the wipers slip slop……I sleep…
Eventually we go down some small dark roads, I come to the armrest and nuzzle my lovely Forever Human. We stop at a house and there is another man, he greets us and I go in on my lead he holds my lead while my Forever human unloads the car. The floors are soft and fury and warm. I like this place . It is smaller than my home in Spain. But cosy and warm. This new man is kind and gentle. I get fed, shown where my dirt box is and we all go to bed very tired. What a long day ! I sleep a lot.
In the morning, I meet another man who is kind and gentle and a glamorous blonde woman. They all like me here. They play with me, stroke me and cuddle when I want to. My life is wonderful.
Next day I get to use the cat flap and learn that there is a garden here. It is lovely. Not big, not small. It has soft green grass , not like in Spain and shrubs all around. I can come and go at will. I love it. My human takes me to the front of the house and shows me a cat sized hole in a brick wall he pushed see through, it takes me behind a shed and into the garden He meets me at the cat flap and tells me I am clever. I love this place. It is meant for cats.
My forever human comes and goes, I am happy to catch up on some sleep. I have no interest in going out in the car.
My human calls me, I go out of the front door with him, he calls me to follow him across the road, I follow, a little nervous. Then he goes into some woods. I follow. The smells are wonderful. Dead piles of leaves to rummage in. The earth smells different, the trees smell different. This place is heaven. I love it. We follow a path. Then he takes me into some woods to rummage around in. There is bracken. I like rummaging in that. There are birds singing , they make a lot of noise, there are squirrels high in the trees. Then we turn and go back home.
Soon everyday he takes me. This is “walk” and he rattles his keys to tell me. I love it. One of the other men comes with us one day. I am relaxed and run and jump in the woods.
My forever human bundled me up out of my bed by the radiator and put the harness on me. I had been peacefully dozing after most of the day asleep. He then took me out to the quiet blue car. It smelled wonderful of leather, and clean too. He jumped into the seat with the wheel that was on the wrong side, and off we went. I yowled at him. I mooched about. I did not want to go, but then well this was exciting, I quietened down as the car quietly hummed along. It is a very quiet smooth car. We went onto the big fast road, and then after short while off it and onto some small roads through a small town. Waiting for me at a new house, were a family including some human kittens. They are all kind and gentle but the kittens were a little noisy for me at times. They fed me some interesting new biscuits, and gently stroked me. They ate together and I sat on the sofa next to a brightly decorated tree that smelled faintly of plastic. Humans are odd. Then on went the harness and we came home , just my forever human and I. It was nice to be back at my Forever human’s house.
I am beginning to understand that when humans go in cars they often visit one another at their houses. Oh I know they go and get things too, and take me to the vet. Humans are curious sometimes. Why are there times when they don't take us in the car?
My car the one we mostly travel in, came home today. It is a growling clattering Mercedes diesel, and it is a very distinctive sound. I know if we go anywhere in that car we might go on the long journey home to Spain. I don't want to get in it. I like it here in this curious country full of dead leaves, soft damp grass, birds and lovely woods.
The next day, my Forever human made an attempt to take me for a walk but there were too many people around. I did not want to go. He tried again later when it was quieter and that was fine by me. We had a lovely time in the woods. I saw the squirrels again in the tops of trees and heard the big scary black birds flying around making “Caw caw” noises.
My human leads me on a different path on the way home, through some heather. I could smell the path had been used by an animal. I did not know what. My human headed for the path to go home following a bigger path, but there was a smaller path I could follow. I reached the homeward path while he was picking his way through the heather. He lost sight of me and called me. I answered him back with a loud miaow. Then started walking back to get him, along the home path. He called, I miaowed, this was like rounding up kittens. He was pleased to see me and fussed me. I was happy to see him too. We went home just as it began to rain. What a lovely walk. I love my human.
Today my forever human made an early breakfast for me just as it was getting light. I love it when he does that. I had had breakfast, and I sat looking out of the big glass window from the vantage point of the sofa, when some odd creature came into the pretty garden. It had long ears, it hopped along slowly, and it had curious fluff for a tail. It ate grass. I had never seen anything like it. It was nearly as big as me too. I quietly exited through the cat flap and with stealth went up the garden steps to view this creature. I leapt up and raced at it, my cat killer instincts making me super alert, never had I seen anything move so fast. So clever too, jinking this way and that. It did not go far and with one ear and and one eye it watched me while eating some more grass. I rushed again, it again moved so fast there was air where it should have been.
My killer instinct now knew, this was not going to be a meal. I was not hungry anyway. But I decided to play chase with it. It knew what I was doing and knew it could out run me at any time. Eventually it had enough and left the garden. As my feet were now wet from the grass it was time for me to go back inside for a nap.
What an amazing country this is! So many different creatures, and birds singing everywhere. I am loving it.
