Chuck Tramples the Tulips

 

          To celebrate my birthday this past year, Dan, I, and, of course, Chuck decided to stay local, which means we wanted to travel somewhere by car and not plane so we went to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, for the day. 

        Longwood Gardens began as a Quaker farmstead. Then Pierre S. du Pont (yes, the name sounds familiar because of all the du Pont products his company was responsible for--Lucite, Teflon, Lycra, Orlon, Mylar, Kevlar, Tyvek, and Dacron polyester) bought the property in 1906 and over the years transformed it into one of America's premier gardens. It boasts 200 acres filled with gardens and water fountains, a four acre conservatory, an historic house and the usual Visitor Center with Gift Shop. 

       

 

Of course, no pets are allowed. But Dan and I don't consider Chuck a pet. And, maybe, that's why we get into so much trouble.

        

        Longwood Gardens is open year round, and the garden displays rotate with the seasons. We were there in April. Tulips of all colors and shapes were in abundance. The displays were magnificent. For awhile Chuck seemed content to scamper around with us, sniffing the ground, enjoying the beautiful weather. 

        We know that cats see colors differently than we do. We also know, however, that their sense of smell is way more acute. So what happened next, well, we can only put it down to the fact that Chucky must have smelled something, something that he just couldn't resist. 

     

   

        Let me set the scene. These beautiful tulip displays attract many visitors. But it was late in the afternoon. Most of the visitors were gone and Dan, I and Chuck were basically by ourselves at the end of the tulip section. Everything was calm.

   

        That should have been a clue. A warning. That something was about to go amiss. 

        But, again, we were caught up in the moment. If you've ever been to Longwood Gardens, walked through the conservatory, seen the orchid display or been privy to the hundreds of tulips that were in full bloom, you could understand how we could become mesmerized and lose track. 

    

    Suddenly, the tulips began to dance on their own. They were moving. What the . . . At first, it seemed almost magical. Like in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy passes an apple tree, that comes alive and the branch has an arm and a hand that throws an apple at her. 

        These tulips were moving. I saw it first.

        "Look, Dan, those tulips over there."

        Our wonderful magical thinking lasted only a second. In unison we shouted out, "Chuck."

        Of course, it had to be Chuck. His orange and white fur was suddenly visible among the vibrant yellow tulips.

        Oh my God. This was serious. Chuck was ransacking through the tulips. 

        "You have to go in there and get him. Before he causes any major damage."

        But Dan had already assessed the situation. Carefully picking his way through these magnificent flowers, he stepped on solid ground, reached in and picked up the devil cat child. 

        "What was he thinking?"

        "He's just a cat," Dan said calmly.

        He was right, of course. Like curious George, I had curious Chuck who never for a moment thought that visitors to Longwood Gardens wanted to see healthy vibrant tulips, not ones trampled to death by cat paws.  

        Dan put Chucky on the ground near my feet. Then he went back into the tulip display and fluffed up the tulips Chuck had played havoc with.  See, no damage done.

            "Well, we almost had a perfect day." I sighed.

        "And what fun would that have been," Dan said. 

        Later, in the car on the way back home, I tried to get Chuck to explain why he'd bolted into the tulip patch. He only yawned, put his head on his paw, and fell asleep.

        "At least he didn't say anything about ravens," I said. 

STAY TUNED FOR MORE ADVENTURES OF CHUCK, THE RASCAL CAT. AND PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT. CHUCK WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. JUST CLICK ON "COMMENT." IT'S EASY.