RIP: Big Cat

  

Sometimes, things come into your life and you don't realize how important they will become. 

Once upon a time, a yellow cat arrived at The County Line. At this point, we don't remember the details. He was likely a member of a litter of kittens. His siblings are no longer remembered. If I have photos of him as a baby, they are buried in plastic tubs in the basement. 

But that little yellow cat grew to be Randy's favorite. Eventually, he became Big Cat. 

Randy and I both grew up with farm cats. Those cats come in and out of your life fairly frequently. Life on a farm can be dangerous - for people and for animals. We don't know exactly how old Big Cat was. Brent thinks that Big Cat was part of the family when he was still living here at home in high school. (Brent graduated in 2006) And our son-in-law, Eric, confirms that Big Cat has been around as long as he has been. Eric probably had his first visit to the farm in early 2007.

But we are sad to report Big Cat's passing. While we were at the high school football game Friday night, a couple of roaming dogs came into the farm yard and killed Big Cat and our newest kitty. Since the girls haven't been here to name that smallest cat, it didn't have a formal name. But I guess, as it turns out, it's appropriate that we just called it Little Kitty. 

If you're a long-time reader, you know I'm not an animal person. (Yes, I know admitting that causes people to question my humanity.) Before we got married, I did not offer any false advertising about my stance on animals in the house. I didn't grow up with them, and Randy did. As I like to say, it was part of the pre-marriage negotiations. 

However, even I modified my stance - to a certain degree. Yes, during the summer when he shedded unmercifully, Big Cat was relegated to the outside with the other farm cats. But come wintertime, Big Cat could come in for an evening of TV viewing with his favorite person - as long as he stayed on his blanket.

I joked that Big Cat was a one-person cat. I was more often than not on the receiving end of what I called Big Cat's "evil eye." 

However, even I would greet Big Cat when I returned to the house. In recent years, it seemed Big Cat spent most of his day snoozing near the back porch. Sometimes, I'd have to nudge him aside to get down the back steps. 

As Big Cat aged, he spent more and more time taking naps. (I suppose the same could be said of cats' human counterparts.) 

Big Cat was definitely the Patriarch of The County Line Cat Kingdom. And while Randy did his best to tame new baby kittens - especially before visits from our granddaughters and our daughter-in-law, Susan - Big Cat was still Number 1 in his heart.

It's not like we thought Big Cat would live forever. In fact, Big Cat had probably used all nine of his lives and a few more for good measure. Randy had mentioned several times that Big Cat was probably living on borrowed time. 

But both of us hate that Big Cat didn't have a peaceful death, gently falling asleep, dreaming his cat dreams. 

Randy wanted to find a fitting place to bury Big Cat and Little Kitty. He chose to lay them to rest among the lilac bushes south of the house.  

We know we'll long remember Big Cat. But maybe those memories will be especially poignant when the lilacs bloom.

If you're somewhere nearby and have a yellow kitten you'd part with, please let us know.

 

Rolling Hills Zoo: Kansas Staycation

With only a couple of couple of weeks before the start of the 2019-20 school year, time for vacation is fleeting. But here's another Kansas Staycation that provides a whole lot of fun right here in our own backyard.

We went early in the summer with the girls and Jill, and I've compiled the photos along with a rhyming tale into a keepsake book for both Kinley and Brooke. Come along for a visit to the Rolling Hills Zoo near Salina!

***

An outing was planned at the Rolling Hills Zoo

A day among creatures: What a fun thing to do!

First on the docket was to each grab a map

Grandpa says maps make the visit a snap.

Grandpa says maps help to know when and where.
Kinley consulted the map with great care.

Grandma says apples don't fall far from the tree.

I guess that she's talking 'bout him and 'bout me!

 

However, some animals weren't found on the sheet

But still their acquaintance, we surely did meet!

Geese wandered and flew throughout the whole park

In one hidden nest, a mom left a mark.

Some eggs she had laid were tucked into a nest.

Keeping our distance surely was best!

The butterflies, too, missed a spot on map page. 

Their flight among blooms seemed to be all the rage!

Flamingos were standing around on one foot

We had to try it: Would we go kaput?

No, we were so regal and filled with such grace

Even one-legged, we still could keep pace.

Next stop on the outing was at a big pond.

It seemed that a school of fish had been spawned.

