Thanksgiving Visitors at Rustic Hollow 2011

    After years of family Thanksgivings together, Wanda and I find ourselves without family to share the holidays with.  Wanda's sister and family live over 12 hours away and get-to-gethers are mainly via email and phone chats. My family-well it's just me folks. Unless you count the spirit of my mother who strolls the floors of The Kitty Kottage (my childhood home now over 100 centuries old-and that's another story for another day).

   Wanda and I enjoy the quiet holidays sitting under the furs and spending time and sharing toys and treats with all the feline residents at Rustic Hollow. This Thanksgiving meant a five-day break for us at home. Other years we would find ourselves back in the Nashua Reporter newspaper office working during the holidays on the  next edition of the weekly newspaper that we published for nineteen years. There are no breaks, no holidays from the newspaper, but now that we are 'retired' from the newspaper publishing business, we are full speed, full time focused on C & W Rustic Hollow Shelter, a full time job in itself. More time for grant writing, catching up on correspondence, and...of course, sitting under furs.

 

    This Thanksgiving was going to be that..time spent together at home with the furs. Well, we had more than the 'furs' to reckon with this Thanksgiving. And what a wonderful time it was....

   Thanks to Henry! 

     Henry is a young beautiful red tabby full of love and life with the diagnosis of FIV. Please understand that FIV cats are totally adoptable and can live in multiple cat homes....but that's a blog for another day.  It is still very difficult to place FIV cats in adoptive homes, so Henry was coming to Iowa.

   All the way from West Virginia. Henry was to arrive Thanksgiving Eve and his chauffeurs were Daniel and Julia Snell. They were making a little 'jog in their journey' as they were moving to California and Iowa and Rustic Hollow was one stop they were making with young Henry. They got a later start than they had planned, and a call from the road from Julia to let us know that according to their GPS they would be arriving around 8:30 in the evening at C & W and asked if that would be a problem.

 

  I told them no, it was not a problem, and since they were arriving so late, I offered them overnight accommodations in our new building, Bradley's House. The upper level is finished enough now and the bedroom is ready for guests along with the bathroom which includes a tub and shower. A breakfast nook offers fruit, nuts, a refrigerator for staff to keep their lunch in and have a break in...and a nice view out the window of staff member Becky's miniature horses, donkeys, pot bellied pig, and Magic, the Llama who guards the herd. They are wintering at Rustic Hollow and can be seen milling around and munching their hay from the lofty windows in the upper level at Bradley's. Our volunteers Bob and Lynda come over an hours drive to volunteer for several days at a time, and find the accommodations to be comfy, including their 'sleepover kitten' Scamp who nestles between their heads and spends the night watching over them.

  Okay, it's a Conklin thing to get a bit 'off the subject' so let's get back on track.... I'm getting away from the real story here.

   I offered Julia and Daniel a place to stay the night, and Julia said immediately: "Well, before you offer us a place to stay, you have to know.... we are traveling with two dogs, three cats, and snakes and other reptiles...." her voice trailed off. I said immediately. "Not a problem. Come on IN." 

   They arrived around 8:30 PM and we got Henry settled in his room in Apollo's  House, our FIV building. Then, Daniel and Julia had the huge task of settling in canines Samson (BIG Samson) and Penny, cats Milo and two others whose names are as elusive at the moment as they were for their entire stay, Drago the Bearded Dragon, Rafael the red ear slider, Rupert the Jungle Carpet Python, Temperance the Ball Python, Chuck the Crested Gecko and, a whole lot more of those little fellas... and Brozaka,  the most beautiful, brightest orange corn snake I've ever seen. All were as tame as a kitten and when Daniel and Julia finally got themselves settled in, I was introduced to each and every reptile traveling the long journey to California with the couple. And got to hold them as well.  It was a wonderful evening. Wanda of course, was in bed by 9 and missed the entire first evening with our travelers. No matter, we promised we'd share breakfast with them in the morning.

 The dogs were so thilled to have so much space to run around in outside (and inside) as well. Samson and Penny always sleep with Julia and Daniel, so they took the BIG Queen sized bed upstairs and all Samson took was the stuffed calico kitten on one of the twin beds in the bedroom. Well, he took it but he didn't get to keep it. 

