StrangeRanger

First comes the...

...cat picture, since you don't really care about the rest of the silliness...

Wasn't she a lovely beast?

We do have one update on an important topic:  our neighbor Ed has adopted a new cat!  He found a beautiful 3-year old cat, though none of us think that she's really that old.  She's a medium hair girl with a poof of a tail.  We met her through the window yesterday.  I don't have any pics, but I'll share one when I finally get some.  We are very happy for Ed.  And, for reasons that I don't understand, I'm just pleased for us, too.  I suppose that this helps me believe that another cat or two abiding in ChezRanger will eventually happen.  

The next update is kitchen-related.  LadyRanger and I are expanding our already vast recipe book with...Paella!

We made a seafood paella last night.  Shrimp, lobster, saffron, green beans and a type of pepper called Aleppo pepper.  First time we've used it.  The dish was a raging success.  And it makes enough for us to have left overs on monday!  woohoo!

Another Vintage Pic

A vintage pic of Ivy, no less!

Here she is back in October of 2007.  We'd had her for about a year and a half.  She'd gone from less than 7.5 pounds to a wee bit more than 10.  "Almost fat!" our vet had cooed....Ivy was a particular fave down at the office, as much for her survival story as for her calm and cooperative demeanor during checkups.  

She'd crash out on the couch to nap and would eventually turn on her back.  If she was completely out, there'd be a wee sigh, a heroic stretch, and one or both back legs would remain straight up.  She would stay like that for 45 minutes to an hour.  It was mind-blowingly cute.

Puddin' Cat

Our dear friend and neighbor Puddin' Cat (whom we have always called Matilda) has gone to the bridge.  She'd been losing lots of weight recently and it seems that she had the same type of cancer as Maddie and couldn't eat or drink.  There was not much that could be done.

Puddin' was a local stray as a youngster, about 15 years ago.  She'd hang out with another relatively house-trained stray and wander the neighborhood.  Once the other cat got taken in Puddin' was on her own for a while.  We'd leave food out for her, as did Ed, the fellow next door.  Puddin' was never shy or skittish, always expecting pats when we put the food out.  She *always* tried to find her way into the house.  Knowing Maddie as we did, we knew it would have been a bad idea.  Once, while Puddin' was sitting on the front porch Maddie managed to rocket out and chase poor Puddin' off the porch, off our property and off the neighboring property.

Puddin' was undeterred and continued to come by, saying hello or sitting under the climbing roses and watching LadyRanger work on the garden.

It was a good day for all concerned when Ed took Puddin' in.  Never was a cat better loved.  Ed's a hard-working blue-collar man and he's not wealthy.  I know that Puddin' ate before Ed ate.  Sometimes by a few days.  She rewarded his care by being the most reasonable cat I've ever met.  When they were outside together she'd stay on the proper territory or, should the wandering paws take her elsewhere, she'd either wait for Ed to catch up or come home when called.  

 

She maintained a friendship with us after being adopted.  Really, our outdoors was much more her territory than Maddie's, though we never told Maddie that.  Ed and Puddin' knew that she was always welcome at ChezRanger, whether on the patio or

...having a chill in the winter remains of the lily patch.

I know I've many more pics of her, but they are scattered across so many folders that I doubt I'll ever find them all.  When I find more, I'll give 'em a post.

Puddin' was a good cat.  If there was *ever* a cat who fit the traditional idea of the Rainbow Bridge it is Puddin'.  She loved her outdoor time and made the most of it.  I'm sure that she would run and play with any creature that showed her the same confident friendliness that she showed the world.  And if ever a cat would wait for her human and run to greet him as he went to his reward it is Puddin'.

Godspeed, sweet cat.  We'll miss you.