An Update from Scamp

   Hi! This is Scamp. It looks like I've been shut into the computer room so I thought I would go ahead and write the column for this week.
  I was pretty sure that Sophie saw me come in while she was checking her email. I didn't curl up in my favourite spot in the closet. I was sitting right on the ironing board where I could not possibly be missed. She has developed this bad habit of not telling me when she is leaving the room. Then she shuts the door and I am shut in.
  It's very annoying. She knows that I can't reach the door knob. The whole lack of an opposable thumb thing is also a challenge. I really need to work on training her a little bit better.
  I thought that she was going to come back into the room. She does that sometimes, especially two weeks ago when she hurt her back. It was too hard for her to sit in the chair for long periods of time. She would leave and then come back. Since she closed the door behind her, I don't think she is coming back, at least not right away.
   The new floor is just about done. There is a spot in the dining room that has not been finished yet. I'm glad that those strange men and their noisy machines are gone. One time one of the men left some of his stuff in the living room. I didn't like how it smelled. I decided that I would pee on it. Then it would be taken away. Sophie said that I shouldn't have done that.  She says it's not good cat behavior to pee on other people's belongings. She doesn't seem to understand that it is my job to help guard the house from foreign invaders. If there is something in the house that shouldn't be here, then it is my job to do whatever I can to remove it and that includes peeing.
  I like the new floor. The dark brown sets off my fur when I lay on it. It was very considerate of Sophie and C to choose a colour that matches so well. Colby looks very good on it too.
  Out cat trees have been moved back by the windows so we have resumed our surveillance of the front yard. I'm glad that the trees are back as the floor it is not soft and the trees allow us to sit in the living room in comfort. The floor pillow has also been moved back so Colby can lay on that whenever he wants.
  The hammered dulcimer has been moved into the living room as well. C tuned it so that Sophie can start to practice again. It sounds nice. C and Sophie bought a rug for the dulcimer stand to sit on. It is a dark red and gold which is very becoming to both Colby and me. It is also comfortable as well.
  I hear Colby scratching at the door, just a minute.
  I told Colby that I am in here and I'm all right. Colby wants to try to open the door, but he isn't tall enough to reach the knob either.
  I like that it is fall. The house isn't so hot and there are lots of things to watch outside. We have a lot of squirrels that are running around. They are fun to watch. Colby would like to catch one someday. I wonder how he is going to do that. He's afraid to go outside. He sits at the window and makes chattering noises and flicks his tail about whenever he sees a squirrel. I'm sure they are real scared of him.
   I think I hear Sophie calling me. She must need me for something. Excuse me while I scratch at the door.
  OK, I'm back. I think she heard me. I hear her walking down the hall. Yep. She's opening the door.
"I wrote the column for you. Just a minute. I'll finish it and then I can supervise you while you make the bed."
   Better get going. A cat's work is never done......