The Cat’s Garden, situated as it was on terraced farming land, was prone to strong winds and the north-westerlies could be particularly harsh in the cold weather. Windbreaks were essential to protect the fruit trees and, for the most part, were fashioned from shade cloth material stretched between metal poles to disperse the strongest gusts in the most exposed areas of the garden.
At one end of the veranda stood a water tank – the same tank which The Cat laid claim to on cool mornings as it was the first place to catch the sun. Behind the tank was the pomegranate tree, and opposite it, the feeding station area, all open right through (save for some very tattered old netting), so protecting the veranda from the winds which blew right through was a sensible idea.
The humans decided to erect a tarpaulin which would go from top to bottom of this opening, essentially separating the veranda from the feeding station area of the garden.
Cameo appearances here are by Mini and Pippin.
On the veranda side this meant a tarpaulin backdrop (on the left) to the water tank, giving The Cat and her family a cosy corner for those after-breakfast winter get-togethers.
Cameo appearances here are by Flora, The Cat, Pippin, Whitefur and Calypso.
And, as this was a busy thoroughfare for cats going to the veranda from the olive tree and feeding station, the humans decided to cut away the bottom corner of the tarpaulin, creating direct access for the cats through a cat-flap-style gap which would take them from under the pomegranate tree by way of a step up, through the gap, under the water tank, and out onto the veranda.
Cameo appearances here from Cracker, Thundercat and NotNVQ.
The following photo shows the veranda as seen from the garden. The water tank was elevated on blocks and the cats would emerge from behind the white pail as the tank was open underneath.
Naturally, as story-telling was always an important part of life for this human, this small gap was given a big name, and so we welcomed The Emerald Window into everyday garden life.
This cat-level view of The Emerald Window shows the space beneath the water tank where the cats would walk through to emerge on the veranda.
Cameo appearances here by Swift and Satsuma.
