Christmas Tree--while it lasts

And here is the indoor tree. The star on top was selected by Frederick last year, and I am pleased to see it survived storage (most light strings to not--it's one of those things, like air mattresses springing holes even though no one is using them while they rest undisturbed in a basement or garage loft). Frederick and I put up the lights right after getting it, but then let it "rest" for a day while the branches relaxed and fell into position. (I suspect it had been in cold storage since mid-July or so as not only was it very light--I could easily tuck it under one arm and carry it about--but it hasn't any sap running or pine smell. It's not long for this world, I fear.) The next day we set about selecting ornaments and putting up garlands of beads and tinsel. We picked out only ornaments that cannot break--I could see Sylvester eyeing the activities with a hunter's keen appreciation--but I had no idea just how naughty a cat could be. (I want to make clear that he was not this naughty last year. Of course, he was also about 15 pounds lighter and had only just moved into our house and perhaps didn't want to make a bad impression. Now that's he's comfortably settled in, he's as bad as he wants to be.) Every ornament I hung up was violently pulled to the ground. I tried to shoo him off and, with pupils the size of saucers, he savaged my arm. He was a possessed by a demon, clearly. We fought for hours before he finally exhausted himself and fell asleep in his chair in the sun room. (And then got quite cranky when I woke him up when going outside to put the ducks to bed for the night.)

The next morning (yesterday) a dozen or so ornaments were again on the floor, having been battered about all night I am sure. This morning, all were intact. Clearly, the thrill is gone--or so he wants us to believe.