Towards the cars, up a tree, and a long walk.

No pictures today, just a report about our outdoors adventure yesterday afternoon. The weather was fantastic, though a bit hot. After some dallying in the grass, Smokey made his move towards the parked cars. I have him on a leash now, so I kept pulling him away from the cars. He tried quite a few times before giving up. Then he looked up the tree that happened to be beside him, meowed three times, and jumped. Yes, he jumped up a tree again. I was disappointed not to have my camera with me this time because I had a close view. He wandered up the largest branch, but given that it was a small tree, he couldn't go far. Before he jumped down, he stopped a moment to scratch the bark with a look of immense satisfaction on his face. He made one more attempt to go under a car. Thwarted once again, he walked along the sidewalk. This is what the other one imagined when he imagined walking a cat. We walked to where the building ended and Smokey turned to follow the back wall, stopping only a few times to sniff along the way. We didn't quite reach the end of the wall when Smokey stopped. I think he was gauging whether to continue up the hill and to the other side of the building. He decided against it and instead walked to the top of the bank of the small creek that runs through the property. We walked along the bushes at the top of the bank, down towards the end of the block. Oh, how he wanted to dive into the bushes. But I would lose him for sure, so I tried to dissuade him. Unsuccessful, I tried to prod him to go home. Yeah right. Smokey had just made an interesting discovery. It didn't matter that dinnertime was arriving soon. At the end of it, I carried him. I was surprised that he didn't struggle very much. Perhaps my new carrying method had something to do with it. No more two arming the belly and letting his legs dangle. I hold him upright and support his hind legs on my arm. Once inside the building, I dropped him and he strut back into the apartment. He didn't expect a treat this time, but I gave him one anyway.