ONLY THE SHADOW KNOWS

POST # 48

Back in the concrete jungle of Vancouver, only the Shadow knows for sure. Shadow is the new furball in charge of cat operations at my new and latest location for petsitting on 33rd avenue.

I arrived back in Vancouver yesterday, November 7th via a new bus service called Bolt Bus, which offered a safe and comfortable journey back across the border. My friend who was expected to meet me at the bus depot, was there, however for some strange reason we never saw each other, so I had to arrange for a plan b and that was easily enough done. Eventually though we did connect and soon after I was happily settled in at my new digs.
Shadow the cat, according to its owners is 39 inches long from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. He is all black and a very friendly gentleman indeed, and I expect our two weeks together will be very relaxing.

This will be a different sort of relaxing as I am now back in the big city, and that is always an assault on the senses after spending around a month surrounded by the green, peace and tranquility which Orcas island is famous for. I am currently suffering Oscar and Felix withdrawal pains, however I think Shadow will help to make some of that go away as time goes by. I wish other pains would disappear just as easily, but such is life.

This being a brand new housesit for me, it will take a couple of days to get settled in to a routine which works, but it will also be an opportunity to get familiar with a different area of Vancouver, and with my trusty bike always close at hand, this should be a fun new adventure.

I am writing this blog entry from the warmth and comfort of the Vancouver central library. I ended up here, because the computer at the housesit allows me to access The Thoughtful Wanderer, blog, but for some reason (a computer glitch??) it doesn't allow me to write a new entry. However it's not all bad, as I needed an excuse to get out on such a wonderful sunny day for a bike ride, so a trip to the library provided me with that chance. But here, I am on the time clock as the computer only allows a certain amount, and that will be my excuse to keep this a rather short entry. It feels strange sitting back here at the library. This was a second home of sorts for me during my time in Vancouver because this was where I would get an opportunity each day to check the internet as well as read, read, read. As I sit here now, in some respects it feels as though I never left town.

However all I have to do is think about all the wonderful times I have experienced recently to realize that yes in fact there is life beyond the confines of this city and I am very grateful for the chance to move about and meet new people and think about new ideas. It is always a good thing to get outside of ones comfort zone now and again in order to stretch and grow as an individual.

So for the next couple of weeks I will be happy to spend my time with Shadow the cat and get to know all his habits, likes and dislikes. This will be my last cat time for a while as my two Yorkie buddies wait in the wings for their trusty housesitter to arrive later this month. In the meantime, it's just Shadow and me.
And ONLY THE SHADOW KNOWS.

The journey continues.

Happy trails.
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer