What to do?
I drew back the heavy curtains and opened the blinds to a bright white world clothed in frost.
All of a sudden I gasped in horror. The beauty of nature was spoiled by its alter ego when I spied the trail of bloody footprints. They passed the full length of my picture window. Donning warm layers I went to investigate.
At the corner of the house were the signs of battle. It was not a fight to the bitter end since there were no bodies in sight, only bloody trails in differing directions.
The trail past my front doorstep, I think it was a cat limping off home.
The battle scene
Now, if the first row of paw prints were a cat - I say this because in snow and we had plenty this winter - the paw prints are usually left in a single row, what was the other combatant?
Two rows of prints widely spaced.
This second set of prints trailed all along the side of the house, round the back only ending where the patio met the shrubbery.
Do you think it was a fox?
The evidence has been removed, I cleaned and scrubbed until all was once more pristine, so arriving to investigate is a waste of time. Is it any wonder I get tired?
The brighter mornings gladden my heart, at six thirty I was sitting up in bed contemplating breakfast.
Suddenly there was an almighty THUMP! It sounded like it was outside and not far away. At that hour my neighbourhood is like sleepy valley…. well sleepy hill top! I looked out the window and there was no sign of movement or disturbance. Moving to a room on the other side I lifted my eyes to the glass and bang in the middle, stuck on the outside was a clump of feathers!
Is nature telling me it is time to move?
Hails said,
March 6, 2010 at 9:49 am
Wow. I’m surprised you didn’t hear that fight - there must have been some din!! Poor cat.
Baino said,
March 6, 2010 at 10:38 am
The second set of prints are quite baffling. Four legged animals walk with near left first, far right second unless they’re in a ‘trotter’’s trace so to get symmetrical prints so far apart is totally weird, unless, unless .. you have two wounded animals . . .walking side by side . . as for your feathers . . .’bird brain’ isn’t a euphamism for no reason. Were they footprints? Ears bleed very readily that could be the solution. Poor cat or fox with nipped ears.
Rummuser said,
March 6, 2010 at 11:35 am
Time to get Ms.Marple to come over and have a look before you think of the unthinkable?
Grannymar said,
March 6, 2010 at 11:50 am
Hails - I was quite surprised that I heard nothing either.
Baino - So evenly spaced too. The print on the right was much heavier than the one on the left.
Ramana - Alas, the evidence is no more, I cleaned it all away.
steph said,
March 6, 2010 at 1:26 pm
I’ve got it!
I think it was a cat or a fox who entered your garden with one injured paw.
He/she first walked in one direction bleeding heavily and having sat down to lick the paw better (your battle scene), then proceeded to walk back along the same path bleeding less heavily?
I think the ‘battle’ probably took place elsewhere, hence you heard nuttin’
Nick said,
March 6, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Steph’s explanation of the cat limping backwards and forwards sounds very credible. There might not have been a fight, the cat might just have trodden on a piece of glass.
Grannymar said,
March 6, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Steph & Nick - All paw prints were facing away from the battle zone. The single line eventually crossed the garden, out on to the pavement and down the road.
The double row went round the back, across the patio and into the shrubbery.
Nancy said,
March 6, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Grannymar,
With our Steph to figure it out, who needs Agatha Christie or P.D.James? Steph would make mince meat out of Dagleish on this case., and Miss Marple wouldn’t stand a chance against her.
She is our own little Private Eye!
Maynard said,
March 6, 2010 at 3:10 pm
The “Queen of Hearts” knows the “real story”.
Grannymar said,
March 6, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Nancy - I think Steph needs to do a little more thinking!
Maynard - How did the “Queen of Hearts” arrive on the scene?
Quiet said,
March 6, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Maynard, I think you hit the cat (nail )on the head.
Two suitors came a knocking at the Queen’s house, a fight erupted between then, and after blooding-up her other, they figured it wasn’t worth it and walk off together, to come back another day.
Bingo, Maynard you are so smart!!!!!
Quiet said,
March 6, 2010 at 3:32 pm
And we know that she tugs at every man’s heart.
Private Eye steph said,
March 6, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Grannymar
In that case, you’d better stay indoors from now on.
I think you might have had a werewolf in your garden
Nick said,
March 6, 2010 at 5:31 pm
I think the butler did it.
Mil said,
March 6, 2010 at 6:03 pm
MR. Green, on the sidewalk, with the rabbit’s foot.(sharp claws)
Nancy said,
March 6, 2010 at 6:42 pm
No, No, No! It was Colonel Mustard in the dining room with a candlestick..Trust me on this one….
Grannymar said,
March 6, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Quiet - The heart tugger is hiding behind the curtains….. watching!
Private Eye steph - What does a werewolf look like?
Nick - Was that Mr Butler or his son?
Mil - I’ll ask Mr Green tomorrow, he lives round the corner and he has a rabbit.
Nancy - Was it your candlestick?
Magpie11 said,
March 6, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Curiouser and curiouser!
The double track is a kangaroo, obviously!
Millie said,
March 6, 2010 at 7:40 pm
Oh, to be so lucky to be the Queen of all the men’s hearts. I would die for that, I have to go stop the bleeding.
Grannymar said,
March 6, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Magpie - He must be a very tired kangaroo!
Millie - Was it you? Who were you fighting with, was it Gail?
Betty said,
March 6, 2010 at 9:35 pm
I don’t have any theories on the bloody paw prints. But, I do think old Mother Nature may be telling you to stop cleaning your windows so often, then birds won’t fly into them. lol
Grannymar said,
March 6, 2010 at 11:15 pm
Betty - I tried that, clean or dirty the birds keep coming. The garden shrubs and trees are reflected in the glass and I wonder if the birds see it as a continuation of where they have been.
wisewebwoman said,
March 7, 2010 at 2:40 am
A wee fellow on stilts and red ink bottle to dip them in, doing a little dance once he saw you through the window.
There! *dusts off hands* everyone happy?
XO
WWW
Grannymar said,
March 7, 2010 at 8:52 am
WWW - That is as plausible as all the other theories!