Kitty cats and Mormon missionaries

I heard a knock upon my door the other evening and opened it to find two Mormon missionaries standing upon the porch. So I invited them in to meet the cats. Here they are, the young Elder Smith and the young Elder Wadsworth, posing with Royce, who is very old, even though he is younger than they.

Muzzy comes to get in the picture.

He terrifies the missionaries, so I have to take him to the garage.

Martigny comes to bless them with her presence. The missionaries wanted to baptize the two cats, but both refuse. Mormons believe in total immersion. These cats will not be immersed.

Wry and Royce.

Some of you may have already discovered that that other Wasilla blogger in the parallel universe has posted pictures identical to these on his blog.

He does things like that, sometimes. It makes me very angry.

I punched him in the nose, once, but the blow broke my own nose, so now I just let him get away with it.

Wry, Royce and cheese - the love story between the orange cat and the baby-turned-toddler-turned-little boy continues

Wry grows ever more articulate. In the evening, I point my camera towards him and he suddenly shouts, "Cheese!" Another word in his vocabulary! But where did he pick it up from? I never tell anyone to say cheese. To do so would be to violate my photographic technique.

It must have happened at day care. At dare care, he gets his picture taken every day for the class on-line newsletter. The picture taker must have told him to say, "cheese!"

Wry and Royce.

Wry gives Royce a smooch.

After the smooch, Wry smiles.

Then he notices that I am still taking pictures. "Cheese!" he shouts again.

Wry gives Royce some love.

He pats his furry belly.

"Cheese!"

Oh, I tell you, this Royce is an indulgent cat!

We are very thankful for Wry and Royce.

Charlie the cat man comes to visit

Charlie understands cats and they understand him. Here he is with Royce, both observing the same thing.

Royce needed a good brushing. Charlie gave it to him.

A bit later, little Wry came along, carrying socks.

Little Wry raises the socks into the air. What do you think he is thinking? What will happen next?

Good grief! Royce is wearing socks!

Royce goes to Tryskuit.

Royce and Tryskuit.

Royce relaxes by himself for awhile. Where is Charlie?

Why, Charlie is with Jim!

Royce grows old

I hate to say it, but Royce is growing very old and ever more feeble. I don't know how much time we have left with him. Yesterday, Sunflower wondered if we should dig a hole in the backyard before freezeup. That could be any day now. Last year, it had happened by now.

It is very hard to dig a grave back there, once the ground has frozen.

Still, I don't think we will dig that hole now. Perhaps Royce can make it through another winter. I hope so. I think so. I'm not sure.

Of course, we are never sure, about any of us.

We are going to lose Martigne and Muzzy very soon - but for a better reason. Toast Ed and Sunflower are in the process of closing on a house in Anchorage. Once they do, they will move these two and little Wry into that house with them.

What will we do out here then?

A warm gathering between toddler, dad and cat ends in a high note

Little Wry, Royce and Toast Ed were all snug and warm on the couch, enjoying each other's company.

Little Wry was overcome with an innocent, sweet, expression. This is when a toddler is at his most dangerous.

Suddenly, little Wry jumps up and kicks Dad... well, you know. Dad screams.

Now little Wry drops down with his knee. Royce is worried, but holds his ground.

Wry is very pleased. Royce ponders his own safety. Toast Ed squeaks out a few high notes.

The negligent cat blogger

I have been most negligent concerning this blog recently. It is not because I want to be or have lost interest, it is just simply that I have become spread altogether too thin. Furthermore, I have become exhausted. I am exhausted when I go to bed at night, I am exhausted when I get up, I am exhausted at every point during the day.

But still I do quite a few things. The other day, as I walked, I saw this black cat ahead.

Funny. More than eight years have now passed since I lost my original black cat, Little Guy. I searched relentlessly for Little Guy. I made posters and put them up everywhere.

I drove to the pound, 12 miles away, again and again and again in the hope that he would show up there, even though I knew he would not.

And when I saw this black cat, eight-and-a-half years later, my heart leaped to my throat.

And then the cat saw me and ran off into trees.

And here is my shadow, hanging over Varmit, who lives with Dan, the camera shy man.

Varmit.

And here is a calico that I spotted yesterday as I pedaled my bike about Wasilla.

And here is my own calico buddy, Chicago, with Royce, today. They are enjoying a wild, raucous, time, chasing grizzly bears through their dreams.

One of these days, I will get caught up, rested up and I will steam forward on this blog once again. Don't give up on me.

The love story between toddler Wry and Old Man Orange Cat Royce reaches the clouds

Tryskuit and Charlie came to visit Sunday. Late in the evening, they went out to pick blueberries. A bit later, I went looking for them. This is how I found them.

Tryskuit got bit by a mosquito.

There really weren't that many berries. This is because little Wry and Toast Ed had already made a few trips through here, picking and eating all the berries they could.

Speaking of Toast Ed and Wry - here they come, with that giant, strange looking cat, Muzzy!

Now it's Wry, Royce and Muzzy! I wonder if they will find more berries?

No, but Wry finds grass, going to seed.

Royce gets up and heads to a spot where he thinks the grass will be taller.

Wry follows, then sits down beside him.

Sure enough, the grass is taller.

Wry reaches for the grass.

Wry studies the grass.

Wry uses Royce for a pillow.

Wry suddenly notices a beautiful cloud, passing overhead in the deep, blue, sky. He points it out to Royce, who does not care. But Royce does care about the boy. Royce loves the boy.

Ah, yes. A magic moment, one that will last forever.