Laughter

Hanging around the house offers numerous moments for spontaneous laughter, from multiple sources.

Our animals are always a source of entertainment.

While preparing breakfast yesterday we watched Minina outside in the kitchen window poking at the screen trying to catch a big fly that was trapped in the closed window. Her paws quickly slapped up and down the screen, but she couldn't grab the fly, although she tried for a long time. We chuckled as we chopped fruit and prepared breakfast with a black cat dancing around in the window in front of us.

In the evenings we are amused watching the indoor cats poking through the front screen door at Velose, the outside kitten. Velose sits or lies in front of the door and the indoor cats take turns playing with Velose. Minina has calmed down now but she used to run from the door to the window, trying to find a way to get a better look at Velose; her tail would be puffed out and she would beat her paws on the glass window trying to dig her way through the glass.

Maya is four times the size of Velose and stands on her hind legs and then almost folds herself in half trying to get closer to Velose through the screen. They poke back and forth, but this is pure play - no hissing, no puffy tails. The sight of the big cat and the little kitten, playing together, makes us smile.

This morning Minina was out on the back terrace all alone. She got into the torn camp chair and proceeded to roll around in the sunshine. Oops, she fell through the big hole in the middle of the chair. She sheepishly made a quick recovery and proceeded to lick her fur, as if she meant to do it.

The other day I was going out with Loco. As always, I hold onto his collar as I open the gate, just in case there is another dog nearby (Loco chases after any dog he doesn't think should be here, and has no road sense at all). As I walked through the gate and stood beside the golf cart, I saw a dog at the corner of our property. Loco didn't see it because the golf cart blocked his view. I hoped the dog would go the other way but it came our way. I stood quietly holding onto Loco, and the dog had no idea I was there. As the dog got to the back of the golf cart, I shouted "Shoo" at it. The dog was startled and jumped in mid-air and spun around and took off. As he ran away, he kept looking behind him, not really knowing what the heck had scared him but making sure it wasn't following him. I laughed out loud at the thought that I had 'pulled a Loco', ambushing the dog and scaring it away.

Our neighbor's little girl, about 6, has a funny voice, and she's a bit loud. The other evening she was playing next door and I heard her laughing - one of those belly-rolling laughs that keeps on going and is infectious. A happy child. I sat inside and started laughing too - just from the sound of her laugh.

I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard I cried, but I'm probably about due. With the help of the animals and the neighbor's kids, or Miguel's animated stories, it will maybe happen soon.