SURPRISE!

Hello!  It’s been a while since we’ve last connected.  Since finishing sharing my personal health journey story it was time for a sabbatical from blogging.  It’s been a great break, but I’m ready to start dabbling again.  That being said, I/our family has a story to share.  It’s a story about adventure, love, rescue, and so much more.  Are you ready to join me/us in an adventure?  If so, let’s embark on this one together!

This past week my Mom and I took an impromptu trip to Minneapolis.  As I was driving we were talking and I unexpectedly said, “Maybe we’ll find a kitten!”, which had absolutely nothing to do with what we were talking about!

“That was RANDOM!”  Mom said, looking at me suspiciously.  She was right, nothing we were talking about had to do with kittens or any animal for that matter.

“Well, nuts and trees I guess!  Takes one to know one!”  I chuckled, giving her a sideways grin.

In the past months Mom and I had been talking about if we wanted to have another pet in the future.  We both knew my Dad would welcome another cat into our home, hands down!  Well, almost.  My calico cat, Goofy, is going to be 16 this fall.  She’s one-of-a-kind!  In the process of contemplating over the many months if we wanted any more cats, we both have went back and forth so many times that it’s laughable!  If you know me, personally, you’re probably wondering how would life without a fur baby be?  Yes, I LOVE animals.  I always have.  Mom would say during these talks, “If we are meant to have any more cats, they will come to us, just like the other ones have.  We don’t have to go looking for them.”

Anyways, back to the story at hand.  As I continued to drive, much to my bewilderment, Mom pulled up Google on her phone and stated she was searching for “free kittens”.  I bubbled over with excitement!  I wasn’t SET on getting ANY kittens that day, but thoughts of bringing home a kitten (or 2) sure made me smile while wondering, What would Goofy think?  Well, she’d get used to it just like the 2 bunnies we had that became her pals.  It will just take some time.  I chuckled with thoughts of my furry Amigos!  My mind wandered more.  If we got a kitten, Goofy could train it in just like I’ve trained her.  Goofy could teach them the ropes, so to speak!  

Alas, we were at our first destination without any leads on “free kittens”.  It was time to focus on the task at hand, so I did.  But I just HAD to ask a couple of individuals that day during our multiple stops, “Do you know of anyone that has free kittens?”  Their responses encompassed a firm “No”.  Okay.  Dead end.  

Wait… not a TOTALLY dead end yet!  We are once again on the road, embarking on our long journey home, which was filled with lots of extra stretching stops.  Stretching stops are important… especially when you’re looking for a kitten.  Why, you ask?  Because someone invented, and then others started putting up, these AWESOME notification centers called “bulletin boards” that others can put their FOR SALE items, business cards, and… FREE KITTENS ads on!  HA!  

One stop, “Dan & Becky’s Market” just outside of Cokato, MN, was a doozy!  I searched all over the board and then, there, pinned right in front of me in bright pink paper was a hand written note reading, “6 FREE KITTENS” and a telephone number to call.  I reached in my pocket and low and behold, no phone.  I put my arms up in the air, shrugging while turning towards the door, and out to the car where I’d left it.  Phone in hand, back inside, I resume my spot at the oh so informative bulletin board, snapping a picture of the number to call.  Once finished, I turned to see a woman at the cash till watching me, curiously.  I openly start talking to her about my search for a kitten!  Yes, seriously.  After our brief chat I waltzed out the door while dialing the number.  BIG SMILE!

Sadly, all 6 kittens were picked up the day before.  Dead end.  Another door shut.  “Maybe this isn’t meant to be.  Maybe the timing isn’t right.”  I told Mom.  She agreed that timing was everything, and so it very well COULD be true that our timing was off. and that the kitten would come to us instead of US FINDING IT.

Then she said, “We may just have to wait until Sunday.”  I smiled, having thought the same thing!  Nuts and trees.  Nuts and trees.  We closed in towards home not finding any more free kitten ads on bulletin boards. Maybe those bulletin boards AREN’T so awesome 🙂

I won’t say I was TOTALLY disappointed, because I figure everything happens for a reason, and the timing IS everything.  I shrugged my kitten thoughts off, and once home I was greeted by my girl, Goofy, as we walked through the door into the house.  Snuggling her I whispered my usual, “Hey Babe.  I missed you today!  How was your day?  I love you Goofy!”

Before I went to bed that night, I decided to contact our local “Big Stone County Animal Shelter”, simply to inquire as to what they had available for kittens.  I told them I was inquiring for the future, not necessarily planning on getting a kitten (or 2) now.   But, if the right kitten(s) came along, I’d be more than happy to take them in.  After that, I shrugged off the thought of getting kittens for the night, and then Goofy and I went to bed.   She snuggled into my side like usual, wrapped in the nest of her blanket.  Without more than a, “I love you Goofy, sleep good!”, we both were sleeping, completely zonked out in minutes.  It had been a really long day!

The next morning came way to early, as my lil alarm clock, yours truly… Goofy, walked next to me saying, “Good-morning!” in her meowing sing-song way.  I must say, I next to never use a standard alarm clock.  I tell Goofy when I want to be up in the morning and she always pulls through.  I didn’t teach her to read a clock, but then again, she’s real smart!  Maybe she really did learn to read it!  Anyways, my girl insisted it was time to get up and I obliged, willingly.  You see, Goofy and I have a daily morning adventure.  After getting out of bed we have a routine.  We go into the bathroom and I turn on the facet so she gets to drink “fresh” water.  When finished, we go upstairs to the kitchen.  I give her some breakfast while I take my turn in drinking my morning water concoctions.  When we are both finished, I open the front door and off we go on our adventure!  Typically we get one hour to run around, look for “creatures”, maybe visit our neighbor (my brother Troy), and together Goofy and I delight in the freedom of the fresh air…wind, rain, snow, or sunshine.

