THE FELIX WEEK AND LAST DAYS ON ORCAS

POST # 17
I woke up this morning very early, about 4:15am and it could have been for a variety of reasons; the heavy rain on the roof, or thinking about what on earth I was going to write about this morning, or maybe, just maybe I was anxious to see how my invalid buddy Felix was doing. Sometime prior to waking, I had experienced a dream in which I was carrying a big black cat up a long set of stairs into a quiet and safe room. In fact, I had been doing that all week, as Felix couldn't climb the stairway because of his injured leg, so the dream certainly was based on recent experience, unlike many other dreams. When I had turned out the light last night, I had both Felix and Oscar curled up on each side of me, however this morning Oscar had gone walkabout, but Felix was nicely curled up beside my legs. Once he realized that I was awake he got up and moved closer to where he could reach my hand and the purring began. This was a very good sign, as purring was one of the things missing most of this last week. I think he was using all his energy to get better, so why waste it on purring? He flopped down beside me and was close enough to my face that he reached out and gently put his paw on my cheek. This was the same paw which he has been favouring all week long, so it was another positive sign that he was on the mend finally.
After multiple trips to the vet, including x-rays to see if there was anything broken, it was decided to give him an injection of antibiotics as he may have had an infection due to an abscess. In any event, he is now on the improve, so that makes me very happy, and I am sure Felix is glad that he doesn't need me to carry him up and down stairs anymore. So I will remember this past week as the Felix week, even though I tried very hard to share my affection between him and his brother Oscar.
So now it is Tuesday of week 3 here on Orcas and soon I will be leaving again. I don't depart until Saturday morning, but I already know that the days will go by fast. And even though I am probably the least busy person that I know, it always amazes me how quickly time passes now. It has been just over 3 years since I chose to stop working at a regular job, and the plan at the time was to take a year off work, and yet here I am 3 years later. So now my "work" is caring for animals. I don't really think of it as work, however it does fill up the days, and the weeks, months and now years. It has been a very simple lifestyle, one which is tailor made for me.
This time, like my last visit to Orcas, I had planned a variety of things to do and this time, just like last time, it seems that I haven't accomplished many of them. I suppose I could come up with all kinds of excuses as to why, but really it comes down to mainly one thing- this house and these two very friendly cats. Sure I have made the effort to get out every day, to go for a bike ride or a walk, even just into town to pick up some groceries, however I always look forward to getting back home with my furball buddies. And who wouldn't? Purring cats make for wonderful company when one chooses to have an afternoon nap. It's a content life here on Orcas.
Today, and Friday are my last two volunteer shifts at the senior's centre, helping out in the kitchen, and I will probably get in to the animal shelter again to see all the cats there, and before I know it, it will be Saturday morning and I'll once again be on board a ferry to Anacortes on the mainland and then onwards to Vancouver. I can't help being left with a string of good memories for my time spent on Orcas, and who knows, maybe at some future date, my friend Cathy will need to go away again and as a result, require a housesitter to care for Oscar and Felix. So I sort of feel, that this really isn't goodbye to Orcas and the cats, but more of "see you next time." But one thing I do know, is that it will be my last time housesitting at this particular place, as Cathy has now bought a house down the road and will be moving there in April.
So I will try and soak up as much as I can of this place for the remaining days, and try not to think about my goodbye to Oscar and Felix which will be happening way too soon, because Saturday, the Thoughtful Wanderer, will be back wandering again.
Felix is curled up on his favourite chair and Oscar as usual is lying on the carpet in front of the heater as I type out these last few words. It's a grey, rainy morning out there, but we three are warm and content here in our cozy home on lovely Orcas island.

Happy trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer