In The Keys
I save all my aluminum cans so that I can go out and eat once in a while. John and Abbe found out and contribute as well. I got to buy them a pizza, I think. John brought over some brass and aluminum pieces. I also save all my newspapers and put them in the correct containers by the trash bin. One of the things that I really like about this wonderful place is the recycling bins. I am encouraged that they are all used quite heavily too. Another great plus for our community is the refurbished swimming pool. I know I talked about this last time, but I find the pool so much nicer now. I do like the 88° water best!

To try to pay for all the boat stuff, I got a part time job at Boot Key Bridge. I raise and lower the bridge upon request. The job is not hard, but still very important. I also see all the fine yachts that I would like to have. Oh, well, someday I will have my liveaboard berthed at the park. I've taken many people through Boot Key Harbor to Sister's Creek on a sightseeing tour. There are many fine homes and lots to see. From my boat we have seen Pretty Joe Rock, Rachel Key, Vaca Cut, John Sawyer Bank, Rachel Bank, and Bethel Bank. The best sight was the time we saw sunset at the same time a full moon was rising. That was a very special night in paradise. I especially enjoyed going out beyond Sombrero Reef to really deep water to troll. We didn't catch anything, but that did not matter. The joy was in being out there in all that beauty and grandeur.

Other wonderful boating news included Dockside which was very nice. It wasn't so nice when that bungee cord whipped at me and cut the bridge of my nose. I found out that I didn't have Band-Aids either. I got that fixed right away. Out on Stirrup Key I enjoyed a super Thanksgiving party at an amazing house right on a canal. None of that mattered much when my boat registration paperwork flew over the side and landed in the water unbeknownst to me. I finally figured out what happened and doubled back to recover the important paperwork. Finally, I would like to thank KMart, West Marine, Boater's World, and Home Depot for all the boat stuff that I needed. Of course, I keep finding great stuff in our little harbor in the marina area.

Under the heading of miscellaneous: I dispensed some advice to joining the Navy and the Seals. I still don't know who our next president will be! Of course, I emphatically believe every vote should count and be counted. The Electoral College as it is now sucks. I just found out my Uncle Tom died recently. This was another blow, because it follows so closely on the heels of my father dying last December. Yet I know life goes on. Someday we will all party in a much better place by a golden street. Lastly, I've made some more super friends added to the ones I had already. This is a great time and place!

Guest Meows!
This is Larry for Ariel. She and her two cats, Harry and Emily, gave us some wonderful Cat Chat articles this month. We are gratified that we can offer this regular article about some wonderful cats and their human bean with visits by a dragon! Please visit the Memorial Page for Ariel's mother. Click the cat wagging its tail graphic to visit their net home. Thank you. Now here is Harry, Chester, and Emily with Cat Chat:


Cat Chat 11-11-00
Atom's Strange Day

Emily: We's gonna let Atom tell all ub yous bout day strange night an day he had. We's all had it too, sorta, but he had it most. Now, I wants to tell yous, we wouldn't normally let Atom talk atall hardly, cause he's notin but a pest, but we's all talked bout it and decided he could tell bout what went on.

Harry: Yeah, he is a pain the the butt, that's fur sure, but really I didn't see much of what went on, so it's best that Atom tell bout that night and day. Course, he don't know why it all went on, but we'll clue in him to that later...teehee.

Atom: What does you mean why it all wented on? Dat's why it were so strange, cause Dar weren't no reason fur all da to do.

Chester: Oh, there was a reason...but you'll find out about it later.

Atom: what does yous mean? Tells me now! Me wanna nose!

Emily: Jus tell your story, den maybe we'll tell yous what it were all bout.

Atom (pouting): Well, ok. Slong as yous promise to tell me what yous said yous'd tell me later, k? Ok. See, it were like dis see. Me were good good alla day long. Me was gooder den eber me bin eber. Me didn't do nutin wrong alla whole day!