   They took a tour of all the buildings, checked on Henry who had already decided he was ready to play and stretch HIS legs from the long journey as well. Their cats were released upstairs and two simply disappeared. Milo was the bravest, spending most of his time on the bed as well after checking out the upstairs and the downstairs that is separate from our cat rooms.  Much conversation later, I departed so they could get some rest... It was already after 11PM, but It was a wonderful evening with a very interesting and charming couple.

   Around 8:00 AM Thanksgiving Day, Wanda and I headed for Kwik Star to pick up eggs and bread to make some breakfast for our guests. We have toaster ovens, a griddle and a Foreman Grill so staff can make sandwiches for lunch, or for our staff breakfasts which we hold upstairs in Bradleys as well. So with help from staff member Teresa, who is a great cook herself, we had juice and toast and pancakes and eggs for our guests....and a great chance to get acquainted and enjoy their company. Staff member Becky (the one with all the miniature horses on site) came up and got to hold the snakes and pet Drago and meet chat with our guests. 

   Daniel is originally from England, and his accent was pure enjoyment. I loved it.  The morning went very quickly, and they entertained cats in all the buildings and finally it was time for them to pack up and get on their way to California. I think they may have enjoyed their stay at C & W a bit more than at the Super 8 the night before. I KNOW for a FACT that the dogs and the cats enjoyed it more. Samson and Penny were beside themselves with all the space and freedom and outside to run in. Their only moment of panic was late the night before and they were outside running and playing when suddenly, in the darkest area of the farm, they heard noises and discovered the miniature horses in their yard. The barking was deafening as they tried to drown out their own fear with loud barks. Didn't phase the horses one bit, but Samson and Penny were ready to get back inside after that and settle in on the bed. 

   I will say that this Thanksgiving of 2011 was a very interesting and enjoyable time with some very special visitors...thanks to Daniel and Julia and their whole troupe.

Sanctuaries....Can they be a feline's 'forever home?"

Sanctuary: "a place of safety"
Animal Sanctuary: "a place where animals are brought to live and be protected for life."

     What distinguishes an animal sanctuary from other institutions is the philosophy of all who care for the animals act on behalf OF the animals with the firm belief that the animals come first and that all animals are of equal importance. At least, that is how it is at C & W's Rustic Hollow Shelter, Nashua, Iowa.
 
       It is with sadness and anger when I read about failed sanctuaries who have warehoused  animals for years, keeping them in cramped cages, with little or no interaction with people....or socialization....and often not much veterinary care. Sadness for the animals, and anger at the people who housed them so poorly.
      
       Those 'sanctuaries' are NOT sanctuaries. They are hell holes that animals survive in til they die. Those are the sanctuaries that give the really good ones a "bad name" and all sanctuaries are lumped into being sad places for animals to live, even for a short time.
   
       And it is with joy when I know of sanctuaries who truly are a 'place where animals are protected for life.." and where 'the animals DO come first."  So, to all the doubters and unbelievers out there who view ALL sanctuaries as such a sad place for animals to live out their lives in.... open your minds and realize that sanctuaries truly CAN be one of the best places and the best life an animal has ever had or could have. Don't just take a one-sided view of that word "sanctuary," or 'animal sanctuary"...
        
      From what our many rescue friends all across the nation tell us, C & W does live up to being one of the places where animals (and their human caregivers) ARE all of equal importance. And all get a great deal of loving attention over at least 8 hours of the day, and many more when volunteers visit and stay overnight or even several days to be with the felines that reside at Rustic Hollow.
    
      I stand by my belief that the good sanctuaries provide a great quality of life and a real 'home' to felines who truly benefit from being there- truly a real 'forever home.' A 'forever home' they would not have had in many, many cases. Not a chance at one. C & W Rustic Hollow offers that 'chance at a lifetime' and we do not worry if the feline stays here forever and is not adopted. Many of the furs that come here have already been adopted out (sometimes twice),  rejected and back in a rescue cage.

           I find it interesting when someone says that you have to place ALL animals in 'forever homes' and NOT in a sanctuary where they will be left alone with little or no interaction. It makes me wonder if they have ever been to a reputable sanctuary ever?  I counter their point with these thoughts:
       I have observed the hours of interaction my staff and volunteers give to the felines that reside at Rustic Hollow.. and the hours that volunteers spend with them regularly. I see the love that is given all day and sometimes into the wee hours of the night to our C & W furs......
      AND..... I wonder.... how many hours are spent with the 'family pet(s)' every day in homes across America?  Dogs may get more attention, because, after all, you have to let them out to do their business frequently...Or did you chain them in the yard for that? But people get up, gather to eat breakfast, go to work, go to school, bowling in the evening, party for another member, everyone comes home tired, watch a little TV, go to bed......
      Where's the fun for the family pet? If there time set aside for playing with your family dog or cat. What do THEY do all day while you are gone shopping, to work, to visit friends, go to exercise at the gym, etc.etc.etc.etc.........
   
