I have discovered the true purpose of my cat: to bring me the world of nature when I am unable to go outside myself. Whether it be the smell of fresh soil on her paws, a layer of early morning fog on her fur, or a cicada in her mouth, she seeks to share with me her excitement about the joys of the garden

Even a mouse on my doorstep, or the pungent smell of fennel after she has been hiding in the herb garden – she shares it with me, knowing I am stuck indoors. Then when I have emptied all I know and feel onto the page, she urges me to come outside to refill myself with ideas and the energy of the wild that sustains and drives me.

Here I was thinking she was just a welcome source of cuddles and distraction, when all along she has been my most loyal ally and my biggest source of inspiration.