Watching. Judging. Blogging.

Welcome

Hello — I’m Paul Murphy a 70-year-old Welshman living in the Italian Alps with a camera in one hand, a mug of tea in the other, and three slightly unhinged rescue cats underfoot.

Cats and Birds and Stories

This little corner of the internet is my small, digital garden. It is primarily a memoir for my daughter, a record of a life that has been anything but ordinary.

Cats and Birds and Stuff is where I write about the things that stick: the sparrow raids on my feeder, a childhood full of garage door cricket, the bizarre joy of growing up in Port Tennant, and the memories that tend to sneak back when you least expect them.

This isn’t a lifestyle blog. You won’t find productivity hacks or ten ways to reinvent yourself before breakfast. What you will find are stories—sometimes funny, sometimes a bit darker, and often nostalgic—written with the hope that they might strike a chord.

So, if you’ve ever:

• Spent five minutes arguing with a green shield bug over who owns the tomato patch,
• Had a cat give you the silent treatment for sneezing too loudly,
• Or simply wondered whether the memories from your life are worth sharing…

…then you’re in the right place.