Emily: Yeah, right, dat's why Mom kep sayin yous was cruisin fur a bruisin. Dat means yous wasn't bad enuff fur cage time but yous wasn't really all good eider. Yous were bein a mischievous kitten pest!

Atom: Yous jus sayin dat to be mean, Em. Me were bein a good good kitten, me were. Den after it were dark, yous nose, Mom, she come home like she do sometime wid dat big case what she carry her guitar in. Me likes dat case cause she leans it up against da piano an me climbses up it an has fun wid alla stuffers up dar. Only ifn Mom catches me she alays makes me get down. Me doesn't nose why, cause me isn't doin nutin bad up dar. Me jus likes to look round an sniff alla stuffers. So anyways, she comed home and put down da case an stead ub feedin us all like she alays does when she comeses home, she scooped me up an put me in da bedroom an shut da door. Now, she done dis before sometime, like when she's puttin out special yummy food fur Harry an doesn't want me to share it. Me nose dat cause me can hear her thru da door. An sure nuff, she were puttin out food fur Harry an Em, an me figger me'll get let outta da bedroom ina liddle while. But she didn't let me out ina liddle while atall!

Harry: Yeah, she didn't, an meow dat food was yummy! Heehee!

Atom: Meow! Dat isn't nice atall! Me were wantin yummy food too, yous nose. (sniff)

Chester: Don't tease him, now. Just let him tell his story.

Harry: (sighing) Ok.

Atom: Well, so anyway, dar me was in da bedroom and me wasn't gettin let out. So me pulled da liddle rug what's by da door alla way into da bedroom and played wif it fur a while. An den Mom2 come an she dangled toys outside da door fur me to grab an dat were fun. But after a while me gots bored. So me runneded round da bedroom fur a while an somehow dis pitchur falleded offen da wall an Mom come in a asked what were goin on. Well, me scooted outta dat bedroom quicker dan quick and runneded out to da deck. Me weren't hungry really, me jus wanted to pway.

Emily: Yous alays want to play. Dat's all yous eber want to do. Dat an sleep.

Atom: Well, dat's me job! Me's da kitten! So anyway, me were bouncin round da deck an Mom came out an for me nosed it, she shut da door on me! An me were still out dar. She done dat before too, but only ifn me's been bad an me nosed me hadn't bin bad alla day, so me were real confused. But me likes it out on da deck, so me wasn't upset or nutin. At least not fur a while. Me had fun pwayin wid all me toys out dar, and looked outta da windows and curled up on my daybed..

Harry: Your daybed!

Atom: Yeah, my daybed where me sleeps alot alot. So anyways, me were habin fun and stuffers. But after a while me wanted to come back in da house. Me wanted to hang out wid Mom and pway wid Em and lick Harry and see what were in d food bowls. So me started to scritch on da door. Me scritched a long time, me meow. But den, me were out dar a long time too, fur hours an hours!

Chester: You were out there for a while. Two or three hours, I'd say. And we all heard you scratching at the door. Mom came and let you in.

Atom: Yeah, finally she did, but she didn't let me sniff da cat bowls nor look round fur Harry nor anytin. She scoopeded me up agin an put me in da bedroom agin an closeded da door agin. Me jus couldn't figger dis out atall! She neber done dat before. An it weren't like Harry were getting special yummy food or nutin. It were like Mom jus didn't want me runnin round da house no bein near her atall. Me didn't unnerstan. Me still doesn't. It were da strangest ting what eber happened to me. But it got eben stranger. See, after a liddle while Mom come to bed, an when she did she closeded da door! Wid me inside! She neber eber closeded da bedroom door before wid her inside ub it!!