A quarter we paid so we could feed fish.

It seemed that they liked it and found it delish!

Big cats laid around; they were ready to sleep.

Roaring at them? Still they made not a peep.

A good, long nap seemed a part of their plan.

We finally gave up and down the sidewalk we ran.

This chimp was not sleeping; he was ready to play.

He threw that big disk at the window display!

We were surprised, and we let out a shout.

We were sure hoping he could not get out!

That big yellow disk gave him lots of good fun.

In his arms, on his head, and he still wasn't done.

His orangutan friend didn't make such a fuss.

He stared and he gazed right over at us.

No antics for him. No cute interaction.

He made not a sound - not even one fraction.

Not all of the creatures were real and alive

A few we could ride, and we'd surely survive. 

Upon this big turtle we surely could hop.

More fun was to come: We weren't ready to stop.

Our Grandma said she could remember that creature.

On a previous visit, it was also a feature.

When Kinley was little, she named all the parts

The eyes and the head and the mouth just for starts!

Inside of the building, we saw the real thing.

"Aldabra tortoise:" It has quite a ring!

Keepers had brought them some veggies to munch.

That is what tortoises like for their lunch.

They didn't move fast; they were really quite slow.

But still when we watched them, we saw that they'd go.

They live long, long lives - up to 100 years.

However, extinction was once quite a fear.

Sichuan Takin was the next animal's name.

A most curious creature, we would likely proclaim!

The sign said the name would rhyme the word, "rockin'

It warns others like him with a loud "cough" for "talkin'. 

Some people do call it a "goat antelope."

It's threatened by poaching: (That's a definite "Nope!)

In China, it's thought as a national treasure

As precious as pandas? It is hard to measure.

Giraffes were inside, though a beautiful day.

We wish that they'd wanted to roam and to play.

Perhaps they'd been fed with their daily hay ration.

So munching and crunching was their current attraction!

As Mommy and we looked through windows that day,

Grandma said, "Looks like you girls are displayed!"

Giraffes eat a whole bunch, the sign clearly said.

Using long tongues in their big knobby heads.

75 pounds worth? No wonder they stay

Inside while they're eating and don't want to play.

It looked like the camel was telling a joke.

His expression was funny, a quite humorous bloke!

Imagining's fun, said our Grandma to us.

Thinking a camel would like to discuss

A story or joke or one or two puns

Before we moved on and our visit was done.

A rhino was next on the visit that day

His big, single horn was there on display.

His skin looked like armor; he looked really strong.

An enemy likely would not last long.

A rhino can weigh up to 6,000 pounds.

His size and his strength and his power abound.

Then it was time to strike a new pose

Grandma and cameras mean plenty of those!

We climbed on the statues for our next photo op

She clicked and she snapped. She rarely does stop!

We couldn't let animals have all the fun.

WE wanted to play before we were done.

We climbed and we dug in the dirt for awhile.

All of the playing left us with a smile.

A little barn scene came into our view.

There at Salina at the Rolling Hills Zoo.

Some sheep and some goats were all there to pet.

They were among the cutest, we'd bet!

Also at barnyard, we saw a small tractor

It was a sure Grandpa Randy attractor!

We climbed up on top. He showed us how.

And we could imagine we'd take off and plow.

Some free "souvenirs" we found on the ground

There were plenty of goose feathers we found.

They were all scattered and strewn all about.

There for our eyes to search out and scout.

We gave one to Grandpa to feather his hat.

Who knew that Grandpa was as stylish as that?!

Kinley used one for a pointer, you see

For marking her name: It filled her with glee!

Finding her name on a plaque was so sweet.

One with Brooke's name would be equally neat. 

But we didn't find one. Oh well, not to be.

Maybe another time? I guess we will see.

An "I Visited" sign gave us reason to pose.

The fun we were having, it certainly shows.

A day at the zoo is just hard to beat.

Exploring the animals surely is sweet!

Grandpa and Grandma and Mommy and us

Had fun for the day with the rhinoceros

And the camel and goats and big cats and the chimps

More fun for a day, as you probably glimpse

From looking at pictures, you surely can tell.

Our day at the zoo was certainly swell!

Hide and Seek

As I dashed out of the house to run an errand for Randy, I glanced to my left and saw four little kittens nestled in the crevice between the house and the back steps.

