Wie die Wasserratte schon 1908 zum Maulwurf sagte: "Glaub mir, mein junger Freund, es gibt nichts, absolut gar nichts auf der ganzen Welt, das auch nur halb so viel wert wäre, wie einfach mit Booten herumzubummeln … Ob du dich davonmachst oder ob du es bleiben lässt; ob du dein Ziel erreichst oder ob du ganz woanders ankommst oder niemals irgendwo, beschäftigt bist du immer und etwas Besonderes tust du nie."


Aus "Der Wind in den Weiden", von Kenneth Grahame.


As the Water Rat said to the Mole already in 1908, "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats …Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular."


From "The Wind in the Willows," by Kenneth Grahame.


Freitag, 29. Juni 2018

Katze an Bord
Cat onboard

Moritz an Bord! Er ist ein Findelkater ungewissen Alters, mittlerweile mindestens 18 Jahre, der coolste Kater der Welt (wir haben hier schon einmal von ihm berichtet). Da er fast blind ist, wollen ihn seine Büchsenöffner Silvia und Rolf nicht mehr alleine zu Hause lassen. Also nehmen sie ihn seit diesem Sommer mit an Bord ihrer Blue Kima, wo er sich nach einigen Anfangsschwierigkeiten nun sichtlich wohl fühlt. Moritz weigert sich, eine Pinkelkiste zu benutzen (eine Demütigung); dafür geht er zusammen mit Familienhund Xavie Gassi.

Moritz is Silvia and Rolf's adopted cat. That is, he adopted them some years back, lingering outside, accepting food only for about six months before he deigned to come in. He was never the fittest. No teeth and an obstructed nasal passage for starters. But the cat has charisma. Aila and I will never forget when the late, great Pippo, our warrior Yorkie, first met Moritz. Pippo bellowed and barked and ran hither and thither while Moritz reclined in his cardboard box and hardly raised an eyebrow. Pippo eventually ran out of steam, declared peace and calm was restored. (Neira needed no such lesson; she recognized Moritz as a leader right away.) 
Anyway, Moritz, too, isn't getting any younger, and it troubled his two servants to leave him alone at home while they enjoyed outings on Kima Blue, their 10 meter Dutch kruiser. So this year they experimented and brought Sir Moritz with them just to see how it would go. And to everyone's relief, Moritz quickly adapted. He has established his various perches onboard and when he needs to use the head, as it were, he goes onshore with his faithful companion Xavi, the family Jack Russell. What a cool cat!