Angel Cakes

On Thursday, September 15th I was down.

Down, down, down.

A deep dark funk that was pretty darn annoying. I was working late when my wife called.

She told me the girls had found a stray cat under our back porch, an all white cat that they were feeding in the backyard as we spoke.

I'd seen the cat she described before. I'd shooed it away, mainly because it scared the  heck out of me one night (from the corner of my eye I'd been startled into thinking it was a skunk that's been prowling our neighborhood).

She said it was skinny and starving, and without hesitation I told her to bring it inside.

It wasn't purely humanitarian - sure, I felt we were obligated to the cat, having seen its condition - but really, it was selfish.

Because it cheered me up.

Instantly.

Even now, I'm not sure why, but it did.

So I left work for a bit, bought some flea shampoo, and spent half an hour bathing the new addition.

It had so many fleas in its white coat you'd have thought it was a Dalmation, and was so frail and skinny it resembled a rat with malnutrition.

A vet visit determined she was all of six months old at most, and healthy, save for a slightly enlarged tummy which they said would go away on its own.

The girls named her Snowball, then Snowcap, but finally decided on her true name: Angel Cakes.

In less than a month she's become a prized addition to our house and a friend to Billy. She's also packed on a good amount of much needed weight.

* * * * *

In addition to two cats and our turtle Franklin we've also expanded our bug collection. I picked up a praying mantis a few weeks back and have kept it alive on an assortment of crickets and ladybugs. It's even layed an eggsack!

To round out the group, we also have a grasshopper and for YaYa's birthday I'm planning on getting her an ant farm (shhh! it's a secret)

I dig the girls interest in science, esp. YaYa's. A few weeks back they went to the UWM planetarium on a Friday evening, the same as I did with my Dad growing up (tho' the mrs. took them while I watched Parker, since she'd invited her friend along).

Word is they sat quiet and interested for the entire adult show, allegedly better behaved than some of thegrown-ups that were there!

Someday I'll get that telescope and we'll spend the evening looking at Orion and the Moon . . .