TheBanyanTree: Look What the Cat Dragged In

[Margaret R. Kramer]

Ray’s office is on the lower floor, so his window bottom is just inches
above a garden bed.  We always open the window on warm days, just like the
Indian summer days we’ve had this past week.  Early on in the summer,
September, our youngest cat at age two and our jet black cat with only
yellowish eyes for color, figured out how to punch in the screen of Ray’s
office window and get back in the house anytime he wanted to.  And then he
knew if he wanted to get back outside, he just had to go back the way he
came in.

It was Friday evening.  I had only worked a half a day, because my car
needed a new catalytic converter, and it was a two to three hour repair.
Susan and my grandsons met me at the dealership and we went to the mall to
hang out and kill time.

That part was fun.  But when we got to Susan’s car, Boogie, the older and
very observant grandson, noticed that Susan’s car headlights were on.  Sure
enough, the car just went click, click, click when she tried to start it.

She found a helpful man and he tried jumping her car, but no luck.  We knew
she needed a new battery.  This one was fried.  Thank goodness, this mall
had a Sears store with an automotive department.  We walked back through the
mall to Sears.  We bought a battery and the little socket wrench needed to
put it in.

Susan put the battery in the car while I held the boys back.  And after a
false click, and a second try, the car went ZOOM!  And we were off!

I got my car from the dealership and drove home.  The catalytic converter
repair was $1100, but I didn’t have to pay a dime, because it was covered
under warranty and I’ve kept up with my car maintenance.  Yes, I love the
word FREE.

The warm setting sun lit up the beautiful trees.  I had my sunroof open.  I
had the radio on quite loud.  I was looking forward to an evening watching
football on TV.  The Gophers (my alma mater) were playing Michigan for the
Little Brown Jug, but we won’t go there now.

I pulled into the driveway and walked into the house.  I was greeted by
jumping and happy dogs, when I stopped.  There was a half eaten bird with
wet feathers scattered all over the carpet.

I tried not to throw up.  September’s been threatening to drag in the
animals he’s killed into the house, but this was the first time he actually
did it.

I walked around the bird pile with the dogs right behind me, and I went into
Ray’s office and shut the window screen.

Then I went upstairs and very sweetly asked Ray to clean up the mess.  He’s
always my hero in situations like this.

Well, the cold front is passed and I don’t think we’ll have 80 temps until
next spring, so Ray’s window screen will stay closed for a while.  But we’ll
have to fasten it or something by the time the weather gets warmer or who
knows what the cat will drag in?

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at earthlink.net

http://www.polarispublications.com
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