This is a post about cats. Kitties. I had forgotten how absolutely sweet kittens are. But when I was returning from the cabin recently, I stopped for lunch at Hassano’s in Glennville which, by the way, is an astonishingly good restaurant. Hassano has a trained chef, not a cook!
LITTLE
I sat on the patio – it was just me. I ordered clam chowder and turned to look at the end of the bench I was sitting on, and this is what I saw. Not just this pretty kitty, but three of them! My heart melted instantly and thoughts raced through my head. Where’s the mother? Are they wild? Could I – but no, of course I can’t, Lily and Tiger are enough. We can’t add three kittens. But, oh…
…those little balls of fur and those sweet kitten faces.
My mind was still fighting the mental battle although I knew for a certainty the kitties were staying in Glennville.
They were a little ruffled from living outside – or running around outside anyhow, but still irresistable.
Mom did show up and I concluded that they lived in the very small hotel office behind the restaurant. I left some clam chowder in my bowl and got up to leave. From inside I watched Mama drink the chowder and the little ones, one by one, tried to jump on the table only to fall back to the ground. Finally, mom was done and some of the babes finished off the chowder. No pictures of this. For once, I just wanted to watch the scene.
BIG
These are my cats – Lily and Tiger – when I brought them home from the shelter six months ago, on April 7, 2009. At that time they were named Abba Zaba and Jujube, however. They were about six months old – I didn’t want small kittens. Abba Zaba (Lily) was very sick and fearful although I didn’t know about the sick part when she got home. But she hardly let anyone touch her and I suspect she had been a semi-feral kitten.
I think they were still Abba Zaba and Jujube at this point, but they could have entered the second permutation of their names to B’Elanna Torres and Beverly Crusher. At least they had become friends and Beverly was well.
By now, B’Elanna and Beverly had probably become Tiger and Lily, because it turned out that while Lily (above) reminded me more of Beverly in movement and grace, she really had the personality of B’Elanna! She had certainly become more comfortable as she now slept, belly exposed, trusting the world.
They’ve grown into sweet and wonderful cats. Tiger, the orange one, likes to be rubbed on the belly and jumps on my bed the second I get into it at night, flops over, and expects a belly rub. Lily jumps on me as soon as I get in bed, lies on my chest, and expects to be scratched behind the ears.
And Lily, it turns out, loves water. The second the bathroom sink is on, or the tub is filling, Lily is there like a shot. I can’t brush my teeth unobstructed. She all but puts her head under the fawcet because as any cat person knows, water in only good from a source other than the water bowl.
She even likes the sink empty. My granddaughter Ali calls her a water Lily.
BIGGER
I have been very fortunate in that, as I’ve driven from home to cabin and back, I’ve had three bobcat sightings! Five, actually, but only three that I’ve managed photos of. Unless you want to see the photo of the gully where the wildcat was.
This was the first. And, photographers, this is a great example of always having your camera ready. The picture isn’t great – but at least there is a picture! The camera was on the seat next to me as I drove, and I quickly pulled over when I saw movement, grabbed the camera and shot. I knew I didn’t have time to worry about anything but pushing the shutter button.
I was so excited! I mean, I was excited enough to merit more than one exclamation mark!!!!!
And then came this one. Wow.
This was amazing. I knew I’d seen something move so I pulled over and got out of the car to look for it. Nothing. I knew it was there, however, so I slowly scanned the area until I was looking into the eyes of this cat. As soon as it saw me make eye contact, it was off. I had to be fast but these pictures were pretty good.
That was a magic moment right up there with the time I turned a corner and came face-to-face with a fox. I sat down, the fox sat down, and we watched each other for what was probably 45 seconds but seemed like forever, and then the fox left.
Finally, I was coming home yet again, spotted movement, grabbed the camera and shot. At first I though it was a house cat running through a field, but you know, it’s just too big. The dead grass was high and a house cat would have almost been hidden.
So that is the end of my Here, Kitty Kitty tail, um, tale. If you want to see more wildlife (none as exciting as wildcats in my opinion, but nice) look here.
Also, with the holidays approaching, if you see photos you like in any of the galleries, you can order them and give a personalized (to the recipient’s interests) Christmas or Chanukah gift. Or, in the case of Chanukah, you can give eight photos in a row!
