A new family member arrives

Life moves along relatively smoothly nowadays. Retirement certainly has a whole load of advantages, including rising whenever we want (usually early!), eating when the mood hits, choosing to do or not do chores, and retiring early or late depending on TV listings. The sky has been partly overcast for the past two weeks but no lessening of the temperature. The Trade Winds (from northeast at present) blow vigorously some days, then lessen for a few days, then back to gale force (that is how it often feels!).

Our cabinet makers, ADD Design are installing a kitchen locally this weekend, and tell us if they finish on time, they will install our bedroom closets. Hurrah! If time runs out, we wait until next weekend. Our bedroom could use a tidying crew. We are starting to feel the need for a sofa, and a dining set at least. It means a trip to David or Panama City which is not particularly desirable in the latter case. A trip of a few days to David would be nice. However, that has to wait due to a change in our household members.

Bogart has been gone four weeks now, and Cagney certainly misses his pal, so we had determined that another cat, or even a puppy would be required. When last I spoke with Dr Diaz (the local vet), I let him know we are ready for another cat, and this past week he told us there would be a gatito available later in the week. As it turned out, when we stopped by on Thursday, the original offer of a three month old cat was gone, but he asked us to wait while he went home, and returned with a squalling little scrap of grey fluff! It seems someone had dropped two three-week old kittens at his door before he arrived at the clinic...mother cat lost or killed. Well, these two softies took one look at this pathetic little creature, and said OK, we'll try to take care of her. She was squealing for her mother, so off we went to purchase whole milk, and then home. On examination, we had committed to a weak, wobbly little creature who was ravenous. She took as much milk as she could hold throughout the evening through a cleaned eye dropper bottle, then fell asleep. We set her up in one of the flight cages for safety, expecting to spend much of the night with this newborn. Lo, she slept nearly all night, and this morning was bright-eyed and almost bushy-tailed as she greeted us.  She purrs a little, wants to play when she doesn't want to be cuddled, and wobbles her way around the Great Room exploring. Cagney watches from afar, suspicious and curious. Oh boy, but if she makes it, will he be in for a lark!

The basket didn't work...so we resorted to the carrier.

Bright-eyed Mitzi (as in Gaynor)