Not Another Cat! – December 17, 2021

On the couch last night, Michael was welcomed by Roscoe, and accepted as good company by Cedar. We had a great time.

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This morning, before Michael was up, I went out to the barn to turn out horses and feed the cats. To my dismay, there was an extra cat in the shed! This means trapping, vaccinating and neutering. The thing is, I cannot ignore the unwanted cat population and turn a blind eye. But cats are accumulating. Eight cats on the Christmas card, and now another?? Ten is “crazy cat lady hoarder” status, and I have tried very hard to avoid that. My dear friend Pat Istwan got to 30, I believe, so I understand that it happens. I just don’t want to do it. I am not a true “cat person”.

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Well, I didn’t have to trap him. He came to me for food, and he seems to be quite a young, sweet cat, but he does have testicles. So, I put him into a carrier, and then Harry helped me move the big cage into the tack room, which is where he will reside until Monday, when he meets Marilyn for neuter and vaccinations. The other cats are offended. They soon forget that most of them wandered in here, too.

After breakfast, we went over to Jane’s house for a quick visit. Jane’s watch dog, Gus, greeted us, and then the whole pack met Michael.

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We found Jane, hard at work in the barn. I insisted on pictures. Then, Nathaniel arrived, so I snapped a picture of him, too, after we dashed home to get his Christmas card.

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After visiting Jane, Michael was very impressed with the beauty of her place, comparing it favorably with a botanical garden in Boston! We wandered home and found Marianne hard at work. I needed a picture of Michael and Marianne, since they both have such great smiles. Marianne then took a picture of Michael and his old sister.

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On the back porch, the birds were feeding, in miserable, damp wintry weather. The horses soon finished their meager hay. Stone and Oisin and argued with each other about who was tougher (Stone), while Bart entertained lofty thoughts and stayed out of it.

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Michael visited the studio before his departure to visit our brother, Mark, in Chicago. He was forced to purchase an airline ticket on Southwest, since Delta doesn’t have a direct flight to Chicago! Michael’s daughter, Kate, is a pilot for Delta, so he flies free most of the time. Alas, St. Louis has limited options.

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Weedy wanted to keep Michael’s shirt, but we forbade it. Michael packed up, and we all (Harry, Weedy and I) drove through the rain to the airport to send him on his way. His visit was our best Christmas surprise.

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Jane’s Clover has put us into the Christmas spirit, with her seasonal set up on the kitchen table.

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Michael under the waxing moon, which will be full tomorrow.

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Stay safe, stay well. Peace.