Emily: An what were worse was I was shut inside wid yous, but Mom didn't nose dat until da next mornin. See, I was in my special place under da bed, where I can see eberytin what is goin on an be all ready fur when Mom goes to pee or turns on da water in da sink an da heat vent is right dar near me but no one nose I am dar. So Mom didn't nose I was dar eider. An she had dumped out my bathroom water bowl, so dar wasn't nutin to drink all night. But it wasn't like normal nights, cause she went to bed real extra early fur her, an den she wokeded up real real real early. I don't eber tink I seen her up dat early fur years. But dis were a special day.

Atom: It was? Me guess it was, cause she did wake up furry early. It were still dark out an ebertin. Me neber seed her get up when it were still dark out. But me were happy to see her wake up, fur sure!

Emily: Me too, cause I got to get outta da bedroom and get some yum yums and some water.

Atom: Me didn't eben get to do dat! Me didn't get nutin at all, cause soon as Mom opened da bedroom door an me runneded out Mom scooped me up agin and put me in da cage! Me jus couldn't figger I out atall! Me hadn't done nutin bad atall! So how come she put me in da cage? Me only hab to go in da cage when me's bad. Or ifn me hab to get taken off to dat nasty place what smell awful and da do mean tings to me.

Harry: The vet bean's place.

Atom: Yeah, dat be da place. So me wasn't happy atall, me can tell yous! Sometin were up an it didn't seem like it were nutin good fur sure. An sure nuff, Mom tookeded me cage an all and put me in da car tingy an tookeded me off to da vet bean place. An den when we got dar, she talkeded to da oder beans dar fur a few minutes, an den we left an went back home! Me wasn't sorry to get to go back home widout habing to get outta da cage an hab mean tings done to me, but me jus can't figger out what all dat were bout. Me neber been tru anytin stranger dan dat night an day. It jus don't make no sense atall, me meows!

Chester: Well, I can tell you why all that went on.

Emily: Me too! It was all cause yous was gonna go an get noodled.

Chester: Neutered. It's time to get Atom neutered.

Atom: What do dat mean?

Harry: It's been a long long time, but I member what it means. It means that they take you to the vet beans and the vet beans give you a shot and you go to sleep and when you wake up your butt is real real sore fur bout three or four days and then you don't spray all over the house like Fred Purrbox did cause he got neutered too late.

Atom: What???!!! Dat sound turrble! Me doesn't want to get noodereded! But me still don't unnerstan. How come me got stuck in da bedroom an da deck an da bedroom agin all night?

Chester: Neutering is an operation, and you can't eat anything before an operation or you'll get real sick. Mom was just keeping you away from the food and water so you wouldn't get sick the next day.

Atom: But...nutin happened. Me neber got tooked outta da cage atall. An my butt isn't sore. So how come we did all dat an me not get noodered? Me mean, me doesn't want to get noodereded, but it's jus plain weird is all. What happened? Did day decide me doesn't need to get noodereded after all?

Chester: No, I'm afraid not. Mom had made a mistake and messed up the days. You aren't supposed to go until next week.

Atom: What??!!! Yous can't mean dat me has to go tru all dat agin next week, does yous? Mom is gonna make me stay in da bedroom an da deck an da bedroom all ober agin? Oh, no! Dat's not fair atall atall. It were Mom's mistake, so me shouldn't hab to go an hab all dat done all ober agin!

Chester: I admit it doesn't seem fair, but that's the way it is, kid. Next week you're going to have to go without food all night and then go and get neutered. Don't worry, it's not that bad, really. You'll be just fine.

Atom: (sniff)

Emily: I gots to member to get outta da bedroom before I get stuck agin, dat's fur sure!

Atom: (sniff)


Cat Chat 11-13-00
Da Mighty Hunter

Chester: We always knew that we had mighty hunters in the house. Harry has been retired for a long time-longer than I 've been alive. But he and Emily tell stories about his hunts. Harry always brought home part of his prey as a treasure for Mom.

Harry: That's what cats are spposed to do! Even tho Emily has never figgered that out.

Emily: Hey, I eats alla my prey. Sides, Mom don't want it. She alays threw your treasures offen da porch soon as she found dem.

