I was walking home yesterday afternoon, after buying a birdbath for my budgies, when I came across a cat lying on the verge. First I thought it was a carcass, but as I passed it, it cried out to me. Oh man, it had obviously been whacked by a car but all it's injuries seemed to be internal, apart from a bloodied mouth. What could I do? I phoned a friend for the warden's number, but the damn warden was off for the holiday, and when I rang the local vet, he couldn't leave the clinic because he was the only one there due to the holiday. A woman came along, taking laundry home from a friend in the nursing home, and she rang her husband to see if he'd come and collect the cat, but he was in the middle of something, so we were left hunkering over the poor tabby. I could tell she was in bits internally and I decided there was only one thing to do, though the woman wasn't happy about it. Still, what do you do, leave the poor thing to suffer? I found a suitable stone nearby and determined to place the plastic bag I had over the moggie's head and...well, put it out of its misery. Thing was, it's a lot easier said than done. It wasn't like I had a gun, or was able to inject it, and I certainly wasn't looking forward to it. I mean, I knew I was doing the right thing, but it's the actual logistics of it - the physicality. Anyway, the woman turned away and I placed the bag over the poor things head and was positioning myself and raising the stone when her phone rang and she pleaded for me to hold. Don't have to ask me twice, I thought, taking the bag off the cat's head. I have to tell you, I was so relieved when the woman told me her husband had reconsidered and was on his way to take the animal to the vet. It was obvious there wasn't anything to be done for it but at least she'd be treated humanely, not like my method, though I thought I was doing the right thing. I'm gonna pop down to the vet's later and find out what happened. I'm surprised how much the experience has affected me. I've worked with animals in the past, and have had to put a couple to sleep, but not the way I'd intended here. Not many people have to touch the face of brutality, fortunately. I don't recommend it.
I baked my very first apple tart today. May not seem like such a big occasion in the normal run of things, but I've been wanting to bake one for years. Years! I'm a 43yr old man and have never baked anything bigger or better than a potato, much to my chagrin. Anyhow, my girlfriend, who LOVES baking and all things kitchen, suggested that I get my finger out and do what I've been pining to do since I used to sit as a child and watch my mother baking; mouth watering at the prospect of getting first taste of her apple and jam tarts. Best thing though, was how she'd use the scraps to bake a 'junior' tart, especially for me, though I often had to fight off my five jealous siblings to hold onto it. Anyway, I baked that tart today, and I'm about to head back over to my girlfriend's house to get me a slice of it, with double fresh cream. Yeah!