I find I’m more aware of the sunlight in the winter, simply because there is less of it. Days are shorter and here in the New York City region, we tend to get a heavy dose of overcast weather from November through February. So, when we get a blast of sunshine, or simply non-overcast light, we notice. We celebrate, if only within our souls for the few minutes it lasts!
It turns out I’m not the only one. My cats have found a new window in the house they like to visit. It faces the south. Each morning, they run to it no matter what’s in front of it and jump onto the radiator in front of it and wait for us to open the blind. They’ll sit there until we do that, willing to take just the little bit of light that is seeping through the shades. They’re also soaking up the heat from the radiator, I know them well enough to realize that.
Here is a photo of Bambi at the window on Saturday morning January 9. Bambi is about four and has lived with us most of her life. She was a stray and very young when she found us…weeks old, I think. She is so skittish she cannot be held. I think she was born that way and that she ran away from home when she was nearly an infant because she’s a little bit nuts. We are used to the fact that we can’t hold her, in fact, I forget about it from time to time, unless I want to take her to the vet’s for boarding.
When I say skittish and that you can’t hold her, I mean it. She becomes this insane whirling dervish that you can’t control. Hair and nails go flying. It’s impossible to hang on to her. It’s a scene you don’t want to be a part of.
Bambi does love other cats; she follows Toasty, my 17-year-old around the house constantly and cries when she can’t find her. She also adores Henry, the big red male cat but he is not really a cuddler of other felines. He prefers to be revered by humans, which works well in his favor.
So I was happy to see Bambi enjoying the sunlight on this January morning. She denies herself the pleasures of being adulated by her owners, so it’s nice that she can indulge herself in this modest way. We all need a little sunlight, especially in winter. I’m glad she realizes that at least.