       I KNOW what they do at Rustic Hollow. They are pretty much 'kept awake' more than they would like, by a lot of activity, a lot of interaction, visitors, playtime, laser lights, oh, and the TV plays the Catsitter video DVD's with soft music for the TV buffs. They have their outdoor 'catios' to check out the 'real outdoor TV' of birds and people, and keep an eye on the three dogs too.
  
       There have been MANY times when I take a late afternoon visitor on a tour just after their caregivers have gone home.....and only ONE or TWO will grudgingly get up to check out the visitors.... the rest open an eyelid decide that some of their buds will entertain, and go back to sleep. Of course, cats do sleep 16 hours a day. So perhaps they are NOT bored all day waiting for their 'people' to come home.

       But I can tell  you they are not bored at C & W Rustic Hollow Shelter. Their quality of life is very important. Our buildings are homey and some ARE actual HOMES.
 
        And, Wanda and I are fortunate that some 25 felines let us live with them. Sound like a lot? the only time we see more than half at a time is at breakfast time and dinner time. Then it appears to be a lot. Three levels to be in, we can be here all day long and the majority of the cats are not at all interested in 'mingling' with us. As is true with many in the other five shelter homes the furs have here. The furs that come to live in our log home are the very senior cats, hospice furs, and those needing greater medical care.
    
         So.....how can you judge that the animals are better off in a family home than a sanctuary? I say that that judgement might put a cat who is 'adoption challenged' at greater risk in a 'forever family home' and sometimes, with less activity and interaction with people. I say you can't truly judge.
       
          And on the same line of thinking, if you only want them to go to a 'forever family' and they truly are 'adoption challenged.' it may become a death sentence even in a 'no kill' organization, since so many still say, 'we never kill any 'adoptable' animal.'  You know what that means, I am certain.

        No, you can't judge that a sanctuary is never a good place for an animal til you have seen how a reputable one operates from day to day. And see how the animals really feel about their 'forever home'.
Come visit the felines at Rustic Hollow and let them show you how they live each day....in between naps, ya know. 
       I also am very adamant that IF you are thinking of taking an animal to ANY life care facility or sanctuary, it is a MUST that you visit that facility yourself, spend time with the animals and see how they are cared for daily. See how they live from day to day. Visit more than once. It is truly important you know where your pet is going to live out his life if you can no longer care for that animal. Planning for your pets future is an important part of caring for your beloved companion animal, if something should happen to you. But please visit the places you see on the web that profess life care. If you cannot visit personally, have someone else visit. Get references, talk to their veterinarians........ This....Is....So.....Very..... Important.  Just ask Mr. Thomas, who went to a Texas 'ranch retirement center' and when the horrid conditions were confronted at this ranch/farm, over 220 cats were removed by the Texas SPCA. Thomas' collar read 191, but we told him he is  #1 with us. He was one of the lucky ones. His rescuer got him out and to Iowa. He arrived in 2003 I believe. He is 'adoption challenged' but loves his clean and neat home at C & W. Oh, did I mention we strive for a high standard of cleaning and keeping the felines living areas better than some homes. They appreciate their surroundings to be 'clean', their bedding soft and cuddly. It is a MUST.
  
       Every animal IS adoptable to the right family. But that just doesn't happen for so many. Their chances grow slimmer each  month....just ask a sweet little feline that lives at Rustic Hollow that lived 8 years in a cage. EIGHT YEARS!  And I can name several others who grew up in and lived in a cage....at a RESCUE even. And little Red who lived in a tiny cage in a basement, stacked on top of another cage with another cat...used for breeding. Hey, the list is long here...every feline has a special story.  Every feline has a 'forever home'.  I have heard over and over people tell me that when they came to visit C & W for the first time, they were so sure they would 'feel sorry' for the animals. And, upon leaving are delighted to tell me that 'they would not feel sorry for ANY of the felines that get to live at C & W."  That is certainly our goal too.
    
