Cool Cats

 An entry to Sepia Saturday. "Using old images as prompts for new reflections"

Here we are at the farm gate.  Where better place to find a cat, or indeed be a cat.  Imagine all the potential for mouse chasing and when that is all done just lying in the sun. Although at the moment of this photograph this particular cat has been scooped up by Peter and it gazes towards his sister Susan, or maybe it is just looking for a way to escape.  No chance, looks as though Peter has a firm grip.    

Aynsome Mill Farm was the home of  my mother's cousin Alice Airey (the mother of Susan and Peter) and we often used to visit.  I wonder as my mother holds me on a sunny Sunday in July whether this would be the first time I had been there.  Throughout my childhood we would travel to Cartmel to stay for the day and sometimes during the school holidays I would come here to stay. Sleeping in a ground floor room I would be awakened by mooing and shouting as the cows ambled and clattered  past the window on their way to be milked.  A day of play lay ahead.  I don't remember much about the cats but was particularly fascinated by pigs so they were always our first port of call.  As with most childhood memories the days always seemed to be as sunny as this photograph.

But to come up with two elements of the prompt picture

here is a doorstep and a cat, but this time of the tabby variety.  My father has written on the back "by the Co-op, Ulverston" so that is why there is crockery in the window but I am not sure of the significance of the illegible notice which has the amount £13 17s 6d in large letters. Seems a lot of money for 1955.  Anyway back to the cat, after stroking it I was probably wanting to take it home. I occasionally arrived home with "strays", they never were, or at least that is what my mother said as she sent them on their way.