Let me tell you, when it comes to peeps, you've gotta keep 'em on their toes. MOUSES!So the other day... Well actually it was only yesterday, I decided to do just that. Keep my peeps on their toes, I mean. In particular, Peep #1. She's been slacking, lately, and I figured something needed to be done about that. MOUSES!
So I enlisted the aid of my fur-sibs and together, we formulated a plan. A plan involving an entire day of doing what needed to be done to get Peep #1 hopping.
First of all, we hired some rabbits. JUST KIDDING! Actually, they were hares. Hopping hares.
Oops! Wrong hare. Wrong kind of hare. They were hairs. Well, hair. And we didn't exactly hire them. Or rather, it. No, we didn't hire the peep's hair. And the peeps hair didn't hop, either. Too bad though because hopping hair would be quite the sight to see, for sure.
What's that, Peepers? Okay, FINE. Yesterday's festivities did not actually involve the peep's hair. I got a little carried away there, with the hopping and the rabbits and the hares and then, of course, the hair. Truth be told, there was no hair involved. MOUSES!
But there was hopping...
The day began with my wandering into the back yard only to find Tess and Mason camped out under the big old oak tree back there. Of course, I assumed they were waiting for The Crow Show to begin. Assumed they had scored some good seating for the matinee performance and were staking their claim to those seats until it began.
At least, that's what I thought when I first saw them. Then I realized that the seats they had weren't the best seats at all. Oh no. Mason and Tess were, in fact, in the drop zone. Some of the worst seats around.
In case you're wondering what the drop zone is, let me explain. The cast of The Crow Show is comprised of crows. The big old oak tree is the stage. Those actors, who are crows, spend a lot of time on that stage and almost never go backstage to uh... you know... do their business. Nope, they do it right there on the stage. Therefore, the area directly beneath the stage is - you guessed it - the drop zone. The worst seats in the house. MOUSES!
Anyway, once I realized where Mason and Tess were sitting, I knew there was no way, no how, that they had staked claim to those particular seats. I knew they must be up to something else. Something naughty, most likely. You know sisters, right? Right. So, of course, I went and got the peep.
How fortuitous that two of my sisters were up to no good the very day I had enlisted their help to stir up some trouble in order to keep the peep on her toes. How very fortuitous, indeed!Returning with the peep, I pointed with a paw to my sisters and then stepped back to watch what would happen next. In case you didn't realize it, although The Crow Show is the longest running Off Broadway show, EVER, with the possible exception of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap and the probable exception of Where'd That Mouse Go? - author unknown but happening near a mouse hole near you, it's not nearly as good of a show as watching fur-sibs getting in trouble. MOUSES!
It didn't take long for Peep #1 to figure out what was going on. Tess and Mason had chased a poor little chippie up the tree.
Of course, Peep #1 was all excited to see the chippie in the first place. Since the arrival of the gargantuan-sized grey squirrels, the little red squirrels and the chipmunks have been avoiding my yard like mice avoid a house filled with cats. In fact, I don't even remember the last time I saw a red squirrel and as for chippies, the only ones I've seen in the last few years are the ones Nissy used to bring home for supper.
And when I say Nissy used to bring them home for supper, I mean that quite literally. Remember? He used to bring them home, right into the house, where he let them loose, hoping the peep would serve them supper and usually, she did. She gave them walnuts and hazelnuts and all sorts of yummy things before catching them and showing them the door. Outside, they only have access to plain old acorns, you see.
Anyway, back to the chippy at paw. So there was this poor little chippy stuck up in the tree. Not too high up. He was too scared to move, I do believe.
No sooner did Peep #1 realize what was happening but she was off rescuing the chippy. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's SUPERPEEP! Peep #1 picked up the little chippie and carried him over to the apple tree where he could rest comfortably in the nook of two branches before scampering off home, wherever that may have been.
And speaking of scampering....
Yesterday afternoon, Peep #1 decided to tackle the next portion of that stupid hedge she is trying to get rid of and while she was hacking away at it, I happened to notice my sister, Tess, scampering down the driveway. Or is that up? Hmmm.. Doesn't matter, she was scampering toward the road so I let the peep know in no uncertain terms that Tess was up to no good.
Peep called Tess back, once, and was ignored. Called her a second time and was ignored again. After the third time, Peep #1 put down her bush whackers and saw and snippery things and headed on down the driveway, herself.
She followed Tess down the road as Tess was trotting to the neighbours' house, next door. Tess walked along the road, up the neighbours' driveway and into their yard. Peep followed and just before Tess was about to step onto their lawn, the peep swooped in and snatched her up, before carrying her home. Tess, of course, complained miserably the entire time.
Peep #1 set Tess down in our yard but five minutes later, she was scampering off down the driveway, again. MOUSES!
Ignoring the peep's pleas to come home, Tess trotted down the road to the neighbours' house again. Once more Peep #1 had to follow suit. Now if you heard a whole bunch of grumpy growls and meowls yesterday afternoon, that would have been Tess. I'm pretty sure all the neighbours heard. All the neighbours for miles and miles! Yup, Tess sure does have a voice on her when she's annoyed and yesterday, annoyed with the peep, she most certainly was. MOUSES!
After the second incident, Peep #1 put Tess inside the house where she remained for the night.
But my keeping the peep hopping plan was not done for the day.
Dr. Who was on last night and Peep #1 decided to do some knitting while watching it. She hasn't been doing much knitting at all. In fact, I don't think she has knitted a single stitch all summer long.
Didn't get to do much last night, either, for a number of us cats decided to take great interest in the peep's knitting until she could knit no more.
And in keeping with the theme of Dr. Who and time travel and stuff, believe it or not, the peep had less knitting done after she stopped then before she had begun. How does that happen, you ask?
Let me just say that after a few swipes with a paw or two or three, some cries of frustration, a mistake made by the peep but unfairly blamed on a certain completely innocent marmalade cat who happens to have a blog and a few more paw swipes later, what the peep had already started, had to be completely undone. And then, as soon as she had started up anew, she gave up, just like that. Fickle. Yup, I have one super fickle peep, for sure.Super fickle peep. Hmmm... Super fickle peep. Try saying that ten times in a row. MOUSES!
Anyway, that's how my fur-sibs and I kept the peep a-hopping yesterday. To tell you the truth, it was a lot of work. More work than it was worth, I should think. Next time, I'm going to hire those aforementioned bunnies or hares or whaever. MOUSES!