       Come share their story....come visit the furs... at C & W's Rustic Hollow Shelter.  I know of several other really great sanctuaries, too... some just for Feline Leukemia kits, who have a terrific home, and a chance at a lifetime too.
  
       That is what it is all about at C & W..... a 'chance at a lifetime' for some really wonderful furs.

                                 http://www.rustichollowshelter.org/.


      
  

Christmas is coming to 'the cats in the valley'

Christmas is coming to Rustic Hollow soon

Santa Claws and elves will come

On Christmas Eve day in the afternoon

The furballs will be nestled all quiet in their beds

Having visions of Fancy Feast & treats they soon will be fed

But the kits will soon awake with stars in their eyes

For the footsteps they’ll hear

Mean Santa Claws & his Elves have appeared

There will be catnip and toys and feathers and fun

Treats and goodies distributed to everyone

To every building, every Room,

no cat (or dog) will be missed

There will be laser lights to chase and the kitties will run

Til they fall asleep in their catnip bliss

Then it will be lights out for the night

And Santa Claws and the elves

will soon disappear

Only to return in the morning

as their caregivers dear

There will be sleepy eyes

and grumpy furlines at that time

Cause we know some will stay up

way past midnight’s chime.

The furballs at Rustic Hollow Shelter

think it’s Christmas every day

And they thank Terry & Becky, Judy & Keisha, Chad, Wanda &

Julie, & Wendy and Carla for making it that way.

For love abounds for all the special felines that stay

In The Kitty Kottage, Kat Barn, Apollo’s or Sandy’s, or at Carmen and Wanda’s each day

Our wish is for every cat and dog

To have a place to be safe this Christmas Day.

 To have food in their belly, shelter from the cold

 And a nice soft place for their head to lay

A kind touch, a gentle pat, and a toy of their own.

 Some extra food for the ferals and strays who are alone.

The felines and dogs and caregivers too

at C & W Rustic Hollow Shelter, share this wish to YOU

 A Very Meowy Christmas to All and a Very Happy Howliday

Give the purrfect gift to a friend or family member this year

Sponsor a feline at C & W Rustic Hollow Shelter in memory of or ‘in honor of’ someone special or as a ‘gift’ of love to them. Your gift will help a special needs animal at C & W.

We have over 100 felines who do not have a sponsor  at this time and your gift  will help C & W

continue to be able to help more special needs animals.

You can sponsor one feline for just $25 a month; 2 special felines for $50;

and 3 felines for just $65 a month.

We have diabetic felines, felines with thyroid problems, chronic medical conditions, seizures,  heart problems, eating disorders, disabilities, ‘litter aversion’ (our ‘pis-demeanor cats) and many other health issues that require daily, weekly or monthly medications.

To sponsor a feline, go to our website at:  www.rustichollowshelter.org

and click on Sponsor a Furpal and you will make some special felines very happy this holiday season. Or mail your sponsorship to C & W Rustic Hollow Shelter

PO Box 67, Nashua, IA 50658

Have a Purrfectly wonderful Christmas and a Happy Mew Year too!

December with the Cats in the Valley at Rustic Hollow Shelter

It's December in Iowa and I sit at my computer looking out at the winter wonderland nature is creating again today with such a beautiful snow. It is one of those snows that looks like God in His Heaven has shaken the giant snowglobe of Iowa and the huge, beautiful snowflakes tumble about. Unlike a snow globe, however, these huge beautiful snowflakes will continue to accumulate, blanketing our world with a thick, and still beautiful, blanket of snow.

Friends in Virginia emailed me and noted they were thinking of us in these mid-western winter storms and noted that 'it is only mid-December with so much snow.'  I have another 'take' on that: To me, it's a blessing that it is "ALREADY mid-December and we are getting so much snow." I remember winters when 'snow' began October 30th (occasionally earlier) and continued....and continued....and continued.... this year, our first heavy snow came on the second weekend in December. We've dug out from that one. And will be dug out again tonight as another 4-5?? inches continues to fall over the cats in the valley at Rustic Hollow Shelter. It IS still snowing..huge, beautiful flakes.