Harry: Yeah, but she alays praised me and told me what a mighty hunter I was and how proud she was of me! How else would she know I was such a good hunter and protector of our territory ifn I didn't bring her a treasure?

Emily: But she alays nosed dat I'm a mighty hunter. An she praises me alla time!

Harry: Only because she's seed yous eating stuffers in the yard. An she when she praises you it's alays to say how beautiful yous are, not to tell you yous are a mighty hunter. The only time she told yous that is when you caught that boidie what got into the house.

Emily: Ooooo, dat were so fun!! I wished dat oder boidies would come in. It's so much easier to catch dem when day is in here! Mom2 sure were upset about dat doe. She is jus too sensitive bout dat kinda stuffers. I means, she nose us kitties hunt stuffers cause dat's part of our job, but she gets all Oooo an Ick an Yuck bout it when she sees us doin it. She has to get up and leab da room an stuffers. She jus don't unnerstan us really, I meow.

Chester: I think she understands. She just doesn't like seeing you cats doing it. She is real sensitive, like you said, Em. I bet if she had to kill a pig to get that ham that we all love so much she wouldn't ever eat it at all!

Emily: Teeheehee!! Yous right bout dat, I meow! She's kinda squeamish bout lotsa tings. Like how she doesn't like to touch most food wid her hands. She uses a knife an fork fur most eberytin but samiches.

Harry: Not alla time. She puts butter on her finer to let me lick it. I love butter!

Chester: That's only because she spoils you rotten. She spoils both you and Em, especially since Mom brought Atom into the house.

Emily: Yeah, we gots her trained good! She's furry special Mom, eben ifn he is squeamish.

Harry: That's fur sure! She's bout as special as special can be! So I guess it is best that you don't bring her treasures when you hunt. She druther not nose bout that stuffers. But someone sure brought her one heck of a present a couple days ago!

Emily: Merowww, dat were one sprise! I neber tought da little monster had it in him!

Chester: I never thought a mouse would come into a house owned by three cats! That was one stupid mouse! See, what happened was, this mouse came into the kitchen from outside early in the morning. Harry and Emily and I were all asleep, and so was Mom. Atom was too, but that kid has bionic ears. He heard that mouse and whoosh! He was on it in nothing flat!

Emily: I nosed that kitten were fast, but he musta been like lightnin. I heard da mousie squeal once and runned out to see what were goin on, but it were all ober by da time I got in da kitchen. Atom had killed dat mouse wid one bite! I was mazed! I figgered he were jus a worthless silly kitten, but I gotta admit, he's turned out to be one heck of a mouser!

Harry: Well, we all stood there and watched. There wasn't anything else to do: it was Atom's mouse then. And boy was he cited! He rolled over and over on that mouse, mewing and chewing on it, but he didn't try to eat it. I guess he didn't figger out that toys can be food.

Emily: Or maybe he jus wanted to play wid it fur a while. I likes to do dat, but I let dem stay live while I plays. Anyway, Atom didn't have much time to eat dat mouse, cause Mom2 woked up an come into da kitchen to get her a coke. She sawed Atom playin wid somethin, but didn't tink much bout it at first...

Chester: Until she noticed we were all sitting there watching him. We don't do that when he's just playing with a toy! So she looked a little closer, and said "hmmm, I didn't think his toy mice were that long." Then she noticed the tail and the teeth and she gave a little shriek. She didn't want to make too much noise because Mom was still fast asleep. Of course, Mom2 could have screamed and Mom would probably just opened one eye and fallen back asleep. Heehee!

Harry: That's fur sure, Mom can sleep through bout anything. Anyways Mom2 was really upset. She thought it was disgusting that Atom was having so much fun with the mousie. She went and got the dustpan and scooped it up and put it on the washing machine. Then she washed her hands real good and told Atom not to get near her cause he was all germy and wrote Mom a note saying eek! There's a dead mouse on the washing machine. I don't nose why she didn't just throw it out the door, but she wanted Mom to do that.

