Well, It's Amost Halloween, So Who's To Say?

One of our neighbors has a cat - a sweet little Tortie - who looks an awful lot like Hannah, our first cat who died from some mysterious and undiagnosable illness about a year after we got her. Phillip and I had been married less than six months when we brought Hannah home and she quickly elevated herself to Most Awesome Cat Ever status. Hannah was extremely affectionate and we always used to say she should have been a Dog, since she behaved more Canine than Feline. She loved Phillip, and he loved her, too - despite his allergy to cat dander. (Sorry, honey.) She woke us every morning with a scratchy kiss to the nose and it broke our hearts to watch her dwindle away from a healthy 13 pounds down to less than 2 pounds despite the valiant efforts of our veterinarian. It took me a long time to realize that despite thousands of dollars in vet bills, countless insulin shots administered by yours truly, and lots of cuddling- there was just nothing that could have been done to save our sweet Hannah.

But to move on: Sorry for the downer...I just thought I'd give a shout out to Miss Hannah-Bee up in Kitty Heaven (or Dog Heaven - wherever the Good Lord decided she would fit in best), seeing as how I thought about her this morning. Jack and I were having breakfast in the den when I noticed our neighbor's Tortie sitting on our back step peering in through the patio door. It didn't take long for Jack to notice her too, and he quickly made his way over to the door to watch her. She put on a show, rolling and stretching, while Jack just watched in wonder.

They spent a few minutes just staring at each other, Jack occasionally knocking on the glass to get her attention. Eventually, she grew bored I guess, and ran off into the backyard to catch a mouse, or whatever it is she does for fun. Jack just stood there transfixed for a moment or two, before waving and saying ever so softly...."Bye Bye Dog".

Bye Bye Dog, indeed.