The Further Adventures of Smoky: (It's a Cat's Life)

By Nicholas Nurston

This book is set in the picturesque Vale of Glamorgan and Smoky, the hero of this book, is a real cat, very inquisitive and particularly independent. Although enjoying a mostly outdoor existence, he adopted the author and his wife and will visit them indoors for one purpose only.......scrumptious food. He is sometimes away for three or four days, only returning after he has completed his adventure or the thought of food compels his return.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Apr 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493142187

Nicholas Nurston

I was born in South Wales into a working class environment in 1935. Just as today, the world was beset by political and fi nancial diffi culties. From a tender age, I developed a love for mechanical, electrical and electronics engineering, eventually qualifying in all three. My hobbies and sports interest are varied, from having raced sports cars in my fi fties to a current interest in steam railways of the prototype and model kind. Engineers invariably think in a logical manner. I have always held a great interest in the sciences and never stopped searching out the reasons for our existence.

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Nicholas Nurston. 516818

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014905449

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-4931-4216-3

Hardcover 978-1-4931-4217-0

EBook 978-1-4931-4218-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 03/31/2014

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CONTENTS

Further Adventures Of Smoky

For Those Interested In History

FURTHER

ADVENTURES

OF SMOKY

(Its’ a Cats Life)

It was a warm balmy summer’s day and Smoky raised himself from his snug bed on the greenhouse staging and stretched two or three times to enable his limbs to reach their full mature length. What a fine specimen he was, a lithe, predominantly grey young adult cat with white socks and waistcoat. Well he thought so as he checked over his image reflected in the glass before emerging from his greenhouse home. His whiskers made a cursory check on air pressure and temperature both of which confirmed the weather was very settled and most suitable for an adventurous trek. To those of you familiar with this supposedly self-reliant, salubrious specimen of feline scepticism; it will come as no surprise to learn that this particular adventure will formulate just part of the exercises required to help him eventually reach his intended goal. That being to sneak aboard one of those flying buses; which live up at the airport? Needless to state, he fully appreciated that could not be accomplished easily and would have to be planned very carefully on a full tummy.

It was only just past dawn but he wanted to make an early start, having trained the elderly lady and gent in whose garden he lived, to look out of their bedroom window to see if he was ready for his breakfast: Because he rarely uttered a sound, he thought that to be a more satisfactory arrangement! They had now begun to think of him as their own and part of their family. This could never be of course, but if it pleased them to let him use the facilities they had provided when he was back from an adventure, who was he to disappoint them? On one occasion, arriving home very hungry after a couple of days away, his appetite got the better of him and he became a bit forceful. Reaching up, he pulled down on his dish of meat chunks in gravy, before the elderly lady had even placed them on the breakfast room floor. Expecting to be scolded for such ill-mannered behaviour, Smoky was surprised to hear her words of encouragement. She, thinking she had taught him a new trick, became overwhelmed with joy. And so now-days, whenever he goes inside for food he is expected to repeat that misdemeanour to the sound of, come on; show us your paw, good boy! The things a chap has to do just to keep these humans happy.

Oh good, the old gent has seen him! The door will be ajar in no time. He had reached up on one occasion in an attempt to pull down on the breakfast room door-handle, but it was just out of reach despite his long lithe frame. He must fill up well this morning there is no knowing when or where his next meal will come from. The old gent mumbles something as Smoky skips in for his food. Sounded like do you know it is only five thirty cat? Was he trying to tell me there is an extra treat this morning, thought Smoky? Can’t be; breakfast was just as usual, delicious of course, but semantics were of no interest to him unless there was an advantage to be gained. Cleaning his dish until it was