It is Christmas time, many houses have lovely lights twinkling. My forever human was going out in our car, the diesel Mercedes, I leapt in, where was he going? He drove the short distance to the village and stopped outside a shop. The village sparkled with Christmas lights even trees had lights on them. He clicks on my harness and went into a smelly shop. After a while he came out with smelly food. Fish and chips! I don't like fish. We drove home. He offered me a small pice of soft white fish. No thank you, very kind of you to offer.
The next day, we got in the usual car, the quiet smooth blue one had disappeared, and we drove. A little further than in the blue car but not much. My human put on my harness when we stopped and put me in the cat carry basket, plus I he had my dirt box with us. Another gentle human came to help carry stuff. We went upstairs to an apartment. We spent Christmas day there. The humans ate, and chatted. I dozed on the sofa amongst them. The rain splashed down outside and I went on the balcony, we were up high with no way down for me to escape.
The evening came, I wanted to go home I scratched at my cat carrier, my human heard me. He understood me! Very soon he said his farewells, and we were in the car going home. I was out of my carrier in the car. We drove on the big fast road. I liked being back at the house.
The next day my human took me on a longer different walk down a path I had wanted to go on before. We had to cross a small road and go along a wide and open path by a lake. A man came running fast the other way, I bolted for home. My human called me and came to find me. I came reluctantly at first. I must trust him. He will not hurt me. I stopped to yowl at the ducks floating on the pond. Then ran to catch up to my human. We then went into the woods on a wide path. I liked this. We crossed the little road and stopped at a a bench. I knew this bench. The path home was nearby as well as my favourite bracken woods.
The next morning my forever human took me for an early walk. When we came home, he packed things into the car, including my special high-level bed. I knew we were going to travel again and I explored remembering how nice this place was. I want to come back.
We headed for the big fast road, today it was full of big trucks. It was daylight so lots for me to see. The countryside was dead looking but I knew ready to burst into life.
We stopped at a big place. Then we drove to a toll booth, the man inside looked at a little book my forever human handed to him, the window was down but I could not get out as I was on my harness, “Look everyone this guy has a cat with him!” he ruffled my head fur. He handed the book back to my human and we drove quietly to a big queue of cars. We sat there with the engine off. People and cars crowded round us. I yelled and yowled. “Come lets get going!” Then some men got angry with a lady in a bright jacket. Announcements yelled at us, I yelled back. We sat for ages. Then suddenly my human got into action, started the car and we set off slowly in a queue of cars only to stop. Engine off again. Then we started and got on a tunnel that moves. (The Euro tunnel train)
Soon we started up and drove, the lady in the box occasionally saying something, and with me yelling at her. It was night when we got to a Hotel. My human took me up to a nice warm room.
he went downstairs for dinner and I sat on the windowsill watching cars on a road nearby and some twinkling lights.
In the morning we got back in the car and drove again. Around lunchtime we stopped at a nice wooded area. My human took me for a walk on my lead. I liked it. Then a dog came rushing at me, so I went up a tree. Humans came to catch the dog. I growled at my human for plucking me off the tree before I could get high up it. I struggled he gripped me tighter on his shoulder and walked towards our car. The dog got loose and chase us again. I growled.The humans came and got the dog, cross with it. We got in the car and started to drive again.
Finally we came off the big fast road and onto smaller ones. Then we arrived at the nice place with the big dog and lovely humans. I knew this room. I knew we were going home. I was happy.
It was a cold night and I snuggled next to my forever human sharing warmth. I love him.
In the morning we set off again, along some small roads. We stopped and had a walk in some trees and bushes. I love it. We got on a big fast road, so many trucks around. I had never seen so many. Cars too. We got to a toll and got stuck in traffic. The engine went off. I yelled, “come on move, get on with it!” Then the cars and trucks got angry hooting their horns and yelling. I yelled.
Nothing happened. Cars and big trucks all around, people out of their cars. We waited for ages, my human quiet and calm. I wanted to go. Horns yell, the big trucks making a fearsome angry noise.
Then suddenly my human starts the engine, we inch forwards, cars all around us pushing into the lines and being squeezed from 9 lanes to two. I hate the big trucks next to us especially one that rattled. They kept hissing too.
Ages later we went through a toll area with no one around. I was back in Spain but did not know it!
I sensed soon that the smells of the earth were different and familiar, so I knew we were nearer home.
I fall into a deep sleep on my back paws up, as we rush along. I was happy. I was safe. I dream of the things I have seen, and places I have been. My forever human is wonderful. I love him.
We get home in the evening, I stand at the dashboard as we go along the little lanes near home. I see the mountain. I know where I am. The engine goes off, My human opens the door and takes off my harness. I jump out and inspect the place as he unloads the car. I smell cat. I pee to let them know I back.
I am home, with the hard rich red earth, the plants I know. The house I know so well.
What an adventure! I love my forever human and he loves me. Now I know where he goes when he leaves me at the cat Hotel. Next time he is not going to do that. I won’t let him. I will go in his suitcase If I have to. My forever human is special. He is mine. Forever.
