walking with oddbods - 1

 A while ago, by that I mean a couple of years, we were out walking on our local hills. It is a short hop (well not so much as a hop more of a yomp) over the hill into the next valley where another rather time-static-tourist-trap village resides. It was one of those beautiful autumnal days where the sky is a brilliant blue and the trees are resplendent in fiery form. We were warmly wrapped and chatting happily along a familiar path that wraps itself around an expensively done-up barn and garden. As usual their caged dogs went ballistic, firing a volley of barks and growls at us. We chose to ignore the trappings of insecurity and visual wealth and carried on chatting when suddenly...

Hello, hi, how are you, hi, hi!

Collectively we turned to see who'd called to us in such a friendly manner when we saw a rather large pretty ginger and white  kitten - about 6 months old, with the biggest and friendliest face ever! He was on the garden wall and trotting alongside of us.

Hello back we said (first mistake)

Ooh, nice people who say hello back said Pretty Ginger Kitten

The boys did the polite thing and responded with a tickle and giggle (second mistake)


Ooh ooh purred PGK (Pretty Ginger Kitten) nice people who say hello back AND tickle

We smiled at his effusive happy demeanour, the huge feet and rather magnificent whiskers. We started to walk on. PGK looked briefly disconcerted, then with a shrug of his fluffy ginger shoulders he trotted along side us again on the wall top.

I live here said PGK this is my house and my garden!


The boys went back over to stroke PGK who was delighted.(compounding mistake number 2) By now we had gone round the garden wall and had reached the property's gate where the footpath turned to go down their lane. The boys gave PGK a farewell pat and we turned away.

Wait, hello, hellooo-o, wait wait yowled PGK don't go-o-o-o-o---ooooo-o-o-o-oooooo.......

We turned back briefly to see a rather dejected little ginger and white figure sitting on the wall next to the gate looking so forlorn. Himself and I smiled at this silly little fur-ball and as I turned forward to continue our walk, I caught in the corner of my eye, PGK tottering carefully across the gate and joining the wall alongside the lane. When................


Wait, wait, hello hello-o-o-o! shrieked PGK


We turned to see the ginger fur-ball pounding along the top of the uneven stonewall on rather large fluffy white feet, Within a few seconds he'd caught us up and with a beaming furry face yelled....


Hello, nice to see you again, as I was saying I live here and I like people,


Himself and I looked at each other again and said to the boys

'leave him, he'll stop following if we ignore him. 

We don't want him following us away from his home'

So, avoiding eye contact and speeding up somewhat we carried on along the lane. For a moment or two PGK seemed content to trot along us on the wall, occasionally stopping to watch leaves whorl round on the floor when he jumped down off the wall out of sight.


Now's our chance, we speed up again and with legs a blurrrrrr we walked off quickly, smiling at how we managed to give PGK the slip.  Himself looked back and saw no sign of him at which the boys muttered their disappointment. As we slowed down to a more sedate pace we were subjected to...


Hello, there to you are, I was just in the field sneaking up, silly people thinking you could get away................


PGK was there again, on the wall, keeping up a steady stream of chatter and purr.


With firm instructions to the boys to ignore said kitten-cat and Himself making shoo-shoo flapping arm type movements, we sped up again.  PGK was not impressed at all and jumped off the wall back into the field and vanished. This time we kept up the mad pace. When.................


Hello! Wait for me said PGK in a cross little puff, his white fluffy paws a blur as he trotted quickly to keep up. 


We again made flapping shooing hands and kept up a break neck when Himself noticed that coming towards us was a couple of walkers - we sneaked a look at each other - they might be out salvation. We moved to the far side of the lane away from the wall and carried on our breathless trot with our ginger and white shadow keeping up as he shouted little hellos and wait-for-me at us.


We briefly nodded a greeting at the other walkers who looked at us slightly alarmed as we sped by but they were soon distracted by this cute and fluffy ginger and white kitten who said....


Hello, hi, how are you, hi, hi, I live here and I like people!

**mwahahaheheheheh - manic laughter 

as we saw the walkers slow down to say 

hello..............**

***************************