And when I got back there were 11. YES, 11!

I texted a photo to the kids and sent it in an email to my Mom, but by the next time I looked, not a single one remained. Two litters of kittens are playing hide and seek. Or maybe it's their mothers. I need a scorecard!

I found some hiding in the window well.

 A few were more clever at hiding behind the screen mesh for a little camouflage.

Some had moved by their mom for a snack.

Others were hanging out by the cat food bowl. Maybe they were waiting on their mother, too.

Randy's mission is to tame some of these kitties so they can make their way to my parents' farm in Pratt County. It's a mission he is always glad to accept.

He already had a good start with a kitty we named Fluffy. (Or maybe it was Fuzzy. It depends on which one of us you ask.)

At this time, Fluffy (AKA Fuzzy) is nowhere to be found.

And this big guy isn't talking.

Rolling Into Salina by Kinley

Hello all!

It's me again, Kinley. It's been almost a week since I "rolled" into Salina and had an adventure. But there's just been no time to write! I've been busy, busy, busy perfecting my somersaults and working on my sprinting. I say "Set!" and my Mommy and Daddy say, "Go!" I am super fast. My Grandma says I get that from my Mommy.

Anyway, I figured I'd better get this story told before the weekend rolled around again, and I had more adventures to report. Last Saturday, my Mom and Dad had some business to take care of in Salina. I had some business of my own. I needed to entertain Grandma and Grandpa.

They seem to like zoos. I really like animals. I had the perfect solution: Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure.

I was ready to pay my own way. But bonus! I was free. Grandma and Grandpa weren't old enough to get the senior discount. Grandma was glad. Grandpa was hoping for the discount.

One of my favorite animals right now is the turtle. In fact, I said my first complete sentence when I was with Uncle Brent, Mommy and Daddy at the Louisville (KY) Zoo earlier this month. "I see turtles." I got a stuffed turtle to commemorate the occasion. The turtles at Rolling Hills were being l - a - z - y last Saturday. They just laid around in the mud.

Grandma says the turtles must like cooler weather better. When she was there in March, they were moving all around.

Oh well! I showed off some of my other skills by identifying the eyes, nose and mouth on a turtle statue. It's pretty easy to impress the grandparents, I am finding out.

The turtles weren't the only things we found in the water. We also saw swans. I was thinking that joining them in the water seemed like a very good idea on a very hot day, especially since they had bubbles in their pond. Grandma says that it was a fountain. But I told her it was bubbles. I love bubbles.

Grandpa got me some fish food for a quarter, and we watched them fight over the food. I showed my Grandma how fish make a funny face. 

Besides the swans, we saw a pretty pink flamingo and three ostriches who had just gotten fed.

The turtles weren't the only tired creatures at the zoo. The orangutans didn't want to come and play either. Grandma had to find me a picture from another trip so I could see what they looked like. One guy just wanted to lay beneath a cardboard box. He wouldn't even wake up to say "Hi!" to Grandpa and me. Can you believe it?

 

A big old cougar looked like he was ready to eat me up! Can you blame a girl for getting away from that!?

My Grandpa says that the Rolling Hills grounds crew needs to take care of their bind weed. I don't know anything about that, but I did like the prairie dogs and the pretty white flowers.

I liked the big, tall giraffes. I just might have gotten a stuffed giraffe as a souvenir from our adventure ... and a book about animals and colors. You can tell my Mommy that I didn't ask for any treats. Grandma just thought I needed a little something to remember the day.

I don't know that I've ever seen an anteater before. He was kind of silly looking. I liked the camels. But I don't know what a camel OR an anteater says.

Did you know I'm bilingual? Well, I am pretty well versed in animal languages. I told each and every animal, "Bye, bye." It's only the polite thing to do. Don't you tell folks goodbye when you're leaving their house?

It was getting really hot, so Mommy and Daddy didn't meet us at the zoo this time. After we cooled off and had some lunch, we went to the mall. I guess Grandma and Grandpa weren't done seeing me with the animals because I got to play with some animals there, too.

Then my Daddy said it was naptime, and I had to head for home. I needed to rest up to see Grandma Christy and Grandpa Alan and the rest of Daddy's family the next day. Whew! What a weekend! No wonder it took me awhile to rest up enough to write this.

Until next time,
Kinley Marie