Sunday, May 9, 2021

All or Nothing

 

 

Mark Rothko said that there is more power in telling little than telling all. Last week, I started a post to show you how I made Annabelle's box. It tells all, and it is such a long story that I didn't manage to finish it on Sunday. I thought that I would type out the last paragraphs during the week but then the neighbour's cat went missing.

Our neighbour being the Rietvlei Nature Reserve and the cat, a cheetah. Ha, I bet you don't have that kind of excitement in your life.

She crawled under an electric fence where a porcupine had dug a hole. For several days, game rangers and volunteers trudged through the area looking for her. This morning, she surprised everyone by turning up back in the nature reserve. 

How's that for telling little?  I summarised days of anxiety and blistered feet in one paragraph.  If you want to know all the details, you can Google Njozi Rietvlei Nature Reserve, she was in the news headlines every day.

Excitement at an end and back to making Anabelle's box.


 

 

22 comments:

  1. Ha, Meghan that was certainly unexpected. Very glad the cheetah decided it was safer in the reserve than out in the world!
    Regards Janine

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    1. Glad to provide an unexpected thrill, Janine! So far, the cheetah is staying on her side of the fence.

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  2. Because it's better to have your dinner served to you than having to hunt for it! We all grow accustomed to our cages. But it's very interesting... No one being able to find the cheetah says a lot about it's ability not to be found!
    I am glad you are safe and back to your projects. And I definitely don't envy that kind of excitement!

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    1. Part of the cheetah's unhappiness stems from the fact that she's very young and lonely, Jodi. I think she's not very good at hunting yet and although game is plentiful in the reserve, she has to fend for herself. I hope that they will introduce a companion for her soon.
      When a cheetah doesn't move, you don't see it. They can stay motionless for hours at a time. Really amazing animals, but much more interesting when they stay on their own side of the fence.

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  3. Omg! Well, Matisse said creativity takes courage. So having the courage to live next door to a game preserve must give you plenty of creativity. Are those wonderful quotes on the back of Annabelle’s box? I’m anxiously awaiting your next post.

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    1. Sherrill, after reading your comment, I considered putting the quotes on the bottom of Anabelle's box but I had already spent way too much time on it. Which is not to say that I won't do it some time in the future.

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  4. Great story with a happy ending. That´s a lot of excitement to me, glad you are safe. Have a lovely week.

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    1. Thank you for writing, Alexandra! So far, she is staying on her side of the fence. We've had enough excitement for a long while.

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  5. Me alegra que todo haya tenido un final feliz, está claro que el guepardo se siente a gusto en su reserva.
    Besos.

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    1. The reserve is a pleasant home for a cheetah, Pilar. There are not too many predators and lots of grass eating animals. But I guess even if you are a cheetah, the grass is always greener on the other side!

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  6. OMG, how scary!! I'm glad the cheetah decided to return safely to the reseve, instead of hunting outside the fence!! What a lot of excitement!
    I hope you were able to work on Annabella's box in peace, Megan.
    Stay safe, take care, dear friend, also for cheetahs ;O).
    Hugs, Ilona

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    1. Thank you, Ilona. So far, she is staying on her side of the fence. Now that it is winter, there are lots of veld fires and the grass is blackened outside the reserve. If she gets out again it will be easier to find her.

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  7. I'd love to know what it was doing during those few days.... the grass is not always greener!

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    1. I can't decide whether she enjoyed the adventure or if she was frightened out of her mind, Sandra. One of our dogs once managed to escape through our fence in the night. We never found out how she did it but when we started looking for her in the morning, she was trapped in the no-mans-land between barbed wire and an electric fence belonging to our neighbour. We had to cut the fence to let her back in and she was a nervous shivering wreck for hours after her rescue.
      I think the cheetah might have felt much the same. I don't think animals understand fences and it must be extremely upsetting to find that you're locked out of your home.

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  8. This just proves to me that no matter their size, all cats are the same. They do as they please.

    I can compare to hunting for one of my moggies and it reads almost exactly the same. Showed up like 'what?' by the food bowl after I looked for her forever. Of course.

    Glad your neighbor's cat has been 'found' and she's safe and sound.

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    1. Ha, Sheila, your kitties are so beautiful. I can just imagine that they would make themselves small and fall asleep in a comfy hidden spot. Of course, your calls would be ignored until they want dinner.

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  9. Gosh, how it that for a bit of excitement to break up the day?!
    Good the see the young lady is back where she belongs.
    what a fabulous selection of quotes, Megan -

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    1. Thank you, Anna! I put the quotes on the blog so that I know where to find them again in future. I will definitely be using a few for my projects.

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  10. Okay, you're right... I too can't compare with a cheetah. *LOL* I'm glad to hear your neighbor's cat returned to her home safe and sound... making the neighborhood safer again.

    I suppose you will be totally surprised when I'm telling you that I like your collection of fabulous quotes very much. ;O) I'm looking forward to see more - either of the quotes or the cheetah...

    Hugs
    Birgit

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    1. Thank you, Birgit. No more of the cheetah for now, I hope she stays on her side of the fence. I will definitely be using the quotes in my projects though.

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  11. Es estupendo que el guepardo haya vuelto, eso quiere decir que está muy a gusto en la reserva !!

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  12. Yes, Eloisa, she should be happy in the reserve. There are lots of small animals to eat. But I guess no matter what their size, a cat is a cat and they are curious...

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