Fire on the Mountain

I consider myself an Ozarkian now, although I hale from Nebraska, have roots in Wyoming, and spent the bulk of my young adultness in Colorado. The majority of my dad's side of the family live from Central City to Denver, and my brother and sister have also migrated there. My mom is currently with my sis in Colorado Springs, where she is getting the best medical treatment and dialysis. Yesterday, my mountain, Pikes Peak, which towers over the city of Colorado Springs, became engulfed in fire...and is quickly moving towards the city.


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Chapel Hills


 




 Air Force Academy the devastation and loss of the Flying W Ranch Please take a second this morning, and pray for a resolution to this disaster. Pray for the firefighters and law enforcement giving their all to get it contained, pray for those that have been displaced, will be displaced, and those that will be starting over with nothing. Please Pray for Colorado

How Smart is My Kid?????

When trying to describe Molly to workers/teachers/case workers/doctors/nurses, I always tell them how smart she is. They usually give me the "pity look" ...like I'm still swimming in some kind of IQ denial. She is smart! and very tuned-in to those closest to her!!  I think she is also smart enough to figure out that if you flip your teachers breakfast tray onto the floor, mom (whom she KNOWS was not preparing for a work day) will probably come right back to school and pick you up.


In addition to the Sarge (hubby) and Molly Kate, we house 4 pets....2 dogs, Sarge and Mizzy....(yes, I am aware my dog and hubby have the same name) Hattin the Cat & Lucifer ;I have tried not to get too attached to them, them making it easy to achieve that goal for me in the spring with ALL THAT HAIR....but my resume would read..."a lover of animals" right after 100% Mom. 


One of my cats is old, probably 16 yrs or better...Lucifer, the crotchety old overseer of all that enter this home. He rules the puppies as well as any workers or visitors that come into his realm. He prefers grandpa's room now, as it's off limits to little girls, and as much as he loves them his old body doesn't tolerate them too well.


and one fairly young...4 to 5 yrs. The latter is my grand-kitty, leaving home with my eldest for the big city as a tiny kitten, only to return home. His now-over 10 pound size, and inability to cope with Sissy's 18 hour away-from-home days was wearing thin on the both of them...he's a needy thing.  >Hattin the Cat (Shauna came up with that cleaver spoof on Dr Seuss) is quite the clown, and even the crusty ole Sarge (daddy) who vowed to me his dislike of ANY felines has come to refer to him has "his cat" Molly just calls him "Coo" (don't ask, i can't tell you...she calls Old man kitty, Lucifer..."cat cat cat cat CAT!!")


So Monday, I notice that Hattin is not acting his typically irritating self (running by, taking a flying leap and biting my arm, for fun) AND he doesn't want to partake of his nightly treat. (Usually he SCREAMS & trips me until i give him the treat.) So Tuesday morning, I call the kitty doctor, who's up to his whiskers in sick animals, and make an appt...we have to wait for Wed morning...THIS morning, right after i drop Molly at school. I have to guiltily mention at this point about feeling a little grrrrrrrrrrrrrr at the fact that on the ONE day off that didn't involve  an appointment of one kind or the other, BAM, the CAT has to go! 


We got up this morning, and Hattin was not to be found. 


Called the vet, my fear evident in my voice, as I hear his receptionist say "I'M SOOOOOOOO SORRY!" which nearly sends me into tears, but I am super woman, and WILL find this cat if it kills me....and it feels like it nearly did.  Crawling through the woods in the spring is a prickly thing to accomplish. I have found the blackberry patches that are ready to pick, and returned several toys to the fenced yard,  but am scratched to pieces, and probably ate up with chiggers. (something only southerners will understand)


Each time I left to explore a different side of our property and the adjoining sheep pasture, Molly would pull on her shoes and ready herself to help me. "No, Molly, Mommy is looking for Coo, Coo is gone, and you need to stay here with daddy" ,.....and so it continued all day. Mommy was short tempered and focused on a task, and although I wasn't paying attention to Molly too close during this time, she was paying attention to me.


I did take a break and take her swimming, but ventured out soon afterward to explore the woods behind the house. At one point I thought I may have heard one "meow" and did a dash that caused me to sprain an ankle, but never heard it again. 


I finally gave up and came in to soak off the chiggers, (hide/cry in the bathtub) and no sooner had slipped in when there was a knock at the door....and then i heard it....the loud Hattin wail...


Jumping out of the tub and grabbing a towel,  I throw open the door to see the Sarge standing there and cradling a very sick kitty. 


"Where WAS he?"


The Sarge just looks at me and says "I don't know, Molly just walked into my room, and handed him to me"


By the type of dirt that was falling off of him on the vet's examining table, I'm guessing he crawled up under the deck to die.


 He is currently at the kitty hospital staying overnight for observation. Blood tests have cleared him from any fatal, tick-born  illness, and now we just wait for him to recover. 


Yep, that kid of mine is something else........and Very Smart!
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Hattin the Cat died that Saturday night....*sniff* We are so grateful for having him in our lives as long as we did. He was a HOOT!!