Thursday 4 March 2010

The Owl(s) and the Pussycat


Every night as I tap tap on my keyboard, I hear owls.

Not the kind of owls that go “ooo-woooo”, like wise ol owls do. Nope. They’re the kind that go “yeeeeeeek” “yeeeeeek” “” “yeeeeeeek”.”yeeeeeeeeeeeeeek – oooooh

When I first moved into this house, and I heard them I remember thinking, Oh my goddess the estate agent lied, this isn’t a nice quiet area, this is where Jack the Ripper’s descendants live.

Which isn’t really fair on the neighbour’s that my small office window overlooks – because they have a nice big garden with these mature Cedar trees and they have a yappy dog, a couple of teenagers, and the dad likes mowing his lawn at least three times a day.

Anyway, I’ve gotten used to these owls. And their night-time screeching. It’s kind of comforting for me because I do like a certain regularity in my life and these owls are very regular. They tell me that it’s way past my bedtime and I ought to catch up on my beauty sleep if I’m to stay as gorgeous as I am!

So when I didn’t hear them last night, I worried. I stayed up as late as I dared not tapping anything on my pc. I near enough had my ear to the window but not too close as the glass is still a bit nippy.

Then I hear them. Except it wasn’t them. And it wasn’t coming from outside either. Not from the big mature Cedar tress of the acre garden. Not from the surrounding farmland beyond.

There was screeching alright except that it was coming from next door.

I live in the middle of terraced housing. Two weeks ago I acquired new neighbours. A young couple - nice, smiley fresh faced young couple, late twenties maybe? It’s taken them two weeks to move in properly and last night was their first night in their home together.

Well there was certainly howling. And I think I caught an “oooooh”. Even the Cat woke up and stared at me with big round eyes and an expression that asked "what the...?"

Needless to say, I decided that maybe the owls were having an off night. So, I turned my pc on and started tapping.

Needless to say I didn’t get much sleep either.

But this morning, the Cat woke up looking gorgeous.

Tonight the owls are back.

:-)

12 comments:

Susan Fields said...

I'm glad your owls are back and at least the cat's well rested!

Theresa Milstein said...

Too funny. We have no owls, but sometimes I can smell a skunk. I love visiting my father in Maine and hearing animals, which is a nice treat from the yelling and cursing of my neighbors.

My upstairs neighbor would work a few days in a row at an animal hospital. When she returned on Tuesday, we'd hear her vacuum in the evening. Then, that night around 2am, we'd hear similar noises (to your neighbors - not the owls), along with some thumping.

She's lived in California for the past year, so it's been quiet.

Kea said...

I'd rather listen to screeching owls than, er, human activities. LOL.

I use ear plugs most nights, to drown out the sound of Nicki (or Annie) tearing around killing the furry toys. :-)

Old Kitty said...

Hi Susan Fields

Yes, me too!

:-)

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Theresa Milstein

Oh enjoy the quiet!!

LOL!!

I had a blissfully quiet time for two weeks until the night before.

LOL!

Oh but the owls are so back, so I'm happier.

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Kim

Oh ear plugs! You know I tried them but couldn't get used to me hearing myself breathe - it was like magnified a million times - weird!

Awww poor toys - great fun for Nicki and Annie tho!

:-)
Take care
x

Anonymous said...

When you mentioned that a nice young couple had just moved into their house together after half a dozen paragraphs of screechy yeeeeek, I immediately started scanning back through your post for anything that set up were-owls...

...I read too many of those sort of books :)

Old Kitty said...

Hi hampshireflyer

LOL!!!!

Oh if only they were were-owls...

p.s. you can never read too much of these sort of books! never!

:-)

take care
x

Ann said...

Of course Cat got a good nites sleep. Not being preoccupied on how to get at those screeching owls.

So now they are back and poor cat will be driven to distraction.

Well it's you or the cat!

Amy & the house of cats said...

Well, it is good that the owls are back. I really am not sure what to say about the neighbors though - makes me glad our walls are pretty thick I guess.

Old Kitty said...

Oh Ann!

It's always the Cat, always!

LOL!

take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Amy and the House of Cats

Yes - the owls are back!!!

I shall try my best to listen to them instead! LOL!

Take care
x