Skip to main content

Junior's Jungle Gym

In this episode - Juniors' Jungle Gym . . .

Does a cat own you? Then I'm sure you know what it's like to be a Jungle Gym. You Don't? Well, allow me to explain.

It begins early each morning (usually 4:30 a.m.) Whomp, you hear the cat, Junior, jump onto the bed. He climbs onto your chest and sticks his nose directly to mine. A friendly face greets me with two large, bright, golden-greenish eyes, white whiskers, and what appears to be a smiling face.

Meow, translation - ”Time to get up.”

"Good morning Junior. (Jr.) Ok, ok, I'm getting up.”

Stretching, you make your way to the bathroom, have a seat, then Whomp, Jr. leaps from the floor to your shoulders and starts his motor purring in your ear.

"What's up, Jr.? Where's Missy.”

Both Junior and his sister Missy spend their days lounging around the house, mainly sleeping. They are decidedly indoor cats. Over the years, we've lost too many cats to varmints that populate the open space behind our house. Jr. and Missy were four months old when we adopted them from the shelter. Thank goodness they are content to wander the house and sit on the windowsills to watch the world go by.

So, you make your way downstairs to prepare the morning coffee to start the day. And there's Jr. seated in the corner watching your every move - waiting!

Once the coffee is ready, you grab your cup and head back upstairs to the computer in your office. It's quiet, you're going through emails - then Whomp, Jr. pounces into your lap and starts squirming back and forth. His tail slaps the keyboard, and all kinds of commands appear on your screen. Not content to sit in your lap, he climbs back on your shoulders to get a better view of what's going on.

About this time, Lori gets up, grabs her morning coffee, and heads for the couch - Ah-Ha, another lap. Jr. scampers downstairs to claim yet another lap. Where's Missy this entire time, you ask? She is casually sitting on the footstool in front of the sofa, just watching this go by.

Now it's breakfast; he follows you to the kitchen, then Whomp jumps on the table. Cautiously he has to make sure nothing has changed, sniffing everything, including your breakfast. Trying desperately to get a lap, he climbs back to your shoulders, not deterred.

"Ok, Jr., time for work.”

So, Jr. yawns jumps down from the table, and retires to his daytime snooze spot. Meanwhile, Missy casually raises her head and watches all this go by . . .

It's early evening; the garage door opens, and as we walk through the door, there's Junior to greet us - stretching - waking up from his all-day snooze, ready to resume his acrobatics.

With a rather demanding - Meow, he runs to his chair (my recliner) in the TV room, leaps to the back, and turns to look at me as if to say; it's about time you got home; come sit down and make me a lap, I want to stretch out.

Perfectly content, he lounges as you scratch behind his ear, purring happily for about five minutes. Then, immediately, he's up, leaps to the footstool in front of Lori's chair assumes his most regal pose, and stares directly at her.

"Ok, with a tilt of his head, as if to say, you've been home at least fifteen minutes. Where's my supper?”

Lori goes to the kitchen, picks up their bowls, and tout de suit Missy comes to life. She starts meowing and walking in circles while Junior sits patiently waiting for his supper. After supper, Missy returns to her spot, circles a few times then settles in for the evening.

Now ready for action, the jungle cat decides its time to check out the garage, makes his rounds, then, with a burst of blinding speed, circumnavigates the living room, jumping from one chair to another, over the top of Lori, then - Whomp pounces on to my lap. Not content, he jumps from lap to lap throughout the evening.

"Ok, Jr., time for bed.”

He immediately claims my warm chair and allows me to get ready for bed; I'm tucked in for the night, then I hear the bedroom door open - Whomp, it's back to my chest until he realizes I'm going to sleep. So, it's back downstairs to claim Lori's lap once more before she turns in for the night.

There you have it, a day in the life as Juniors Jungle Gym.

I’m Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. I'll see you in the next episode.

Comments

Don H. said…
I think your cats are telling us the meaning of life: Explore my surroundings, choose to accept the world I'm living in and just relax and just BE!
Patrick Ball said…
You know Don, I think you're probably correct.

Most Popular of All Time

A Heart Full of Thanks

Oh, the thanks I could think, and the thanks I could say! For the wonderful people who brightened my day. The first one is Lori, my wife, sweet and true, Who knows just the thing and knows just what to do. She whipped up a feast with a smile and a sigh, With corn on the cob and a steak cooked “On the Fly!” My neighbor, Steve, with a mischievous gleam, Said, “No fence work today! No work, it would seem! You’ll paint with some water, some colors so bright, And sign your new painting with all of your might!" I laughed and I said, “But I don’t know that skill! I’ll slap on some paint and see what sticks still!” Then there’s my friends on the Facebook machine, The best group of readers that ever was seen! They read all my blogs and they hear my podcasts, They send all their cheer that's built to last! And Billy and Linda. A Snoopy card in the mail. A wonderful surprise that was sure to prevail! From very good friends, a delightful new tale ! But the thanks didn't stop, no, not...

Beyond Facts-The Deep Dive

✨ In this episode, Beyond Facts: Reimagining School–in the Age of AI . . .   This week's podcast is a bit different; it's another example of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can offer tools to creatively enhance your analytical presentation of information. We took this week's blog and copied it into Gemini with the question, “If a story is to work, it must, on some level, create an illusion of escape and also achieve a goal simultaneously. Does this apply to my blog post that follows?” What's created is not just an analysis of the writing, but an AI-generated discussion produced “On the Fly” - Enjoy! Did you know that the word "school" comes from the ancient Greek word scholÄ“ , which originally meant "leisure"? Not a rigid schedule or droning lectures filled with "facts," but free time for thinking and conversation. To the Greeks, learning happened best when life slowed down—when you had room to reflect, to ask questions, and to wrestle ...

A Pirate's Ponderings

In this episode, A Pirate's Ponderings: Turning 69 with a Classic . . . When was the last time you were so compelled by a quest that you had your bags packed and your boots on before the first rooster crowed? For me, this summer has been exactly that, a journey where the world outside faded away and the one inside my head roared to life. I felt like that young cabin boy in training, with the vast ocean of a great story stretching out before me. My hand was on the wheel, navigating every swell, riding the waves, and eager to see what lay just beyond the horizon. This wasn't a journey across lands, but a flight of imagination that has been an exciting ride. My adventure took off on the deck of the Hispaniola as I became lost on Treasure Island . My imagination soared, and I could almost taste the salt spray and feel the ship's timbers groan as we sailed toward our destiny. Below deck, in the narrow, shadowy depths, I could smell the hearty meals Long John Silver and Jim Haw...

The Deep Dive-Episode Three

In this episode, The Deep Dive–A Pirate's Ponderings . . . "Aye, but tell me, have you ever felt a burning desire to set sail on some grand adventure—your sea chest packed and slipping into your boots long before dawn?" For me, this summer has been just that—a series of adventures where the world outside faded away and the one inside my head came alive. This week’s Deep Dive features “A Pirate's Pondering: Turning 69 with a Classic.” Click here to listen to this week's analysis of the upcoming blog post, scheduled for publication this Friday, and the corresponding podcast episode early Saturday morning. Find a literary classic you've always wanted to read and dive into its world. Let its prose transport you, broaden your imagination, and give you the same thrill of a great escape I experienced this summer. I’m Patrick Ball. Stay curious and ask questions. Join me this Friday.