by Peggy Robin
If you're new to the CP Listserv or you missed last week's column, go to Still Life with Robin: The LISTIES are coming! Nominate your favorite Listserv posts....and yes, you can nominate yourself! to get up to speed, because we're diving right in with the five nominations in our first category: BEST ANIMAL STORY.
First nominee from Kathy R., Oct 24 Encounter with Pickles the Cat.
So it begins:
Yesterday around sundown (6:20ish), I was walking along Highland Place when a cat darted across the street, from a little before the National Child Research Center to about 3200 Highland Place. (Cats are crepuscular, most active at dawn and twilight.) A pretty tabby, with white vest and boots. As a cat-lover, I stooped to coax the creature. I immediately noticed that it was clean and well-fed but its eyes were swollen nearly shut, whether from an infection or a congenital condition like entropion.
The friendly adult cat let me pick himmer up and purred loudly, but struggled free whenever a car passed near, a healthy wariness. There was no way I could carry it to my home, 0.6 mi. away. I tried a few front doors (none answered) and several passersby, until one eventually said the cat belonged to a house up the street, though she couldn’t say which.
It pained me to leave this poor creature. If it is yours, please let me know. Photo attached and (if you can’t see it) it's also at https://photos.app.goo.gl/XkWP7QMnhfoa7WnA8.
And so it ends (follow-up, same day):
Pickles! From Pickles' human, lightly edited: "You met Pickles, a sweet, happy and well cared-for indoor-outdoor cat that lives in one of the houses on Highland. We adopted him from the Humane Society as a kitten, where he had languished for a while as he was born without eyelids. Over his lifetime this led to various eye ailments and many trips to a very expensive cat ophthalmologist (much to his dismay, not being a big fan of car rides). Ultimately he had to have one eye removed, as it was causing him constant irritation, and he has limited vision in the other. He never goes too far from home though and has lived happily on Highland for 11 years now. He sleeps at home, in my son’s bedroom, with our other cat, and has a happy life. Thanks so much for your care and concern. I just wanted you to know he was ok and well looked after."
I was right in suspecting that the cat had a congenital eye malformation, that he was well-fed and -socialized, and might not be a stray. If I meet Pickles again I will address him by name.
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Second nominee from Wendy P. , July 22, Parakeet on the Lam (a story in 3 chapters)
July 22, Chapter I. Are you missing a parakeet?
Parakeet found in Tenleytown last night. Beautiful, tame and friendly bird. We are fostering him but someone is surely missing him. If he’s yours, please contact me.
July 30, Chapter II. Rescued Parakeet Update and Availability for Adoption.
As you may see from the picture, "Fennel" appears to have been grabbed by a predator during his time outside. Fennel has been seen by a veterinarian since being rescued and is healthy and without parasites,though undernourished (likely from the outdoor adventure). He is rapidly growing his lower body feathers back and is calm, cheerful and interactive. We consider this bird's escape from whatever grabbed him, rescue and good condition to be somewhat miraculous. [snip]
August 8, Chapter III. A New Home -- and a new name -- for Fennel
Wendy, the original poster reports: "Fennel, the parakeet found in Tenleytown, has recovered nicely and went home with her adopter today. Thank you to everyone who contacted us about her."
Karen D., who has given the parakeet a new home, provides a happy update: "I am now the 'owner' of Fennel, the rescue parakeet. Having figured out that the bird is a she, I renamed her Cella from the Italian word/feminine for bird, Uccella. She is doing fairly well. The finder and her friend, who hosted the bird in her home, had her wings clipped, so she still doesn’t fly around freely like the birds I’ve had in the past. She’s partially tame, definitely has a personality and loves chirping to birds outdoors or to accompany the conversations I’m a part of on Zoom."
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Third nominee from Carol S. Not for anyone with ophidiophobia
October 8 - The question: Have you seen any snakes around or inside your house?
Has anyone seen snakes inside and around their house? We had a LARGE black snake on our walkway yesterday — Lew used a rake to shove it into the road— it disappeared, I think, into the drain; also a small multi-colored snake on our deck, and just this morning a small black snake in our laundry room which I fortunately, didn’t see. Could this be related to the pipe project?
October 8 - Follow-up: Washingtonian Magazine has the answer (and if you don't like snakes, we recommend you skip it!)
Re: snakes in the house -- a follow-up [from a back issue of Washington Magazine June 3, 2022]. https://share.google/FKrUlBFrLonHwsLRL
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Fourth nominee from Cindy S., June 4 - Enzo, Come Home!
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| "Well, I guess I had to leave to see i f they'd miss me when I was away." |
Posting for my neighbor, one block from me. Missing from 38th & Windom:
Have you seen a mostly white cat, with black & brown marks on his head and a distinctive gray/black striped tail? He must have medicine asap, but didn’t come home Tuesday night, which is very unlike him. [snip]
All help greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Thank you SO much, to all who were concerned and who helped look.
Enzo the mostly white cat with the distinctive striped tail has been found alive & well :)
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Fifth nominee from Susie B.: The Sorrowful Saga of Piotr the Great
Our story begins on September 18. Piotr, a mature 30-year-old Russian tortoise has strayed from his family. Lost in the wilderness, he wanders, and wanders...while his family pleads for his safe return (See message #229247)
There's a sighting (or maybe not?) along the Klingle Valley Trail. (Message #229247 )
And another sighting. His family and friends continue to search. They post again to reassure the public that "He does not bite."
Then on September 23rd, another sighting -- this one a missed opportunity as the hiker who spotted him and picked him up simply moved him father into the woods. Message (#229430 )
And then we come to the close of the story, which, like so many epic Russian tales, leaves us both heartbroken and exhausted...and yet with a faint glimmer of hope to keep us from utter despair.
"I and various kind neighbors keep looking, but he has not been able to get out of the heavily wooded mini ravines at Twin Oaks, assuming he is trying for the sunny meadows of Tregaron. Also, Russian torts are slow, about thirteen-
tenths of a mile per hour.
tenths of a mile per hour.
"His much younger companion, Jadwiga (named after the 1st Queen of Poland) has stopped eating and just sits there, missing him. While they were not involved romantically, they always wandered around together and slept next to each other, unusual for torts who tend to be solitary except when in season. Please keep an eye out for our wandering boy."
Perhaps there will be a sequel one day, "The Return of Piotr the Great"? If so, it will surely win our Post of the Year.
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Next up (later today): Nominees for BEST QUERY. Stay tuned!
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The Cleveland Park Listies are posted annually in a series of messages in the "Still Life with Robin" column that comes out on Saturdays. This year there were will TWO columns each Saturday, one for each category, over the next four Saturdays, to give all five nominees in each category a full airing.
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