Comments on: crossing the threshold http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/ one dance art poety myth by Ellen Hill Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:14:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Ellen http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-163 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:07:32 +0000 http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-163 Thank you my dear friend Thank you my dear friend

]]> by: judith Wood http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-162 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:20:38 +0000 http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-162 Hi Ellen, I didn't expect the tears either, but they came. Zamma was so beautiful in that desert light....and I have myself watched the light go out in the eyes of my animals, mostly my chow chows. But now I feed feral cats myself, not to mention the raccoons who clean up the cats' left overs every night. And two ferals who lived behind my apt. now sleep on my bed, the little black and white tuxedos who finally have a soft bed and have learned to tolerate (and sometimes demand) my attention. I love the story of how Ulli-Maki came to town and how Zamma led him to her food dish....Bosco and Cookie, who were together when I moved here, look out for each other also, and talk to each other in their yowls and purrs. Hi Ellen, I didn’t expect the tears either, but they came. Zamma was so beautiful in that desert light….and I have myself watched the light go out in the eyes of my animals, mostly my chow chows. But now I feed feral cats myself, not to mention the raccoons who clean up the cats’ left overs every night. And two ferals who lived behind my apt. now sleep on my bed, the little black and white tuxedos who finally have a soft bed and have learned to tolerate (and sometimes demand) my attention.

I love the story of how Ulli-Maki came to town and how Zamma led him to her food dish….Bosco and Cookie, who were together when I moved here, look out for each other also, and talk to each other in their yowls and purrs.

]]> by: Lynda http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-156 Tue, 27 May 2008 19:17:23 +0000 http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-156 Oh-My, thousands of miles of wilderness as your neighborhood. Certainly sounds like Heaven to me. I live in a city surrounded by cotton fields, semi-arid country that was medium to short grass prairie before cultivation. When the wind blows, which it does often, because of the cultivation the dirt blows. Brown Sky days I call them. I would prefer to be sitting at your table with a cup of tea. :) Thank you for the information about the feral cats. Very interesting. I'm surprised at the gentleness too. And the politeness. Have you posted a picture of Ulli-Maki? My Bell is very polite and gentle, my Stanley is a WHINER. Oh-My, thousands of miles of wilderness as your neighborhood. Certainly sounds like Heaven to me. I live in a city surrounded by cotton fields, semi-arid country that was medium to short grass prairie before cultivation. When the wind blows, which it does often, because of the cultivation the dirt blows. Brown Sky days I call them. I would prefer to be sitting at your table with a cup of tea. :)

Thank you for the information about the feral cats. Very interesting. I’m surprised at the gentleness too. And the politeness. Have you posted a picture of Ulli-Maki? My Bell is very polite and gentle, my Stanley is a WHINER.

]]> by: Ellen http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-154 Sun, 25 May 2008 02:59:50 +0000 http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-154 Thank you Mimi, fellow cat lover. Thank you Mimi, fellow cat lover.

]]> by: mimi http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-153 Sun, 25 May 2008 02:51:42 +0000 http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-153 what a wonderful memorial for Zamma! I too, hope your bobcats continue to respect your pussycats. what a wonderful memorial for Zamma!
I too, hope your bobcats continue to respect your pussycats.

]]> by: Ellen http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-150 Fri, 23 May 2008 13:38:49 +0000 http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-150 Ah another cat lover. I'm charmed. I was surprised too that a wild cat would choose this life. Ulli-Maki lived on the property for many months before moving in. He came down from the mountain every morning, we could see his white blaze far away coming through the brush at dawn. He would stay all day watching us then return to the rocks at night. After some months he started living on the roof and the returns to the mountain were fewer. He didn't ask for anything. He and Zamma would communicate. One night he turned up at the door, Zamma went to it and asked me to open it. Ulli-Maki walked in. She led him immediately to her food dish. She trained him to the ways of life with humans but not much was needed since he had been observing us for so long. This story compares fairly closely to the experience of others around here who have had wild cats move in - I know two other women this has happened to. The differences are mainly in how they communicate, how at ease they are in the wild (i live on the edge of thousands of square miles of wilderness) and with me. They are exceptionally gentle and polite. This gentleness is so unexpected. They have complete control over use of their claws for example and never use them on me but are amazing hunters. There is an attunement with the environment, a keen awareness of what is going on, they listen to all the other animals, the blue jay as sentry alerts them and they watch for the hawk to arrive or snake. They are fierce protectors of place and each other and even me the lowly canopener. We would have fun, you and i, over a cup a tea with stories of our cat friends. Ah another cat lover.
I’m charmed.

