Cozy Cat Marina

Listen, can you hear the sounds of water lapping against the sides of the boats? And there, that other sound. A chorus of quiet purring and the occasional soft meow. That's right. Welcome back to the cat marina. Our feline friends will be so pleased to see you. Beyond a long-ignored gate is an unexplored section of the marina. Here, you'll find new boats and new cats. The first sound that calls to any newcomer is the jingle of seashell wind chimes coming from a boat just inside the gate. Looking closely, you'll see the chimes are made of sand dollars all found one at a time and added to the sculpture as time goes by. The wind calms for a moment, leaving everything still and quiet. And just then, a ginger cat named Albert saunters up to the chimes and deftly bats at them to keep their song going. Albert hops back onto the dock and heads down the path to make sure everything is as it should be. It's a calm evening here at the marina. Perfect for meeting new feline friends. But before we do, let's take a moment for a brief exercise. Tonight's exercise is a really simple breathing exercise. So, when you're ready, let's begin. So first, get yourself comfortable. Now, just bringing the attention to the breath. Just noticing where you feel it. In the nose, the throat, the chest, the diaphragm. You're nice and relaxed. We're going to take a deep breath in for four, holding it for four, and then breathing out for six. So, are you ready? Let's begin. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Breathing out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. Great, now returning the breath to normal. Have you noticed, as you've been strolling up and down the path, taking in the sights of this side of the marina, you've attracted a fan? If you turn around very, very slowly you might just spot her. The marina's shyest but sweetest cat. There, peeping around the side of a rose bush, her eyes wide and worried, it's Indigo. A petite gray cat, with the softest fur. Indigo loves people, but she's so nervous, it takes her a long time to build up the courage to talk to strangers. So she follows them at a distance, to check them out first. As your eyes meet hers, she holds your gaze but looks evermore startled as if amazed at her own boldness. And she's been keeping an eye on you ever since you stepped off the bridge, it might take a few more visits...