Bedtime Cat Tales: Bones & The Car Wash

The bedtime Cat Tales are back with another story about Bones, the neighbourhood cat (who really is my pet cat) and who is loved by all who meet him. Sink into comfortable slumber while you follow along on his adventure, relaxing your mind, and relaxing your body.

If you awaken in the night, rather than getting caught up in thoughts of tomorrow or today, simply turn the story back on, picture the peaceful scenery of Bones' day unfolding around you, and allow your mind to drift back into a peaceful sleep.

Music by: Liborio Conti
Story by: Susan Guttridge

Transcript

Hi there,

Welcome to this sleepytime cattail about Bones the neighborhood cat.

My name is Susan Guttridge and tonight I'll be reading you the third story in the series,

Bones and the Car Wash.

It's okay if you miss the first two,

I'll catch you up.

Bones is my very handsome orange cat.

He earned his name when we first found him,

So tiny,

Just skin and bones.

Although you'd never know that now,

All these years later,

What with his healthy feline figure.

But nevertheless,

We kept the name Bones.

Although sometimes we call him Mr.

Bones,

And Bonesy,

And also Billy Bob Bones.

It really just depends on the day.

Perhaps because he spent the beginning of his life outside,

We were never able to keep him contained indoors.

Bones comes in to sleep and to visit,

And I've often wondered what it is that he does all day when he's out and about in the neighborhood.

I know he's welcomed into the home across the street,

Which is a real life story that inspired the first cattail,

In the second story,

We followed along with Bones to the park,

Where he sat with his friend Rizzo,

The gray cat that lives next door to us,

And some friendly children that had been playing at the park.

So while Bones really is my pet cat,

These tales of his adventures life outside of my home These tales of his adventures life outside of my home are purely fictional,

As you will clearly come to see.

For I don't really know what Bones or any cat thinks,

Although that would be quite wonderful if I did.

Bones is a pretty interesting cat,

Full of purrs and periodic meows,

Squinty eye stares with slow blinks and headbutts to solicit affection.

Have a listen to this story about Bones,

And you might just come to love him as much as I have.

Before we begin,

Let's get you comfy cozy in your bed,

Give your body a stretch,

Shift as you need,

Settling into a position that feels right for you.

Notice your head resting on your soft pillow,

Feeling all the bits of relaxation as they spread throughout your body,

Drawing a breath in,

Slow and deep,

And exhaling to release any tension that may have been there in your neck and shoulders.

All right,

Breathing in,

Allow that air to flow all the way into your belly,

And exhaling out.

And if it feels okay,

Go ahead and close your eyes.

Pull your sheets or your blankets up so that you feel warm.

Notice the blankets softly cuddling around you like a gentle reassuring hug.

Before I start the story,

Let's help your body start relaxing from your nose to your toes.

I'm going to guide you through a practice based on a technique called progressive muscle relaxation,

Which just means we'll be tensing and then relaxing our muscles.

Our bodies tend to hold all the tension from the day,

After all,

From all we did and felt and thought.

All those activities and emotions can create tension in our muscles,

Kind of like invisible knots.

When we go to bed,

Sometimes those knots can make it hard to settle for sleep.

By tightening our muscles really tight and then letting them go loose,

We're showing our bodies how to find and untie those invisible knots.

It's kind of like when we squeeze our muscles tight,

We're making those knots a bit more noticeable.

When we release the tension and relax the muscles,

We're saying,

It's time to relax.

This change from tension to relaxation sends a signal to our brain,

Like flipping a switch,

Telling it to turn down the stress and get ready for rest.

Okay,

With me now,

Tense up all the muscles in your body all at once.

Tighten your toes,

Feet,

Abdomen,

Back,

Arms,

Hands,

Fingers,

Even your face.

Scrunch up all those muscles tight,

Hold them tight,

And exhaling out to release.

Feel each and every part of your body relax.

Each muscle softens,

Kind of like melting into your bed.

One more time,

Tense up all your muscles from the bottoms of your wiggling toes to the smile on your face and the top of your head.

Scrunch all those muscles tight,

Hold them,

Hold them,

And exhale out to release,

Letting all that tension go from your body.

Notice how much more relaxed your body feels this time,

As light as the fluffiest cloud in the sky.

Let's do that one more time.

Tighten all the muscles in your body,

Every single one,

Squeezing as tight as feels right for you.

Hold them tight,

And exhaling out,

Release.

Let it all go,

Feeling loose and light and relaxed.

Notice how it feels in your body now,

With all those muscles released and relaxed,

From the tips of your toes to the top of your head.

Your body feels as light as a feather,

Or better yet,

As soft as bones of soft fur.