I am very fortunate here in our little Iowa valley to have a wonderful staff who trudge through the elements to care for the 'fur'lines at C & W.  And when only a handful of our staff make it, they simply work together until they cover all of the buildings, cleaning and feeding, and caring for the cats in each building. We have five buildings now and a sixth one will be completed come spring. So, as I sat watching the first BIG Iowa snow over the weekend of December 13th, I had no 'visions of sugarplums' going through my head... just a 'vision of me going building to building tending to all the furballs alone. Needless to say, that vision was over as soon as I saw the first vehicle drive solidly into the driveway, followed by our faithful young high school lad who is our right hand man around C & W. He does all the heavy work and shoveling and is one fine worker. His name is Chad Rich and he is terrific. No one has to tell him what to do. He just gets right to it. So, when he's on site, I know the rest of my staff will be fine.

And, I have noticed they truly do not need (nor probably want) a 'supervisor' (me)to get in their way of tending to the felines....though I did come in handy last weekend when Terry's truck was running and got accidentally locked.. (no extra key at all). The wire they were using kept bending and I went to our garage and found a very thin but very sturdy metal rod and, voila, the window was opened and access to the truck was had by all.  Heroin for a moment anyway... hugs all around. And then it was back to work tending to the felines needs.

I would say that cleaning in winter months and snowy days might be a futile effort in our sanctuary buildings, but my team does it for the cats. And, the signs posted on one of the doors says it all: "Life is made up of choices....Take off your boots, or MOP THE FLOOR."  And, for the most part, that sign is obeyed.

And, this year, Wanda and I ARE on site on snowy days so we 'can' help out as needed. Managing the sanctuary is a full-time job that we have juggled for the past nineteen years while we worked as Publishers of our local town's newspaper. The deadlines of a newspaper, even a weekly as ours was, is grueling and demanding and it does NOT matter what kind of weather you are having, you have to meet deadlines. Well, we were fortunate to find someone to purchase our local newspaper who will keep it a separate paper for our community, and we 'retired' from the newspaper publishing business in June, 2010!! And now, we can simply stay home and watch the snow fall and work around the shelter when the snow comes. We are at our thrift shop five days a week as it helps with veterinary expenses, but, on a snowy day like today, we'd rather everyone stay home and not get out to shop... and that is usually the case. So, we have a chance to be home too now. No deadlines, no newspaper stories to cover. Just shelter business to tend to, and that, as I said, is a full-time job.

December with the Cats in the Valley also means 'Christmas is near' and the cats have a lot to look forward to at that time. But that's for another blog.

It is STILL snowing those huge, beautiful flakes. And All is well with the cats in the valley at Rustic Hollow Shelter.

Cats in the Valley at Rustic Hollow Shelter: The Kitty Kottage....My Childhood Home

Cats in the Valley at Rustic Hollow Shelter: The Kitty Kottage....My Childhood Home: "I grew up in this quiet valley once known as Willow Echo Farm. The Kitty Kottage was MY home. Of course, that was BEFORE there was central h..."

Thanksgiving with the Cats in the Valley at Rustic Hollow

It is the most beautiful 'crispy cool' day in the valley on Willow Echo Farm, home of C & W Rustic Hollow  Shelter furballs. This little valley is sunny this Thanksgiving 2010 and all is well in the valley. A few hardy cats are out in the outdoor rooms on their buildings, soaking up the sunshine throught the 30ml clear tarps that protect them from the November winds.  It's a cool 20 degrees now, but the sun helps make things bright and beautiful this Thanksgiving. All of the buildings at C & W have central air/heat, and the dogs have electric heat as well in their rather large 'summer house' dog house with 24/12' outdoor kennel area.

I call the doghouse a 'summer house' because that is what it was when I grew up. The Kitty Kottage kits may have central air and heat and a cushy life, but there was NO heat nor central air when I grew up there. In the summers, to keep the house from being even hotter, mother would 'cook' on a wood stove out in the 'summer house' a building about 12'x12' which also held a sink (that we carried water to, of course) for cleaning veggies from the very large garden where our log home now rests, across the creek from the other five buildings that make up Rustic Hollow Shelter.

The birds at their feeders entertain the around 30 felines that enjoy watching from our home's  four season sun porch.....and the felines in the other buildings can also go out if they brave the chilly temps, or they can lounge inside and watch the 'critters' on their Catsitter videos playing on TV's throughout the sanctuary.  All of the buildings, except the Kat Barn, have televisions to watch. I feel bad about that and hope one day soon, I will find a 'safe' place for a TV IN their building. The last TV was in a large cage and they still managed to ruin it by 'long distance' spraying I guess. In fact, two TV's died from our 'pis-demeanor' kits that reside in The Kat Barn. But we are still working on a plan to provide television to the felines there in a place that they can't 'reach' and that we won't bump our heads on.

