A Blue boyfriend

Hello, it's Chloe here . . . my Mum's out at the moment, so may I share some rather exciting news?

My life, as you know, is spent mostly with my Mum . . .  and with other humans. True, there's the occasional meeting with a fox or a squirrel, but, by and large, it's just humans I have for company. Not that I'm complaining . . . I like humans . . . humans like me.

Do I miss other cats?
Well, between you and me, I've never even considered that question.

Not, that is, until the other day when Mum and I were in the garden.   I was walking down the path, minding my own business, and . . . well, you'll never believe what happened next.

My whiskers positively quivered with amazement . . .  a very large, ginger cat was striding up the path straight towards to me!

Where had he come from?
True, he was rather handsome, but such a confident approach needed to be put in its place  . . .  I looked him in the eye and hissed! I hissed loudly . . .  even if his intentions were honourable, he needed to know straight away that I was no pushover!

I must admit that his response surprised me.  Instead of backing off, or hissing in return, he curled himself around my Mum's legs, blinked a lot at her . . . blinked a lot at me . . . and then sat down on the grass.

Now that I could see him properly, there was no denying the facts. He was, indeed, a very fine cat.

My Mum read the tag on his collar and told me that his name was Blue. It would be nice for me to have a friend, she said, and stroked Blue on his head . . . I wasn't at all sure that I agreed with her.

As Blue didn't seem to want to leave us, my Mum lifted me up onto a garden seat.

This was a good move on her part . . .  it meant that I was higher up than he was, and could study this unexpected new arrival from a safe position.

But do you know what he did?
He crossed the lawn, made his way under the seat, and started blinking up at me through the slats. It seemed a little rude to hiss back at such a very polite approach . . . so I decided to blink instead.

Oh my . . . that certainly encouraged him! Seconds later, he'd jumped up on the seat . . .  settling himself at the other end, where he sat and washed his paws. I was more than a bit startled by this move, but, yes, I must admit it . . .  he did seem a very clean and well-mannered cat.

Finally, after we'd been sitting there for quite a while, my Mum said that we should be going in.
And, do you know, I wouldn't say this to my Mum, but I was quite sorry.

Anyway, when we went into the garden today who should reappear . . . ? Yes, you've guessed it . . .   it was Blue.

As you can see in this photo, we're now on friendly 'sit and look at each other and blink' terms.

Perhaps my Mum was right after all. Wouldn't you agree that, if a cat should happen to be thinking about having a friend, Blue has the perfect credentials?

He's persistent, he's handsome and he's very polite. What's more, he's not as fortunate as I am. He seems to be all on his own. He certainly doesn't have a lead with a Mum on the other end.

I wonder, do you think my Mum might consider asking him to tea?
It's quite possible that he's never tried lemon cake . . .

We'll see what happens, . . . and, I promise you, if there's any news to report I'll put my paws straight back on this keyboard and tell you all about it!

Under a flowering cherry tree . . .

Before we start this letter, may I ask you a question?
After looking at the photo on the right,  tell me, where do you think it was taken?


Those magnificent trees outside the windows would certainly indicate a rural area.

Perhaps it's a cafe in the New Forest . . . ?
Or, as I'm about to reveal, perhaps not.

Will you believe me when I tell you that I took that photo way below ground level in the heart of London?
In fact, this is the Reception area for the Radiotherapy Department of the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea.
Deep down in the basement of the building, it's an area I visited this week.

The windows you can see are false, the view is an illusion.
What's more, it's a carefully created illusion aimed at offering a sense of peace and tranquillity to those waiting for appointments.

True, they could have hung pictures on the walls to raise the atmosphere.  But how much more imaginative to install false windows, create a fake view, and enlist the support of nature to lift the anxieties of those waiting?

Like everything else at the Royal Marsden, it's designed solely for the welfare of the patients.

You may remember that, in our last exchange of letters, we looked at the therapeutic benefits bestowed by animals.  As the Royal Marsden clearly recognises, the natural world is equally capable of offering therapeutic benefits.

The wound from my mastectomy having healed, I was there to make plans for a course of radio-therapy.  And, shortly after taking that photo, a helpful nurse escorted me to a clinic for a CT scan. 

Here I was received another surprise . . .  who would have thought that I'd have experienced the scan under the spreading branches of a flowering cherry tree!
Look at this photo and you'll see what I mean.
There I was, lying on my back and gazing up at a beautiful, tranquil view . . . a vista guaranteed to soothe and heal the most anxious of patients.

Since first going to the Royal Marsden last August, I've had nothing but admiration for all I've experienced . . . this includes the wonderfully compassionate staff, and the hospital's cutting-edge scientific knowledge.
But to discover its recognition of the healing power of the natural world . . . that was something else.

How can I possibly anticipate radio-therapy with apprehension when I know that, each time I go, I'll be relaxing under a blue sky enhanced with spring blossom?

And, for those of you who are fortunate enough to have no hospital visits on your New Year agenda, but may well have other reasons to feel anxious or stressed, why not click here and absorb the therapeutic benefits of this video . . . enjoy!