This morning, like usual, Goofy got to pick where we were headed.  She trotted towards Troy’s parking lot with all its BIG equipment, first walking on the curb of the road to get there.  I walked alongside of her.  We paused to watch the bunnies hopping and birds fluttering in among the bushes, singing, or taunting us.  On-wards to Troy’s, we eventually reach his rock retaining wall that is lined with giant boulders.  There are holes in between the boulders, so there’s enough room for Goofy’s (favorite) creatures to dart in and out of.  You know, creatures like chipmunks, shrews, and gophers!  She delights in the game of “Cat and Mouse” hunts of with these lil creatures!  Gosh, I can’t blame her, I think it’s a riot just watching her in hot pursuit of the creatures.  Goofy doesn’t eat the creatures she catches, and most of the time she doesn’t even kill them. She hunts them, locks her jaws delicately around them, then struts towards me with her prize.  Of course I can’t help but smile and tell her, “Way to go Babe!  You got it!”  As she continues to strut, I think I see her smiling.  I follow her to the grass where I tell her, “Okay, you need to drop it,” and she does.  Then, one last look before I scoop her into my arms and the creature runs away.  We’re a team.

This morning, however, as she peers in the crevasses of the rock wall… she’s definitely intent on the creatures moving within.  While I’m doing some interval training in Troy’s parking lot, I pause for a break as the “Big Stone County Animal Shelter” has responded to my message telling me what was currently available for kittens.  I read the message in entirety and then glance back at my girl.  The shelter has kittens, but none are the “right” ones for our family.  Sometimes you just know, you know?

Anyways, I’m back to my training while watching Goofy for about 15 minutes. Then, she disappears into the rock wall.  My mind immediately reacts with, Oh no!  She went in the rock wall.  How am I going to get her out?  “Goofy, what are you doing?” I call out running towards her.  She shoots through the rock crevasse like a lightening bolt!  Then, as in shock, she’s turned around acting like the creature is going to come out after HER.  But alas, she’s now ready to go back IN if it does try anything.  That’s my girl, feisty and full of spunk!  I’m now to her side and about to reach down to grab her, when I, too, see movement in the rock crevasse.  The creature is moving!  Goofy is at the bottom of the 4′ high retaining rock-wall.  I stand 5′ 6″, looking down at my girl AND a creature’s tail. Then I see the creatures’ 4 legs and a pair of eyes.  I blink, while thinking, I’m seeing things.  This isn’t what I think it is.  

A scared “Meow” erupts from the creature.   It’s a kitten!  It darts back further into the retaining wall, and Goofy is ready to go after it.  I then see 2 more sets of eyes looking back at ME.  Two more kittens = 3!  Goofy’s going crazy, trying to corner the 3 kittens, but not willingly crazy enough to go back into the rock-wall to join them.  She so SMART! One kitten shoots out and I catch it, much to my delight!  I cradle it as it fights me, while Goofy is trying to get the other 2!  This isn’t going to work.  I need Goofy out of here, because she’s going to scare these kittens.  Thinking quick, I was thankful my phone resided in my pocket.  I snatched it up calling my Dad who was home and still inside the house that day.  He answered.  I said, “Dad!  I need help, NOW!  I’m over at Troy’s and there’s kittens!”  Not the best way to greet your dad at 7:30 am, but hey, he’s my DAD!

The kitten in my arms escaped as Dad came running.  We were unable to catch it again, unfortunately.  We moved to capturing the next 2.  My slim arms fit into the crevasse while Dad blocked the escape route.  Team work!  Together, we were able to get the a mere couple week old black, fuzzy little kitten out of the rock crevasse.   One kitten caught, who is now called Bear (Little Bear).

Off I went to the house were my Mom was standing in the kitchen with her back turned away.  Oh, this is going to be good!  I thought.  “Hey Mom, I think you should turn around…”

As she turned around, her eyebrows shot up in the air so high I thought they might launch into outer space!  Her mouth shot off a perfect “Oh!” and a smile struck from ear to ear until she spoke again saying, “What???”  I gave no pause for her to ask more questions as I bubbled with excitement saying, “I didn’t do it!  GOOFY found them.  Honest!  There’s 3 of them, but one escaped.  I need to go help Dad get the other one out of the retaining wall.  Can you hold this one?”  Her head nodded YES excitedly while oow-ing and ahh-ing the little fur-ball.  The excitement was contagious as she’d been tagged and IT!

Out of the house I ran, and together Dad and I caught the second kitten whom is a short haired tiger stripe.  He was feisty and spunky,  looking to be about 8-12 weeks old. Obviously these kittens had been dropped by someone, and they’d found their way to cover in my brother’s retaining rock-wall.

Dad and I returned with the second kitten, now named Felix, shown below.

Mom stood in house garage with the little black fur-ball.  A pet carrier, a litter box, a blanket, food and water were all provided for the 2 kittens quickly.  I literally chuckled out loud to myself, thinking, “God shut doors yesterday for us to get kittens… and today he opened a rock crevasse instead, using Goofy to find them.  These kittens needed a home from us!”  Mom and I shared many laughs over this happening saying, “Our timing isn’t God’s timing!  See!  He brought them to us!”

I believe God has a sense of humor.  Do you?  I believe everything happens for a reason, and obviously we weren’t meant to seek out other kittens the day before because God knew Goofy was going to find kittens that needed us.

As I went to sleep that night, Goofy curled up at my side, then we both drifted off into peaceful slumber.   The next morning Goofy woke me up, again, and it was time for another adventure!

TO BE CONTINUED!