This glorious Thanksgiving  Day, I have much to be thankful for. I am thankful to all of our wonderful supporters for making it possible for us to continue our work. Without you, we could not do what we do at C & W...giving special needs felines a 'fur'ever home. All of these feline's lives, even the senior 'kit'izens, were in grave jeopardy and they all faced euthanasia due to their conditions, behaviours, or age. C & W receives no city, county, state or federal funding, so we depend solely on YOU, our supporters, grants for new projects and remodeling, estate giving, and lots of fund raising. We truly need YOU to help us continue out work in such a BIG way. We have grown from one building to the new sixth building that has been made possible again, by you, our supporters and several wonderful grants. PETCO Foundation, Doris Day Animal Foundation, and other grants have given us the opportunity to have a new building with a storage bay and an infirmary for our med technician to call her office, and where our vet can work undisturbed by felines on his visits to our site. And, of course, room for some kits that are awaiting their new rooms.

I am also thankful for the wonderful staff who tend to the felines needs daily, help with identifying any medical needs of the felines, and keep the buildings clean, sanitized, and comfy for the felines. I am grateful to Becky, Carla, Judy, Julie, Keisha, Terry, Wendy, and Chad, our youngest team member and super handyman.  He would probably describe is job as a 'gopher'...go-for-this-go-fer-that. He supplies all of the buildings with new litter weekly and does a lot of the 'heavy work' and the 'little jobs' that are needed to get ready for the seasons that change in Iowa. He helped put up all of the clear tarps on the outdoor room (and there are a LOT of them) and he's always ready and willing to help in any way.  I salute all of my staff. They are a true team and their care of the animals is superb. We will get together soon for our Christmas staff party and it is a good gathering.  I am thankful for the wonderful care they give all of the felines in our sanctuary. And the love they give them as well. For cleaning up every day after some 390 cats is a challenge they face every morning. I applaud them for what they do. They ARE TERRIFIC! Wanda and I salute each of them for their contributions to what makes C & W successful. They are dedicated to the animals and wew appreciate them coming in on holidays to be sure their 'babies' are taken care of.

And I am thankful for the many rescuers, animal welfare organizations and individuals we work with who cared about one small feline who became known as 'unadoptable' or 'adoption challenged' when they found out it had Feline leukemia or FIV. I am thankful they did not listen to their vets advice of  'it should be euthanized.' And I am thankful for the vet who, upon discovering a cat tested positive, said "if we euthanize all of them (FeLV cats), how are we going to really learn  more about the disease."  And I am also very grateful to other veterinarians who did NOT immediately give the 'first choice' as euthanasia....Like the veterinarian who personally drove little Zoey to C & W from Missouri. Zoey is Feline Leukemia, and this wonderful man gave her a 'chance at a lifetime' at C &W and came himself, to be sure that she would have a quality life and the right care.

And I am most thankful for all the felines at C &W who give us joy every day. I am grateful to have the chance for the next four days to be with them every day doing night checks, or day visits during this nice four day 'vacation' weekend. I will sit under felines, do some grooming, clip a nail here or there, perhaps read to them........ I am grateful for this special time. They are all special. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