Take another deep breath in,

And exhaling out,

And with your breath slow and deep,

And your body relaxed,

Let's join Bones now on his adventure.

It was the first day of spring,

And so many things happened.

The world seemed to awaken with vibrant colors and sweet floral scents.

Bones,

Our curious and adventurous cat,

Was particularly captivated by the beauty of the season.

These days,

From the very moment he awoke,

He wanted to be outside.

On this particular day,

I awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside my window,

And the soft,

Rumbling purr of Bones snuggled beside my pillow.

I sleepily sat up in bed and made my way to the bathroom.

I heard a gentle thump behind me,

Almost whispered as Bones jumped off the bed to follow close at my heels into the bathroom.

He jumped onto the counter as I turned on the water to wash my face,

And I left the faucet running,

Just a trickle,

As I turned to dry my face.

So was our routine each morning.

We walk together to the bathroom.

I wash my face.

Then Bones has a morning sip of water from the running faucet.

I assure you,

Bones does have his own water dish,

But there's just something about the sink and cool running water.

I've sometimes wondered if his desire for fresh flowing water is deeply rooted in his biology,

Ingrained within the very selves of his feline being from his wild ancestors,

Those who had to hunt and cleverly seek out their hydration.

Usually,

Though,

I prefer to tell myself that Bones just enjoys my company,

These moments of undivided attention,

Where he's completely sheltered from the distraction of the other pets or people in the house.

On this day,

Once his thirst was quenched,

His breakfast nibbled,

And his chin thoroughly rubbed,

Bones bounded out the front door and greeted the sunny,

Fresh spring morning.

His adventure began with a delicate rose blossom that fell from a tree,

Twirling in the air as it did,

Before landing softly on the ground.

Bones,

Ever playful,

Pounced on the blossom,

Sending it fluttering again and leading him on a merry chase.

As he followed the blossom,

A bright green leaf caught his eye,

Dancing on the gentle breeze.

Bones couldn't resist.

He turned away from the rose blossom and chased the leaf,

His paws lightly tapping on the ground,

Full of energy and joy.

The leaf landed in a rocky garden,

And a sudden movement caught his eye.

Bones looked away from the leaf to catch sight of a tiny brown mouse,

Darting from the rock garden to a flower garden and under the giant green and white leaves of a hosta plant.

Bones,

Amused and intrigued by the fast little guy,

Followed the mouse,

His spirit of adventure fully awakened.

During his pursuit,

Bones found himself on the far right side of his yard,

On the opposite side from where the gray cat Rizzo lived and where the park entrance lay.

No,

On this side of the yard sat a short three-foot concrete wall that separated his yard from the neighboring house.

A newer family lived there,

Having only moved in a year ago,

And with them a pale orange cat named Farley.

Bones,

Calm and casual and abandoning his mouse pursuit,

Approached the concrete wall tentatively.

His chin slightly raised,

He sniffed at the air,

His tail up slightly with a curl at the tip,

Showing his curiosity,

His playful spirit.

Sniffing the air,

Bones picked up the scent of the cat next door.

Bones imagined him,

Perhaps,

Curled up in the sun on his own front porch.

Curiosity got the best of him just then,

And he wanted a better vantage point to see if Farley really was over there.

Bones looked over the sidewalk the long way around to Farley's house.

Then he looked to the top of the concrete wall,

Just thinking of jumping up onto the wall,

The way the stones would be warmed from the sun.

The slightly higher viewpoint for the neighboring yards sparked excitement as an intention lit up in his brain.

The spark danced down his spine,

Whispering to every muscle along the way,

Priming them for movement.

Then his back end lowered slightly as his powerful hind legs bent,

Gathering strength from the earth beneath him.

It was as if he was drawing energy up from the ground itself,

And it was coiling inside his muscles like a spring.

His front legs tucked in close,

Ready to launch up into the air.

Then in a heartbeat the magic happened.

It happened so fast that if you blinked you would have missed the graceful leap.

In that moment,

Bones unleashed the spring,

Propelling himself upwards with a force that seemed to defy gravity itself.

His hind legs pushed off the ground like a rocket.

The muscles in his legs worked like the most perfect engines,

Fueled by ambition and anticipated outcome,

To reach the sunny spot atop the wall and to spot Farley.

As Bones soared through the air,

His tail like the rudder of a ship steering and balancing,

This jump was a dance of agility and grace.

And then,

With the gentle grace that only a cat possesses,

Bones landed on top of the wall.

His front legs,

Strong and secure,

Landed first,

His hind legs close behind.

With a proud glance back at the ground below,

His muscles relaxed.

Mission accomplished.

His tail flicked with excitement,

All the excess activity in his nervous system releasing.

His whiskers twitched and he let out a purr of contentment.

