in article , Mark Edwards at
wrote on 8/11/03 10:13 PM:


Tonight, we had severe thunderstorms rolling through the area. Some of
them with nickel- and quarter-sized hail.

I got home just ahead of the storms, and went out, looking for ferals
(sounds sorta like a gameshow - grin).

Squeaky Girl came up and had a few bites, then ran off under the
building. She was no fool - she knew the weather was going to get
nasty.

Buster showed up later, after the rain started, but curled into a
tight ball in the corner outside our door. As soon as I opened the
door, he meowed to be let in. Of course, I let him in.

I went to the back door, and there was a cat I call Grumpy (so called
because he loves to be petted, but has a yowly, grumpy, don't touch me
kind of meow when you do pet him), eating from the bowl I leave out
for Spot and Lady.

He started to run, when I came out, but I encouraged him to stay and
eat, where it was dry, and had food. I sat with him while he ate.

This is the cat that our upstairs neighbors gave a lion cut to, to
help him deal with the summer heat. This is the cat that they took to
the vet to make sure he was healthy. These neighbors have three dogs.

Well, here I am, sweet-talking Grumpy, and petting him, when up
overhead, I hear a shrill "Heeeere, kitttty! Heeeerree kitty, kitty!"

Well, Grumpy runs off, and gets underneath the nearest car. The
neighbor looks around and doesn't see Grumpy. But he's still calling
the cat. After a few few moments, the hail starts. Grumpy runs out
from under the car, and underneath the sharp and pointy holly bushes
against the building.

The neighbor, wearing a pair of shorts and no shirt, comes down the
steps and into the rain and hail, reaches into the bushes (did I
mention that they are sharp and pointy bushes), and grabs Grumpy.

As he goes back upstairs with a noisy, unhappy Grumpy, he is pelted by
small hailstones, and adds his own cusswords to Grumpy's.

Basically, he was more worried about the cat than he was about his own
hide. I think I like these neighbors.


Hugs and Purrs,
Mark
That is great

Karen