There have ALWAYS been Cats (and more) in the Valley at Rustic Hollow Shelter

There  were always cats (and always dogs) in the valley at Rustic Hollow Shelter. Before my time and before my grandparents time... and there were horses, and dairy cows (my mom milked 30 head for years while my father taught school).....  and goats. My father had over 30 goats that resided in 'the barn' before it became The Kat Barn. The farmstead that is now Rustic Hollow has been in my family for over 175 years. The Conklin Farm was officially Willow Echo Farm in my dad's day. My father loved his outdoor cats, and Ole Yeller and Blackie were two of his favorites... Not such creative names for those two, but the names fit the cat. Both died at a very old age. In fact, Blackie nearly outlived my father. Blackie was one of the 'barn cats' who roamed freely during the day and stayed inside the barn in the straw and hay at night. Blackie followed my father every morning to the hen house so he could 'mouse' and help protect the hens. As my father aged, so did Blackie. Blackie lost his site from cataracts I suppose. He became totally blind. But he would follow my father every morning to the hen house as he always did. When my father was no longer there, it became my duty to open the top of the barn door every morning and Blackie would sail over the door and head ON HIS OWN to the hen house. He knew his way there and back and enjoyed a long happy life as a 'barn cat' at Willow Echo Farm. Blackie, in his younger days, was also a NINJA Cat. He is the only cat I have ever actually seen climb sideways UP a wall on a building next to the barn. He simply dug in his claws and did some 'rock wall climbing' without any footholds...he used the siding and he could often be seen climbing upwards in his daily 'hunt'. I won't forget Blackie, nor the First Ole' Yeller. Other animals came and left but when my father had his massive stroke, I was left in charge of a rather unruly herd of Goats. Some very friendly nanny goats and one really BIG BILLY Goat that my father always warned me to "not go in his pen'. I did not. But on occasion I did have to see that the pen was cleaned out and 'deal' with Big Billy. The theory is that you allow the Billy to be with the nanny's and you mark your calendar for the gestation period and everything is in order. (We had a calendar in the barn just for that).Well, there was a 'young Billy' too and once...well maybe twice.....during my overseeing of the herd, either Big Billy or little Bill would manage to open the doors and get in with the gals and......well.....planned parenthood didn't happen then....Wanda would get up in the night in the middle of the winter and see a frantic note from me that a goat was having its kid and I was in the 'barn'. Or a trail of towels through the house was also a 'signal of the same.' Or, she would come out of the bedroom and see and 'hear' the bleating of a tiny new kid in a box in front of the fireplace. There is definitely something to be said for 'planned parenthood' in the animal kingdom. And,  you know, we had to milk those mamas too. I have to say cold goat milk is the best to drink though I am not certain it was any more likable to me than regular cow's milk and I still do not really like milk except on cereal.
 So my goat herd of 30 exploded over time and when I was sure my father was okay with it, I found other farmers and friends to send the goats home with. Eventually my 'goating days' were over. I can tell you I was relieved.
If you have ever had a goat, or two.... you know how smart they really are. My father's goats could turn on lights that I had turned off, and they could flip up the latch and open the doors inside the barn....No, there were no 'childproof' locks for the doors back then. And, when I plugged in their winter water heater bucket and literally 'fenced it in' with a large roll of wire, I had to put the goats inside the barn so they could not actually 'see' me do it...for I knew they'd figure out how to move the roll of wire and might chew the electric cord. Actually, one of them really DID manage to get to the cord and chewed right through it. No fried goat...he might have had a thrill, but evidently the chomp was fast and completely through at one bite. Wanda will say, however, that she had no idea how much lawn area there was to mow after the goats were no longer there. They are the best lawn mowers ever.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... and I cannot forget about Duke and Duchess, a pair of the oldest geese I have ever known. They were a present from me to my parent's when I was younger. They spent the winter living in Big Billy the goat's pen in the barn..But in summers Duke and Duchess spent their time during the day outside and we always headed them inside every night so predators did not feast on goose for their supper.  Now Duke and Duchess were inseparable. And Duchess was 'the lady in charge'. I have never heard a goose fuss and nag and nag and fuss til poor old Duke did her bidding. She would make him (*yes, I said make him) chase the tires of any car that drove in. She would flap her wings from the sideline and squawk and yell til he chased the cars away. Over and over he did her bidding. Whatever Duchess wanted, Duchess got.  I remember a day when some city folk were here, actually relatives and their children. We gave them the country job of herding the geese to the barn for the night. Suddenly the children came flying into the house screaming and crying and I flew to the rescue of what I heard was a gruesome scene. "We killed a goose, we killed a goose' they yelled. I arrived to see poor Duke laying flat out on the ground, completely still, while the children's father stood helplessly by his side. "Poor goose, poor goose,' we didn't mean to kill the goose'. By that time my mother and maybe my father had come out of the house to see what the ruckus was. I went over and put my hand gently under Duke's neck, and, as I had suspected, he jumped up and took off. He had knocked himself out like a light when he turned to 'run' to the barn for his life and hit a cement block....head on.  Duchess died several  years before Duke and, I honestly think those were some pretty happy (and quiet) days in Duke's retirement. Perhaps his best days....he really seemed content then...I may have seen a smile in that beak too. Though he honored and obeyed his lady Duchess for years.
We must have eaten a lot of fresh goose eggs, cause there never were any 'little goslings' running around...... Those were the days......B.S....('Before Shelter") Those were all good days too.