It lingered as he soaked in the sunshine,

The warmth of the stones beneath his feet.

And of course,

The view of Farley lazily outstretched on his porch.

Named for his jovial personality and rotund belly,

Bones lifted his chin to acknowledge his neighbor and Farley responded alike.

Bones didn't mind the company of Farley and I've often seen them in relatively close proximity to each other when I've happened to glance out my window.

Sometimes sitting several blocks apart,

Together on the stone wall,

Or on separate parts of my jeep,

One on top and one on the hood.

And I've sometimes even noticed them sunbathing on Mrs.

Banks' balcony across the street.

Or sitting,

Looking as though they're in a very serious meeting debating the goings on in the neighborhood.

Farley is a very calm cat,

Much like the gentle sloth who loves to take his time.

He doesn't seem to go on big adventures.

Instead,

He finds happiness in the little things,

Like lounging in the sun and feeling the cool breeze.

I've sometimes looked out my kitchen window and caught a glimpse of Farley on my neighbor's low roof,

Looking into a window.

It made me chuckle,

Imagining myself being the person inside that second floor room,

And what it would have felt like to have turned around to look out the window,

Only to find a cat staring in at me.

I do wonder if my neighbors have ever been taken by surprise in just that manner.

Oh Farley,

He seems to be friends with all the neighborhood cats,

And I've never seen him to take even the slightest notice of the birds or squirrels.

He moves slowly and gracefully,

Never in a hurry.

When you're around Farley,

It feels like everything is peaceful and slow,

Just like this lazy,

Sunny afternoon.

Perhaps that's why Bones enjoys his company so.

Sitting atop the concrete wall,

Bathed in the golden rays of the afternoon sun,

Bones observed Farley,

Sprawled in a patch of sunlight that seemed to embrace him like a warm,

Glowing blanket.

The cat's fur shimmered in the sunlight,

A testament to his fondness for leisure.

Bones watched as a tiny brigade of ants,

Bold and seemingly oblivious to the grandeur of the cat in their midst,

Ventured very close to Farley.

Bones' tail stilled,

And he squatted down low as he patiently awaited Farley's response,

A flicker of amusement in his eyes.

Farley eyeballed the ants,

A lazy acknowledgement of their intrusion on his porch.

The ants did not seem to be rerouting their course,

Their marching line getting closer still to Farley.

Bones watched as Farley slowly lifted a paw,

A move so subtle yet so charged with intent that it caught Bones' full attention.

The paw,

An orange-padded weapon of lazy authority,

Hovered momentarily over the ants,

Casting a shadow that was both a warning and a testament to Farley's restrained power.

The paw hovered there for so long that Bones began to lose interest.

He glanced away,

Suddenly aware of the sound of birds in the nearby lilac tree,

And a cricket chirped somewhere close to the base of the wall where Bones was perched.

Bones looked back at Farley,

Who slowly lowered his paw and went back to napping,

Ignoring the ants as they went about their mission.

These two cats,

Neighbors,

And both orange.

Bones' fur of course had a redder hue,

While Farley's fur was much lighter,

Like a golden apricot.

They held a friendly attitude towards one another.

Perhaps maintained by this comfortable distance that they always seemed to have between them.

I think Bones especially enjoyed this comfortable distance,

Finding it suitable for observing and interpreting signals from other cats,

For these spoke so much louder than words and informed him of their intentions and moods.

With a contented purr,

Bones turned his gaze back to the lilac tree,

His interest in Farley waning as the sun continued its journey across the sky.

Across the street,

Mrs.

Banks' son Cory had his truck parked.

Bones could make out a movement on the other side of the truck and his ears perked forward as he tried to discern what was going on over there.

Cory emerged with a bucket and a hose and Bones wondered what might he be up to?

Bones stood and easing into a stretch he slowly extended his front legs far forward,

His claws unfurling to press against the stone.

His back arched gracefully,

Forming a smooth upward curve.

The stretch rippled through his body,

A wave of movement beginning from his sharp front claws all the way to the tip of his tail,

And then he leapt off the wall and sauntered past the lilac with its vibrant purple blossoms and thick scent in the air.

The birds that had been perched within its branches suddenly erupted into flight,

A flurry of wings and feathers they scattered into the sky,

Leaving a trail of bird calls in their wake.

Bones froze in place,

Watching with a mild,

Almost indifferent curiosity as the birds disappeared into the blue sky.

Then,

Unfazed,

He resumed his saunter past the sidewalk,

Across the road,

And onto Mrs.

Banks' lawn.

From this vantage point,

Bones could watch with curiosity as her son assembled items in front of his truck.

