26 January 2008

Of Kitties and Old Men

Lucy decided unilaterally today that she is old enough to go outside. We’ve been keeping her in because she’s such a little, naïve thing. She tries to be friends with every person or creature she comes in contact with. Or at least play with them.

We have dogs on the property that might or might not share her playful spirit. While they’re supposed to be on leashes, they aren’t all the time. Dog owners seem to always think that their little baby would never harm a kitten, or an elderly man. They forget the innate urge that dogs have to chase and eat cats.

And then there’s the people holding the leashes of the ones on them: either just got up, hung-over and having a first cigarette of the day or an anorexic girl whose dog weighs more than she does. Kind of makes leash laws irrelevant. A leash is only as good as the person on the other end of it.

So Lucy is exploring the great outdoors for the first time. Shannon and I tried to corral her and bring her in, but two old men are no match for a kitten.

And I’m hoping that no one saw us trying to catch her. She’s smarter than either of us gave her credit for. She managed to evade our every attempt to corner or connive her into being caught.

She’s still out there, exploring the great unknown. And I have no idea when she’ll come back. It’s kind of like sending our daughter on her first date.


Now I know how Daddy felt.

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