Mayberry Cardinals

We had a phone call yesterday from our realtor who helped us find our lake-front cottage. She told me that all is going along smoothly up there..... still waiting for the title work to be done, before we can schedule the closing on the property.

The last time we were up at Mayberry, I left a note for the current owners of the cottage, letting them know that we'd be interested in buying some of the furniture there, should they be wanting to sell any of it. Our realtor told us that the sellers are making a list of what they'd be willing to sell, and will call me when their list is complete. Hopefully, the items on their list will match the items I have on my list, and we will (again, hopefully) come to reasonable terms on the prices for the furniture.

I had also left the current owners a second note, asking them if they knew that there was a nest of cardinals in the potted ficus tree on their back porch. The ficus tree is in a corner of the open porch, next to the biggest window of the eat-in kitchen. Not only is there an active nest with eggs in it, but there is another nest there, which seemed to be empty. I wanted to make sure the sellers knew about the nest, so they wouldn't disturb the potted tree while they were packing up and moving out.

Well, not only did they know about the current active nest, but they asked their realtor to ask our realtor if we would mind if they left that ficus tree right where it was, because cardinals have been building nests in that tree for years now. The birds will either use a nest that's already there, after adding some personal touches to it, or they'll start a nest from scratch on another branch of the potted tree.

The sellers also told their realtor about the cat that's on the property. Poor cat looks awful, with a cloudy eye (looks like a cataract-- no pun intended), and it limps along on wobbly paws, and part of its fur has been cut away (probably got matted from not being brushed often enough, since the cat is long-haired). The sellers wanted us to know that the cat is healthier than he looks.... he's just as old as the hills, and they've taken him to the vet countless times for one thing or another over the years. Of course, we're praying that the sellers don't leave the cat there when they move out. Goodness knows, we've got enough cats........ and I don't need a lake-house cat up at Mayberry. There's also a dog there on the property-- he sleeps under the back deck in the heat of the day..... big old dog that once was probably a good hunting dog. But we don't need a dog up there, either...... and I know for a fact that Gracie would not be happy to find a canine companion in her lake-front kingdom.

When I talk to the sellers about the furniture, I may ask them about the cat and the dog. I'll have to think of how to diplomatically ask them if they're intending to take their pets with them when they leave the house. I should think they would. After all, if they're so concerned with the nest of cardinals, then surely they won't be wanting to abandon their dog and cat. (From my lips to the cat-god's ears.......)