Main Characters in La Pinède

It would not be right for me to introduce La Pinède and omit these other beings who are continuing to play an integral role on my FND journey. They have been there at my side without judgement (perhaps with the exception of Sky) and provided joy where otherwise there may have been tears or even a little self-pity. 

Emmy

Let me start with Emmy. She’s a german shepherd / border collie cross and has the energy of both breeds packed into one canine. She’s also exceedingly loyal, very intelligent and a real softy with an obviously strong maternal instinct. This she displays mostly towards the cats, and occasionally towards me. But my daughter is by far her chosen human. I think she sees the cats as a herd of sheep, which shines through especially when she’s in a playful mood. She is a photo bomber of note. There’s not one family picture in which she doesn’t feature. She’s always at my side when I walk in La Pinède and ensures my path ahead is free from any life-threatening creatures, like squirrels. She has beef with our neighbour’s Belgian shepherd and they occasionally have some contest of running in opposite directions along the inside safety of their own boundary fences. I am almost convinced it would be a meek event if they should meet sans fences. She's very agile and hops and skips through the long grass in La Pinède, looking more like a springbok than a dog.

Emmy: The Keeper of the Peace and the Creator of the Chaos

Luna

Then, there are the three cats. One is the progenitor of the other two. She is Luna. Before her arrival we were strictly dog people. But my daughter worked her magic and by the time she was done with us, Luna the stray, became part of the household. Shortly thereafter COVID hit the world and everything came to a standstill. Everything except Luna. The little ingrate got herself pregnant quite soon after her arrival here. This was how the clan expanded with the arrival of the other two, Sky and Dennis. We affectionately call Luna Ma Baker as she has the behaviourisms of a proper gangster and takes some perverse delight in smacking her son, Dennis, who never learns his lesson and comes back for more of the same, every evening before their dinner. She's very bossy and It also doesn’t help that she has the most unladylike swagger and lost one fang. But she has a very endearing softness to her when she’s around her humans. She has the gentlest way of asking permission to snuggle up to you and her softness and tender ways have often broken down the hardness of the pain inside me in the early days of my back injury. 

Luna: Undoubtedly Queen of the Castle

Sky

Sky is of noble descent (or so she thinks) and as a result she does not mix with the common folk. She may not be completely misguided in her perception of her aristocratic heritage. She always smells sweet, regardless of where she wanders off to in La Pinède. Her eau de parfum is in her DNA. However, this makes her quite superior in her attitude towards us humans and even more so towards the other cats. She sleeps separately. She eats separately. Has a taste for only the most exquisitely chosen food. And although her mom’s name is Luna, she is the one whose moods are more directly linked to the phases of the moon. These seem to take a particularly unsavoury turn when it nears the full moon. She does live up to her name, always preferring the highest places in the house and outdoors to pass judgement on others or take a nap. To be honest, I can’t say she has been a close companion to me on this journey, with her being royalty and all. But on the odd occasion, when her favour does fall on me, she would snuggle up with me on my bed and be the epitome of stillness, which I find very calming. But only in small doses, as she doesn’t often consider us plebians worthy of being blessed by the high society she represents. 

Sky: Her Royal Highness

Dennis

And then last, but most certainly not least, is Dennis. This one took his name quite seriously and it is his life’s mission to live up to it. He is unfortunately also dealing with an identity crisis and identifies as dog. He loves being close to Emmy. In a very uncat-like way, he rubs up to her and expects her to sniff his backside. Sky is of course horrified by his common manners. He also likes dog food and we have our days cut out for us keeping him away and teaching him cat food is best. He sleeps in Emmy’s bed as well and we’ve stopped trying to convince him he’s actually a cat. I think that’s the reason his resting face is one of permanent confusion. One of his most endearing qualities is joining me and Emmy on our walks. However, he has yet to master the art of contemplative walking and he still considers frequent stops for affection to be an essential part of any rehabilitation programme. The pines in La Pinède have stood here for decades, perhaps longer. Dennis has stood here for three minutes before demanding to be carried. But this miniature black panther with his graceful stride and shiny coat covering his bulging muscles, has crept deeply into my heart and made a sizable home for himself there. Above all, he is an almost constant companion on this FND journey, providing laughs and comfort at just the right moments. He is my personal feline prescription for pain and so much more besides. 

Dennis the Menace: If Confusion was a Cat

So with that , I think I have sketched a decent background from which I will share my journey with FND in upcoming posts.