The Entropy Gang’s August blog (formerly Conservatory Cats’ Chats)

It's a bit of a squeeze but we can still all get in the top basket together. 

Herschel: We had hoped to tell you about our adventures in the GARDEN but the Servants haven’t erected the fence yet.

Isambard: They keep talking about it but nothing seems to happen . . .

Jellicoe: This morning The THINKER said he needed to cut back some of the plants but he doesn’t want to do it while they’re flowering.

Herschel: The MAID agreed.

Isambard: . . . and then it will be too cold or too wet.

Jellicoe: We don’t really mind. We know they’ll get around to it sooner or later.

Herschel: My guess is later – much later.

Isambard: To be fair, they have got their hands full with all the DOGS. I 

must say it’s rather nice being amongst so many of them.

Jellicoe: Yes, there are twice as many as usual, well, nearly. They seem to like us cleaning their ears and noses and they’re very good about not disturbing us when we’ve taken their beds.

This is me, Herschel, with Bertie. I think Bertie might be my favourite dog.

Herschel: Jellicoe and I thought Isambard would be scared when the other DOGS arrived for their holiday . . . he is a bit of a scaredy-cat . . . He even hid from Bethan when she came to see The THINKER when The MAID was looking after Frankie and he knows her.

Isambard: I am not! I’m just cautious. We cats have only got nine lives, you know.

Jellicoe: Well, that’s eight more than everyone else.

 This is probably my favourite place to relax but I do like sitting in The THINKER'S chair as well. He's my personal Servant.

I like the lower basket - I can see who's coming into the sitting room.

Herschel: We need nine lives because we’re so inquisitive. You know there’s a saying, ‘Curiosity killed the cat’ – I hope I never meet Curiosity.

Isambard: Yesterday a stinging buzzy thing flew into the sitting room . . . what’s it called, Jellicoe? I heard the Servants say but I’ve forgotten.

Jellicoe: It was a wasp. The MAID was really impressed because we knew we mustn’t eat it.

Herschel: That’s because the Cat That Went Before, the one they called Winston, didn’t know and The MAID had to pull a sting out of his chin. We all had a really good look at the wasp but we didn’t bat it and eventually it flew away.

Isambard: Do you think The MAID has been trying to eat wasps? She got stung the other day and her arm went all red and blotchy.

Jellicoe: . . . and she kept scratching and saying, ‘Ooh, I mustn’t scratch it, ooh, uhfffff, ooh.’

Herschel: The THINKER was bitten today and The MAID said, ‘Don’t scratch it.’

 Isambard: She’s a fine one to talk. ‘Do as I say, not do as I do.’

Jellicoe: The THINKER says she’s a typical teacher.

Herschel: I don’t think she likes it when he says that.

Isambard: He’s only joking – that’s what he says, anyway.

Jellicoe: We haven’t got any further with our door-opening. That’s because we don’t have to try to get into the BEDROOM now.

Herschel: No, we go to bed with the Servants and the DOGS. It’s splendid and sometimes one of us stays up there after the Servants and the DOGS have got up in the morning and gone downstairs.

Isambard: I stayed on the bed today – it was lovely to have all that space to myself.

Jellicoe: But it’s nice to go down with them and help them open up the house.

Herschel: It’s even better when they all go out for a walk and we have the house to ourselves.

Isambard: It was raining when they went out yesterday. The MAID was drenched when they got back. She looked very funny with her hair stuck to her head.

Jellicoe:  The DOGS were really wet, too, but they always are because they do a lot of swimming.

Herschel: We all like water though we haven’t tried swimming, whatever that is.

Isambard: We watch it pouring down the drain or coming out of the hose when The MAID washes the patio.

Jellicoe: We like the bath and the shower and the lavatories.

Herschel: I think I prefer our litter trays to their lavatories. I’d be worried about falling in.

Isambard: We wouldn’t fall in – we’re too clever.

Jellicoe: Of course we are. Everyone knows that cats are very clever – resourceful, too. We’ve made a few changes to our Palace. We pulled down the curtain in the sitting room. It was nice to climb up it but it restricted our view of the GARDEN and we can reach the top of the grandfather clock quite easily without it.

Herschel: We’ve done a bit of decorating as well. It wasn’t intentional but we discovered that splatting little insects – flies and moths, that sort of thing – leaves a nice little reddish-brown mark. It might not be quite what the Servants had in mind but it’s a change.

Isambard: It’s slow work. It will take a very long time to decorate the whole house.

Jellicoe: We’ll let the Servants take over soon. We’ve made a start – they can do the rest. Now, it’s warm here, the cricket is on in the background and we’re feeling very r-e-l-a-x-e-d . . . See you soon.