Smile

I am having trouble getting a photo to upload this morning. I will keep trying since you do want to see this one!

I swear, I did not Photoshop this photo. I have other ones of this cute little shelter kitten that look perfectly normal. He is a handsome fellow and I bet he has already been adopted.

Just like this smile, the sun came out in New Hanpshire this morning to our great relief. It is a beautiful morning. Just as beautiful as the last week has been awful. Our river didn't flood, but it has in years past. Occasionally access from both ends of our road has been cut off. There is a hundred year flood plain below our house. But we are well above that. The flood plain is responsible for the great amount of privacy we enjoy here at the Caturday den. No one can build on three sides of us. We like that.

Last night I dreamed that we built a beautiful new house and there was a birthday party going on there. I was looking out the windows at the view, enjoying the gorgeous house and I said to Olof. "How about we sell this house and then retire to our old one?" Goes to show you, though we would like to build a smaller, better laid out home, deep down we both love this one too much. We built it when we were twenty for ten thousand dollars. The windows were home made and we slowly replaced them with better insulated ones. We built a foundation under the house a couple of years ago. We added to the insulation and built a garage. You get the picture.

I am trying to write with three cats pushing up against the computer. I spent yesterday working in the house and being amazed at the kittens. Isn't it incredible that these creatures want to be with us? Everywhere I went they wanted to be near me. I was working on the kitchen counter and they both decided to take their nap there, on the hard surface. It didn't look comfortable so I got them a round fuzzy bed and they stayed there through me cooking dinner. Fergus used to love being there keeping an eye on things.

Around midnight they both want a cuddle. Harper comes right up and gets on my arm under my chin. Then Ramona arrives and she wants to be there too so I put my arm around both of them. They both purr loudly. I remember coming home with them from NY. Harper, all of seven weeks old, sat next to me on the back seat looking up at me, purring and half closing his eyes, giving him the look of a wise little old man. He had always been treated kindly by people but still what trust, he was going off into the unknown world with a person he had just met. Ramona follows his lead, so soon after she came out too and sat with us for the nine hour journey.

I am marveling at watching the kittens personalities develop and watching the relationships between them, them and us and them and Brendan. Brendan is a bit of a curmudgeon as you might guess. But I watched as Ramona put her cheek to his head and let it stay there for a while softly. Then the other night Brendan came up the stairs and Ramona was walking carefully next to him, matching his every step. Her motto could very well be "I really care." Harper was right behind them. They need Brendan to show them how to be proper cats and he is fulfilling that role.

Harpers motto, I'm afraid is "I'm here for the food." He is proving to be a good natured, loving and playful fellow. Respectful to Brendan, deeply attached to Ramona and loving to me. He's a sweet fellow.

Ramona has eaten something she shouldn't have. I caught her chomping on a bit of carpet from the cat tree Sunday night and brought her in to the vet's Monday. They couldn't find anything, or any obstruction and she has been eating and pooping. But she has been making strange coughing sounds and I am concerned. The vet said she may have irritated her throat. I guess that is possible because she sometimes sounds like she is coughing up mucus and swallowing it down. I don't know how that works in cats. But I think I will call the vet again today because it hasn't stopped. She had said something about giving her slippery elm so I'll ask about that.

I'll be off to take more shelter photos today and get some kids up on Petfinder. Kitten season is upon us so be prepared for some impossibly cute kitten photos.