Emily: Well, Mom woked up finally an course she didn't notice da note. She just got her some water an went an said good mornin to Mom2. An Mom2 tol her alla bout what happened. An she insisted dat Mom gib Atom a baf an clean his mouf too, cause he was all cobered wid mousie germs. Mom tought it was funny and too she was real real proud ub Atom. She went in an called him a mighty hunter and praised him up an down. She didn't tink a ting bout Atom needin a baf, but Mom2 wouldn't hab it any oder way. So after Mom finished praisin Atom fur being so good and threwed out da mousie, she got ready to gib da monster kitten a baf.

Chester: It was all so funny. Mom tried to tell Mom2 that it was good that Atom had caught the mouse. After all, it was better than having it run around the house. Mom2 agreed, grudgingly. But she still wouldn't touch Atom until he was all cleaned up. So Mom got out towels and her shampoo and toothpaste too. Then she took Atom and put him in the kitchen sink and bathed him real good. She put a little toothpaste in his mouth and rubbed it around and rinsed it out, and soaped him down real good with the shampoo. He was squalling and trying to get away, but Mom has lots of experience bathing cats and she wouldn't let go.

Emily: That was my favorite part. I lubed seein dat monster get all wet an soaped up an upset. I laffed an laffed! Finally Mom rinsed him off and rubbed him down with towels and took him and showed Mom2 dat he were all clean. An den he had to spend hours washin hisself to get dry and smellin right. Only after dat would Mom2 touch him agin. But Mom still praised an praised Atom, sayin what a good boy he is an stuffers. An I gotta admit, he did good. Eben tho I wished I'da got dat mousie foist. I woulda feasted good!

Harry: And then you'd be the one that had to get a bath! Teehee!

Emily: Um...maybe it is better dat Atom got dat mousie after all!


Cat Chat 11-20-00
White Stuffers Early

Harry: Meow, we had a sprise the other day. There we were, minding our own business all night...

Chester: Which mostly means sleeping, except for Atom, who runs around some at night too.

Harry: Yeah, he does, but it doesn't bother me any cause I'm sleeping next to Mom. Anyways, like I was saying, we was minding our own business alla night long, right in the middle of November even, and when we woked up what does yous think we saw? White stuffers! Cold white stuffers everywhere! There isn't spossed to be white stuffers round here in November!

Emily: Dar sure isn't sposed to be! It's sposed to be cool an nice in November! Maybe it rains a little, but dar's neber white stuffers. Da earliest in da year dat we eber has to hab white stuffers is maybe December. But dar it was, all cold an wet an slushy an nasty. I couldn't believe it! Dar I was all ready to go outside an " column break column break column break ...hey, Atom, what is you doin? Get offen da keyboard!

Atom: Teehee! Dis be fun! '';./.,l Heeheeheehee!

Chester: Atom! You're ruining everything! Shoo! You can't type!

Atom: Well, but it's fun tryin! I's doing purrty good, see? Xscdscsaxszxcs See how good me done?

Chester: You're just stepping all over the keys. You're not writing anything! Go away or I won't write what you say anymore.

Atom: Sheesh! Me were jus habin fun. Yous all isn't no fun atall (slinking away).

Emily: Well, now that that's over, what was I sayin? Oh! I was at da top of da stairs an I lookeded down an I were jus horrorfided! Dar was dat nasty stuffers coberin alla da pretty leabs an plants an eberytin! Well, I tought bout it fur a minute, den I decided to try to go look round anyways. Meow da stuffers were cold! An it stuck to my paws somethin awful! Dar was no way I was gonna roll I dat nasty stuffers. So I went back up da steps and meowed to get let in an came in an got warm an eated some yum-yums. Den a little later I went out on da deck and jus watched da stupid squirrels runnin round in dat white stuffers like nothin were wrong atall! Dem squirrels jus don't hab no brains. Eben ifn day is purrty fast.