I was surprised too that a wild cat would choose this life. Ulli-Maki lived on the property for many months before moving in. He came down from the mountain every morning, we could see his white blaze far away coming through the brush at dawn. He would stay all day watching us then return to the rocks at night. After some months he started living on the roof and the returns to the mountain were fewer. He didn’t ask for anything. He and Zamma would communicate. One night he turned up at the door, Zamma went to it and asked me to open it. Ulli-Maki walked in. She led him immediately to her food dish. She trained him to the ways of life with humans but not much was needed since he had been observing us for so long.

This story compares fairly closely to the experience of others around here who have had wild cats move in - I know two other women this has happened to.

The differences are mainly in how they communicate, how at ease they are in the wild (i live on the edge of thousands of square miles of wilderness) and with me. They are exceptionally gentle and polite. This gentleness is so unexpected. They have complete control over use of their claws for example and never use them on me but are amazing hunters. There is an attunement with the environment, a keen awareness of what is going on, they listen to all the other animals, the blue jay as sentry alerts them and they watch for the hawk to arrive or snake. They are fierce protectors of place and each other and even me the lowly canopener.

We would have fun, you and i, over a cup a tea with stories of our cat friends.

]]> by: Lynda http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-145 Wed, 21 May 2008 13:58:08 +0000 http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-145 Good Morning. I've been thinking about you and hope all is Peaceful. I had no idea that feral cats would decide to adopt humans. I thought they would to stay in the wild. I would be very interested if you would expand on how this wild clan is different. I too have cats who've adopted me, and visa-versa. Right now two are living with me, and two more are living on the premises. I don't know if the premises cats were abandoned or if they decided to change house holds. They still won't let me get near them even though I talk to them and let them know how beautiful they are. And then of course there are the neighborhood cats who drop by for a little snack and hang out for awhile. Anyway, all good thoughts to you. Good Morning. I’ve been thinking about you and hope all is Peaceful.

I had no idea that feral cats would decide to adopt humans. I thought they would to stay in the wild. I would be very interested if you would expand on how this wild clan is different.

I too have cats who’ve adopted me, and visa-versa. Right now two are living with me, and two more are living on the premises. I don’t know if the premises cats were abandoned or if they decided to change house holds. They still won’t let me get near them even though I talk to them and let them know how beautiful they are. And then of course there are the neighborhood cats who drop by for a little snack and hang out for awhile.

Anyway, all good thoughts to you.

]]> by: Ellen http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-140 Mon, 19 May 2008 17:40:18 +0000 http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-140 Thank you Joe. and to your precious princess. Thank you Joe. and to your precious princess.

]]> by: Joe http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-139 Mon, 19 May 2008 16:46:42 +0000 http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-139 I would have been by sooner to express my condolences, but something here keeps crashing my browser. I'm on another computer at the moment and wanted to leave a note. I've given my little fur girl an extra cuddle in honor of Zamma's passing, and she responded by licking my nose, as she often does. I've seen many pets come and go in my relatively short life and it always hurts even when we know it's just, as you said, a matter of taking off our coat. Best of wishes to you! :o) I would have been by sooner to express my condolences, but something here keeps crashing my browser. I’m on another computer at the moment and wanted to leave a note.

I’ve given my little fur girl an extra cuddle in honor of Zamma’s passing, and she responded by licking my nose, as she often does. I’ve seen many pets come and go in my relatively short life and it always hurts even when we know it’s just, as you said, a matter of taking off our coat.

Best of wishes to you! :o )

]]> by: Ellen http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-138 Mon, 19 May 2008 04:07:35 +0000 http://www.tseka.com/2008/05/15/crossing-the-threshold/#comment-138 Hej pat, Thanks for your thoughts. True the thread still ties us. The Sami say we merely take off our coat. And i have a sense of this too. We have been awaiting and preparing for this crossing for a long time- since November. It was stunning for it's grace. We are well. Ulli and I were both with Zamma when she died. We will miss her in our day to day. Zamma and her exploits (she was a local legend) will bring us many smiles in remembrance. I wait to see what comes next from this remarkable connection. Hej pat, Thanks for your thoughts. True the thread still ties us. The Sami say we merely take off our coat. And i have a sense of this too. We have been awaiting and preparing for this crossing for a long time- since November. It was stunning for it’s grace. We are well. Ulli and I were both with Zamma when she died. We will miss her in our day to day. Zamma and her exploits (she was a local legend) will bring us many smiles in remembrance. I wait to see what comes next from this remarkable connection.

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