Our new little friend ... but not for those who suffer from arachnophobia, alas

A gorgeous female (I believe)  garden cross spider on sentry duty at the back door

Kits and Cats, and Cats and Kits

Poppy  is 15 years old today, or 76 in human years.  

Happy Birthday to her and to her late and much missed brother, Spider.  No doubt she will spend her day with a casual stroll around the garden, and an undefinable amount of time staring out of the window or sleeping in her box, and perhaps will enjoy something nice for tea.


"But when the day's hustle and bustle is done, 

Then the Gumbie Cat's work is but hardly begun. 

And when all the family's in bed and asleep, 

She tucks up her skirts to the basement to creep. 

She is deeply concerned with the ways of the mice-- 

Their behaviour's not good and their manners not nice; 

So when she has got them lined up on the matting, 

She teaches them music, crocheting and tatting."

T.S. Eliot