(NOTE: View a larger picture by clicking on the photo(s) above.)
First and foremost, let me say that Carolyn is on the road to recovery from her bout with pneumonia. It has been a slow go, but she is much stronger now, but not yet 100 percent. Soon!
I wanted to show you a picture of Miss Kitty, but I don’t have one. I took one, actually I took three, but none turned out. Either I was moving or Miss Kitty was. So it goes.
I returned to the trailer one day from visiting Carolyn at the hospital and found that we had company in the only other site in the Picnic Area. The second site was occupied by the Park Manager’s parents for the Labor Day weekend. As I approached our trailer Eric (the Park Manager) asked if we owned a cat. I told him we didn’t. He said that there was a gray cat hanging around. I didn’t see a cat at that time.
The next day when I got home, the gray cat was lying in the middle of the activity of Eric’s two young boys and the rest of the family. The cat seemed to hardly notice the activity of the two rambunctious boys, content to stare off into space. The following day our new neighbors left. That evening when I got home I went outside to relax in the swing beside our trailer. I glanced over to the vacant site and saw the cat preening itself on the bench next to the picnic table.
The cat looked at me for a moment, jumped off the bench and began a slow amble toward me. It reached a pine tree near the swing and began to rub the trunk. It came closer and rubbed the six-by-six post holding the swing. It next moved to the other post and soon began to rub on my legs. It looked at me for a moment then jumped onto the swing next to me and began rubbing my arm with great fervor. I talked to the cat and it began to lick my arm, then to nibble on my elbow. “Hey, watch that! I‘m not your dinner.”
The cat was obviously a young female. I guessed it to be less than a year old. It would hang around most of the day, then go off to hunt in the evening. When Carolyn got home from the hospital, we spent more time relaxing in the swing in the company of the cat. For want of a better name, since it was obviously a female and a young kitten, we dubbed it “Miss Kitty.” It continued to lick and nibble at us.
The cat developed the habit of waiting for us to come out of the trailer each morning. At first it laid under the picnic table out from the door. Then it progressed to the rug in front of the steps. Next it sat on the lower step, then the upper step waiting on us. Finally, it began knocking on the door for us to come out. Really! It would stretch upward on its hind legs and rattle the handle at the door, and meow.
Several days later I told Eric (you remember, that’s the Park Manager) that the cat was still hanging around our trailer. He said, “Jennifer (his wife) really wanted that cat. We came over looking for it the night my parents left and couldn’t find it.” I told him it was still there and he could come and get it. They came one evening, but the cat didn’t show. He said he would bring a cage to put it in if I would. Eric and his wife brought a large dog travel cage over and we agreed to put the cat in it and give him a call when it was done.
The next morning the cat was “knocking” as usual. I went out with a bowl of tuna, we had never fed it before, and walked it to the cage. I put the food inside. The cat followed. I shut the door. She didn’t like that one bit, but she ate the food and soon Eric and Jennifer came to take their new family member home. I checked on her later and she was adjusting to her new family and eating well. I don’t know what they named the cat, but we sort of missed our “Miss Kitty.”
We have enjoyed our time here at Fort Yargo. Our campsite (another picture of which you see above) by the lake has been most favorable. We like to watch the activity on the lake. The second picture above shows a group of students from the University of Georgia sculling on the lake. The University maintains a warehouse of sculls and sailboats at the park and use the lake for their activity regularly.
The animal quackers (Canadian Geese) also favor us with their presences on a regular basis, as you can see from the picture above. Their loud “quacks” get our attention early in the morning and late in the evening. The drawback to this beauty is what is left behind in the form of duck “poop.” But, nature will be nature.
The Park is a good place to live, but apparently good also for the dead. The Park surrounds an old family graveyard that is still preserved. The graveyard is located only a short walk from our trailer. Above you see an old grave marker from long ago.
We are scheduled to leave Fort Yargo in two days, September 30th. We were not sure that we would be able to leave because of the gas shortage in this area. Most all stations are without fuel. I was lucky enough today to fine one that had some diesel, for $4.79.9 per gallon. So we will be leaving on schedule to Stephen C. Foster State Park in the U.S. Game Preserve in the Okefenokee Swamp in south Georgia, bordering Florida. We are not sure if we will have any cell phone service there. So, if we don’t answer your call, you will know why. We will be there through the end of the year.
We will let you know how we and the alligators get along next time. Until then, keep good thoughts.
P.S. In case you want to know, our address for the next three months (Oct - Dec) will be at Stephen C. Foster State Park, 17515 Hwy 177, Fargo, GA 31631.
