After the Boys of Summer Have Gone...Or Stayed

It might be Autumn technically, but it has snowed (or snew) twice already, there is definitely white stuff covering the ground, and I have packed up my Halloweenies in a brand new nice plastic storage tub with an orangey lid instead of the old cardboard box I  finally got rid of, so I am in full on WINTER MODE. meaning CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE. But I want to say a fond goodbye...and hello to the Boys of Summer of 2011.

Joey

I'm pretty sure his base of operation for the Summer was under my house. Some warm nights we'd sit on the porch and you could say "Hey Joey", and this little nose would come out sniffling around for cat food or cookies or stale cereal. He was rather awesome actually. And freakin' 'uge.

Chillin'

But then the Gang of Teenage Hoodlums must have heard of the free stale treats being handed out here. Or maybe they read the secret "Cat Lady Lives Here" hobo's mark I am convinced exists somewhere on my property and mistook the Cat for Coon. Soon we were infiltrated by a bossy and aggressive bunch of beggars who took advantage of our good nature and held my daughter captive in the house several nights while trying to find their way inside to raid the fridge and watch Swamp People on our tv. 

And in the midst of the battle for free food and a big bowl of water to wash their hands in, also living under our house and originating from who knows where, was this: 

 He was not more than maybe 12 weeks old when I saw him the first time, but Kya said she'd seen him before. I already leave a dish of cat food for the strays, (Cat Lady Lives Here) so I knew he'd eat if he didn't get found or find his way to where ever he came from, but after the Ninja Raccoons started showing up I no longer left the food out. My summer fear became SURE (Sudden Unexpected Raccoon Entry), so I fed Joey only when he showed up, and I started my worrying about the Kitten That Lived Under the House. He seemed not to have had any human contact because he would have none of us close to him in any way.


It took weeks of sitting patiently when he'd come on the porch for food, starting a game of "hand", which he took to, and would come close enough to bat at my hand almost like a real cat.

It took more weeks to get him to come inside. For the first few weeks he'd come in and lay on the bed, which is traditionally a Neutral Zone in our cat family. But you couldn't touch him or he'd freak and hide.

But he sure could get comfortable.

Now, I think he loves me. He likes Kya a lot too. He lets me pick him up and doesn't run and freaks out only about 23% of the time. He likes mornings when only the two of us are here. He doesn't like the Hub or the Boy, but they're gregarious giants, who can blame him. He is almost a Real Cat now.

And gets even comfier.

SO, goodbye Joey & the Gang, whom I haven't seen since Summer ended. and Hiya New Kitty who is apparently staying.

Oh, his name is Timmy.

Now on to a little bit of THIS

 and a little bit of THAT

it's beginning to look a lot like...