Innocence

PHOEBE

I was away for a few days, my generous cousin felt I needed a mini vacation and offered one to me.  Thank you so much for your kindness Cuz.  It certainly was good to get away from this.  Above is a moment of the long weekend that made me pause and reflect.  This little girl named Phoebe caught my eye as I was walking, and I just had to stop and say something to her, and her mother.  I was mesmerized by this girl.   I couldn't stop staring at her, and I asked if I could take a picture of her. A lot of mothers would have thought I was crazy - but not Phoebe's mom.  She was a proud mother, and not only did she let me take a picture of her, but she whipped out her camera and began to show me some other pictures.  Phoebe made my day.  Because right before that, I saw two strays.  Wouldn't ya know it.  But this little girl was pure innocence.  She knows nothing about sadness, sorrow, anger, hostility, meanness.  I urge you to click on the picture above to zoom in, to see her happiness. 

It was hard for me to get back into what I do every day of the year, for an hour, at 5 a.m.  I trudged out there again, with 18 pounds of dry food and 5 container of wet food, and three water jugs.  I saw many cats waiting for their food.  Most bowls were empty.  They were starving.  I saw Tuffy on Second, with very fresh blood pouring down from his ear.  He looks terrible.  I must get him help.  Although Tuffy might be untrappable.  Even if I didn't place food there for two days, trying to get him hungry enough to go into a trap once set, he would wander to where he could find food.  He goes from place to place around there.  Someone trashed my spot on 4th and Pennsylvania.  On Thursday, my last feeding before going away, at my first spot on Parsells, they took my shelters so I had to move it next door.   Two crazy Texan brothers who lived in the house next door, whom I've spoken with in the past, happened to be standing there as I went in search of my shelters and bowls.   They said I could put the food there - well - one brother did, the other was a little less obliging.  So apparently my friend Sheryl, who took over for me the three mornings, placed food down at this little spot for the waiting kitties.  I will need to find a new location here too.   People are just not willing, or just hate cats in these neighborhoods.  Most. 

A special thanks to Sheryl, for helping me.  Thank you for your selflessness by getting up at 4 am., driving into the city from Chili, in the dark and unknown, and feeding these innocent creatures for me.

It was a sad morning today, and I wonder each time I see this sadness, and hostility towards me, how much longer I can go on.  I can't keep crying as I drive home, wondering about what opposition I will face tomorrow, what new cats I will see injured, how many more shelters will be trashed.  I like that comment someone wrote last week, I am getting cats spayed and neutered in these neighborhoods and they aren't even mine!  I am preventing this unborn population to happen!  Someone should be paying me, thanking me!~  Thanks to some of you who actually do, thank you!  But we must get some mindsets changed here.  We need to show officials that this is necessary, and I need safe havens at these locations!

Last Wednesday, I trapped a male, and Laura got to females, one was lactating.  She must have just given birth?  Either way, one less fertile male, and two less baby makers on the street.

I wish you all a wonderful day.

"Strive for progress, not perfection."