At one point,

Cory smiled at Bones as he walked back toward the house,

But then he took so long returning that Bones thought the activity must be complete.

His eyes had just drifted closed to take in a catnap when the sound of rushing water suddenly caused him to bolt upright.

Bones scampered further up the lawn and took shelter under a branch of a tall fir tree.

From this sheltered lookout,

Bones could see water rushing out from the hose tip.

Bones watched as the hose sputtered water,

Sending it splashing over the curb and down the street.

And he watched as Cory returned to the truck.

Mrs.

Banks' son used the hose to spray the truck with water,

Making it look as though it was caught in a rain shower.

The spray of water sparkled,

Catching the sunlight just right and reflecting it like a burst of tiny sparkling jewels flying through the air.

Bones watched with awe as each droplet turned into a tiny prism,

Breaking the sunlight into a dance of color,

All the colors of the rainbow twirling and spiraling through the air.

It seemed to him as if the hose wasn't spraying water at all,

But rather painting a rainbow right there in front of him.

The rainbow ever shifted,

Appearing and disappearing,

A magic trick performed by the sun and the water together.

It was a fleeting moment of beauty,

A bridge of light forming in the spray,

Captivating Bones' attention with the dazzling show.

He marveled at the wonder of light,

Water,

And color all mixed into one.

His attention was interrupted when the scent of the nearby roses wafted under his nose.

The subtle breeze must have changed directions.

Bones turned to look towards the garden,

Noticing the flowers gently swaying in the breeze.

He looked further,

Beyond the garden,

Toward the direction of Farley's house.

Bones wondered if Farley could see the water show from his front porch.

Then,

Looking back to the truck,

Bones could see a frothy mix of bubbles on the truck now.

Each bubble,

Like a tiny,

Delicate globe,

Shimmered in the sunlight and cast a new rainbow of color.

All over the truck,

Bones watched Cory put the bubbles,

And each cluster of bubbles twinkled in the sunlight,

Like tiny jewels adorning the truck,

Making it look as though it was dressed in a gown of diamonds.

Bones watched as the bubbles appeared and disappeared,

Releasing tiny water droplets that caught in the sun,

Adding to the magic of the show of light and color all around.

A reminder of the wonder that can be found in the simplest of moments,

Like washing a truck on a sunny spring day.

Then the hose was back on,

And sprinkling water,

The shimmering rainbow back in all its glory.

Cory from the side of the street must not have been able to see Bones,

And a rogue spray of water went over the truck and landed just a few feet from Bones's shelter.

The sudden spray caused Bones to leap to his feet,

And running at full speed like a blur of motion,

He darted from the shelter of the tree,

Across the lawn,

Up the side staircase,

And onto the balcony.

Once there,

Bones slowed to walk to the front of the balcony,

His curious orange face looking through the wooden railing.

Every muscle in his body had been turned on for the rhythm of his run,

And in a seamless transition the muscles stilled.

He tucked his legs beneath his body to sit,

Transforming from motion to serene calm.

The only trace left of the run was his breathing,

His chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

From his new safe shelter,

Bones surveyed the scene below,

With bright attentive eyes.

He noticed that all the bubbles were gone,

A slight evidence of their existence left flowing away from the truck,

Trickling down the street and out of Bones's view.

Mrs.

Banks' son was still there,

Drying the remaining water from the truck.

Bones lazily watched as he cleaned the windows,

The mirrors,

The wheels,

Constantly changing cloths,

Then gathering up his things and putting the bucket and hose away.

Bones sat quietly,

Quietly taking in the scene,

Enjoying the show on this warm sunny day.

With his movement slow and deliberate,

Bones tucked his paws under his body and curled his tail around his side.

With a deep contented sigh,

Bones settled into the comfort of his balcony outlook.

His eyes drifted closed,

The gentle rhythm of his breathing slowing.

Each breath a whisper,

Interrupted occasionally with a purr,

A soft murmur of relaxation.

The sun's rays,

Gentle and soothing,

Enveloped him in a warm embrace,

Casting a peaceful glow over his soft orange fur.

The world around Bones slowly faded away,

Sounds blending into a distant lullaby.

His ears twitched occasionally,

A sign of his feline ever-present awareness.

With his body relaxed,

Every muscle loose and at ease,

Bones surrendered into the call of sleep,

The simple joy of a well-earned nap.

It had been a busy day.

With this image of Bones sleeping in your mind's eye,

The perfect picture of peaceful calm,

Allow yourself now to drift off to sleep.

Thank you for listening.

Good night and sweet dreams to you.

Reviews

I love Bones. I know a cat very much like Bones whose name is Russel.

Awesome job and please keep making this series I like it a lot I have always been trying to find cat stories so yeah ten out of ten 🔟