Sunday, November 8, 2020

When the Café Isn't Cosy

This weekend, November decided that anything January could do, it could do better. We had a blizzard. It started off innocently enough on Saturday, with huge snowflakes, the kind that decorate Christmas cards.

Soon, though, the precipitation came down faster and, if in smaller flakes, in greater amounts. The wind starting rising. The temperature at this point was not low. Indeed, while the snow accumulated, it was slushy.

By nightfall, which comes early now, it had turned cold, and the wind was enough to take one’s breath away. I didn’t expect any outsider-cat to come to visit. Sable came for a late supper every night of the cold period we had a couple of weeks ago, but she doesn’t venture out when the snow is falling heavy and hard, and I hadn’t seen any other visitor except a raccoon in that time.

The blizzard continued today. The little shelter in which I place the outsiders’ food-bowl was filled in with snow, and the heated water-bowl was frozen over, due to snow falling on the water and turning the surface too cold for the heat to keep it liquid. I ventured out in the evening and cleared away the snow, and freed the water.

I wasn’t going to bother replacing the food-bowl. I thought no one would come out on a night like this. But I also thought that, if someone did, they might walk a long way through icy winds and deep snow for their only meal that day, and would find nothing. So I turned the shelter to give it an advantage against the wintry blasts, and poured more water in the heated bowl, as depth gives some defence against freezing.

Less than an hour later, I saw this. It was easier for me to observe Café Cosy’s unexpected customer – the café not being so cosy just then – than to photograph him, especially with the lights on inside. But he was there.

I call him Arliss. He is white and orange, and a very infrequent patron of the café. He has come a few times simultaneously with Sable, though I don’t know if they are friends or if their arrivals are merely coincidental. He is extremely timid and, when he noticed me watching him, ran away from the food-bowl, where he had been eating.

He disappeared a moment later. But I have already re-charged the food- and water-bowls, and will make sure they are free of snow before I go to bed. Arliss may not have had his fill with my interruption, so I want him to find as much as he wants if he returns. I don’t know where he lives or how he survives, but if he came out on a night like this, he probably needed food. I want him to be confident of a meal at Café Cosy, even in the least cosiest of weather.

15 comments:

  1. That's a lot of snow John..Goodness! :(
    Lets hope your visitors are o.k. At least
    they know where to come for food and a
    drink..and a welcoming light..! Bless!

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  2. Oh my gosh, here you are having a blizzard and I had 70 degrees and rode my bicycle unexpectedly yesterday. So glad you fought the snow and put out food and water and hear you had one very lucky kitty to stop by. I hope this mess melt quickly can you get back to slightly warmer temperatures.

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  3. Poor love. Thank goodness for your compassion and care; at least he knows where to come for a decent meal. ♥

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  4. Thank you so much for that ever present kindness to the innocents out there suffering. I am grateful with them for the Cafe Cozy.

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  5. God bless you for taking such great care of the community cats. I'm sure Arliss and his friends appreciate all the food, water, and shelter you provide for them, especially now with the bad weather approaching.

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  6. Oh my goodness, that sure isn't cozy, we'd really be closed for a month here.

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  7. Oh my stars that is cold! Thank you for taking care of these babies.

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  8. guyz...984 pawz UP two dad for tryin ta keep de cafe open for biznezz....we wood sob like wee kittenz if we had that kinda snowz all reddy thiz seezon.... we hope ternin de shelter werked ♥♥♥

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    Replies
    1. It seemed to work, guys. The bowl had just a dusting of snow on it, and someone had come by and eaten about half the food. I know it wasn't a raccoon - he would have consumed it all - so it was likely Arliss come back.

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  9. I am glad you decided to replace the food bowl "just in case". Arliss or whoever came back later had a more comfortable night with food in their belly than they otherwise would have. They all appreciate your compassion as do we, your readers.

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  10. I feel so terrible for the animals who have to deal with weather like that, but it’s wonderful that you provide the ones in your neighborhood with food and a bit of a refuge from the harsh world.

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  11. When it's snowing like crazy, and a nice breeze blowing too...it's hard to keep it off of the food and water.
    The last few years, I've scavenged some items together, and made a sort of wind-break around the feeding station, and most of the snow was kept out.
    However, whether I'll try again this year is up in the air, since Sweetie is now inside, and The PO'M really doesn't like my cobbled-together windbreak.

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  12. Thank goodness you put out fresh food. Poor Arliss, I hope he learns that there is nothing to fear at the Cafe Cozy.

    Hope your snow disappears soon. We had more overnight and it is snowing lightly again right now. I'm already tired of winter.

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  13. We do hope that all the visitors can get their fill at the Café. It is so difficult for our outside friends to get along in the winter. We also wish you well getting where you need to with all this cold and snow

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