First and foremost, let me say that Carolyn is on the road to recovery from her bout with pneumonia. It has been a slow go, but she is much stronger now, but not yet 100 percent. Soon!
I wanted to show you a picture of Miss Kitty, but I don’t have one. I took one, actually I took three, but none turned out. Either I was moving or Miss Kitty was. So it goes.
I returned to the trailer one day from visiting Carolyn at the hospital and found that we had company in the only other site in the Picnic Area. The second site was occupied by the Park Manager’s parents for the Labor Day weekend. As I approached our trailer Eric (the Park Manager) asked if we owned a cat. I told him we didn’t. He said that there was a gray cat hanging around. I didn’t see a cat at that time.
The next day when I got home, the gray cat was lying in the middle of the activity of Eric’s two young boys and the rest of the family. The cat seemed to hardly notice the activity of the two rambunctious boys, content to stare off into space. The following day our new neighbors left. That evening when I got home I went outside to relax in the swing beside our trailer. I glanced over to the vacant site and saw the cat preening itself on the bench next to the picnic table.
The cat looked at me for a moment, jumped off the bench and began a slow amble toward me. It reached a pine tree near the swing and began to rub the trunk. It came closer and rubbed the six-by-six post holding the swing. It next moved to the other post and soon began to rub on my legs. It looked at me for a moment then jumped onto the swing next to me and began rubbing my arm with great fervor. I talked to the cat and it began to lick my arm, then to nibble on my elbow. “Hey, watch that! I‘m not your dinner.”
The cat was obviously a young female. I guessed it to be less than a year old. It would hang around most of the day, then go off to hunt in the evening. When Carolyn got home from the hospital, we spent more time relaxing in the swing in the company of the cat. For want of a better name, since it was obviously a female and a young kitten, we dubbed it “Miss Kitty.” It continued to lick and nibble at us.
The cat developed the habit of waiting for us to come out of the trailer each morning. At first it laid under the picnic table out from the door. Then it progressed to the rug in front of the steps. Next it sat on the lower step, then the upper step waiting on us. Finally, it began knocking on the door for us to come out. Really! It would stretch upward on its hind legs and rattle the handle at the door, and meow.
Several days later I told Eric (you remember, that’s the Park Manager) that the cat was still hanging around our trailer. He said, “Jennifer (his wife) really wanted that cat. We came over looking for it the night my parents left and couldn’t find it.” I told him it was still there and he could come and get it. They came one evening, but the cat didn’t show. He said he would bring a cage to put it in if I would. Eric and his wife brought a large dog travel cage over and we agreed to put the cat in it and give him a call when it was done.
The next morning the cat was “knocking” as usual. I went out with a bowl of tuna, we had never fed it before, and walked it to the cage. I put the food inside. The cat followed. I shut the door. She didn’t like that one bit, but she ate the food and soon Eric and Jennifer came to take their new family member home. I checked on her later and she was adjusting to her new family and eating well. I don’t know what they named the cat, but we sort of missed our “Miss Kitty.”
We have enjoyed our time here at Fort Yargo. Our campsite (another picture of which you see above) by the lake has been most favorable. We like to watch the activity on the lake. The second picture above shows a group of students from the University of Georgia sculling on the lake. The University maintains a warehouse of sculls and sailboats at the park and use the lake for their activity regularly.
The animal quackers (Canadian Geese) also favor us with their presences on a regular basis, as you can see from the picture above. Their loud “quacks” get our attention early in the morning and late in the evening. The drawback to this beauty is what is left behind in the form of duck “poop.” But, nature will be nature.
The Park is a good place to live, but apparently good also for the dead. The Park surrounds an old family graveyard that is still preserved. The graveyard is located only a short walk from our trailer. Above you see an old grave marker from long ago.
We are scheduled to leave Fort Yargo in two days, September 30th. We were not sure that we would be able to leave because of the gas shortage in this area. Most all stations are without fuel. I was lucky enough today to fine one that had some diesel, for $4.79.9 per gallon. So we will be leaving on schedule to Stephen C. Foster State Park in the U.S. Game Preserve in the Okefenokee Swamp in south Georgia, bordering Florida. We are not sure if we will have any cell phone service there. So, if we don’t answer your call, you will know why. We will be there through the end of the year.
We will let you know how we and the alligators get along next time. Until then, keep good thoughts.
P.S. In case you want to know, our address for the next three months (Oct - Dec) will be at Stephen C. Foster State Park, 17515 Hwy 177, Fargo, GA 31631.
So glad to hear that Carolyn is doing better.
ReplyDeleteMiss you guys.
Much love,
Debbie Lowe