As it is their seventh birthday, I thought it a good time to introduce you to my beautiful travelling companions, Arian......
and Rowan.
To start from the beginning, so to say, I must take you to a party. A Crasken party. It’s difficult to pin down exactly which Crasken party as there were so many! There was a time when parties at Crasken Farm were numerous and infamous, and I frequented a lot! After a rough calculation of their mother’s gestation period and when they were born, the party could not have been later than early to mid February 2013.
I used to always park down the ‘drove’ whenever I visited. The drove is the name given to what remains of an old lane that led past the farm. During the evening at some point, I wandered back to my home, either for a break or to get something. Once in, I noticed a black cat sat on the left hand bench seat. My surprise was followed by “Where did you come from?” I showed her to the door. She took a look outside, then turned round and sat back where she was when I came in. I thought, “Well, no worries. She’ll leave of her own accord when she’s ready to.” Then went back to the party.
The next morning, she was still there.
After three days I just looked at her and said, “I guess that means you’re moving in then, does it?” Thereafter, she came and went as she pleased using my home as hers.
By this point, I had discovered how she got in. I had left the little window by my bed headboard open. She would literally jump the 4’ from ground level!
I made some enquires and soon discovered that she, firstly, was indeed a ‘she’ and that her name was Yinyin. She had travelled down with Tammy (you will meet her another time). She had become unwanted after Tammy had taken up with Duncan (also meet later) who had a dog. It turned out that there were two cats that were abandoned. The other moved in with John, the artist I have mentioned before at the chapel. He was living on the Neolithic camp that is part of the farm‘s land.
One day, I just happened to notice Yinyin waddle in. “Oh!” I thought, “No wonder you wanted to move in. You’re pregnant!”
I would be on the road soon. What the hell am I going to do? I can’t abandon her. Malcolm, my northern mate, laughed and said, “Take them with you.” I thought that was a crazy idea, but what else could I do. I would stay until the beginning of May.
It wasn’t long before Yinyin was far too big and heavy to make the jump to the window. So, I found an old pallet and leant it up against my caravan so that Yinyin could access the window without the need for acrobatics.
One day, not long before she gave birth, she was saved from a mauling by one of the many dogs that were left to roam about the farm. John tells me that he had walked into the communal post/laundry room when Yinyin suddenly appeared and was attempting to jump up and onto one of the washing machines as she was being chased. Fortunately, John was quick-witted and grabbed the dog by the scruff of her neck (an Alsatian bitch named Station) and launched her backwards. Then managed to help Yinyin to safety. Had it not been for his quick reaction, there would be no story to tell.
Then one day, I awoke to the tune of some squeaking noises. I sat bolt upright and watched as Yinyin started giving birth at the foot of my bed. It was about 11:00 when this amazing sight beheld me. (I know. I don’t always get up early!) By 12:00, six beautiful little black kittens had been born into this world.
The date was Thursday 25th. April 2013.
But here’s the magical bit;
Thursday 25th. April that year was the day on which the Beltane Full Moon fell;
And the Moon reached it‘s fullest point at 12:00!
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