Harry: Too fast fur yous, dat's fur sure! Heehee!

Emily: Humph! I neber seed yous bringin home any squirrels tails neider!

Harry: I simply chose not to waste my energy on squirrels. I had my hands full with all those freeloading cats what was alays coming in the yard.

Emily: Well, I guess yous hab a point dar. But I bet squirrels were to fast fur yous anyways. When yous still hunted, dat is.

Harry: As I said, I never chose to waste my energy on them. I also nosed better than to set paw in that white stuffers dat come too early. Unlike some people I nose! But then, yous wasn't the only cat in this house that went out in that stuffers!

Chester: That's for sure. A certain not so small black and white thing went out in it and Mom had a heck of a time getting him to come back in! Well, actually, first she took him out the front door and carried him down so he could see the snow. See, Mom thinks that all kitties, and dragons too, should see what snow is really like at least once. I had my look last year, and I have no desire to go take another look ever. But Atom, on the other hand...

Emily: Atom runneded back up the stairs lickety split! He were sceered, he were! Heehee!

Harry: Yeah, but only at first. Then Mom opened the back door so I could see out good. I took a long look and sniffed and nosed I didn't want to go out atall. But Atom was right behind me, of course. He's alays right there ifn anyone opens the back door. And he was fascinated by the white stuffers. He put out a paw, and after an minute put out another, and in a minute more he was alla way out the door. Now, Mom was watching, and she didn't think much about it cause he'd run back in before. She was sure that he'd just run back in any second. But he didn't. He runneded down the steps and out to the tree, and when he turned around he had this wild look in his eyes. I nosed what he was saying wid those eyes and that tail. He was saying wow! This is the neatest thing I ever seed! This is more than a kitten could ever hope fur!

Chester: Mom knew that was what he was saying too. She realized that he wasn't going to come in by himself. He was having fun!

Atom: Me sure was! It were so credible neat and fun and cold and smelled so different special. Oh! Oh! It were so wundermous citin it were!

Emily: I tought you'd gone way. Go way agin.

Atom: But yous is talkin bout my venture. Me should tell bout it, me meow. See, me were sceered when Mom put me out front, cause me nose dat Mom alays chases me back in from dar. So dat's why me runneded up da steps. Cause me nosed Mom would yell at me to get up on da deck purrty soon. But out da back be a differnt ting. Me's runneded outta da back door before. Mom chases me, but at least me gets to pway a liddle. So when dat back door opened an me smelled dat weird smell me jus had ta go out in it. It were cold on my paws an wet and fun so fun! An I lookeded back at Mom an she were sayin Atom get back here right now! But me couldn't go back. Me were too cited. So Mom left da door an me tought well, she's gonna let me pway, but me was wrong.

Harry: Yeah, she only went to get some shoes. Then out the back door she went into that nasty white stuffers after the monster. She left the door open, cause she thought fur sure Atom would come back in fast when his feets got cold. But he didn't come in and she had to chase him alla way round the house and up the stairs.

Atom: Yeah, dat were lotsa fun! Mom didn't runned atall, cause it were slippery fur her. But fur my liddle paws it weren't slippery atall, so me runneded an jumped an pwayed an had lotsa fun before Mom got me close to dem stairs. Den up me runneded an into da house. It were a wunnerful venture, it were. Heehee!

Chester: Well, I have to admit, Mom didn't seem too mad at you. I guess she figured you deserved one play in the snow. And by the next day, the snow was all gone. It hasn't gotten much warmer. I stay inside mostly unless it's really sunny on the deck. Winter is coming. But for one odd day in November we had winter. I hope that's all the snowy winter we have.

Atom: Me hopes we has lots an lots more so as me can sneak out dat back door an pway in it agin! Dat would be eber so much fun!

Harry: I wouldn't count on Mom letting yous get out again, Atom. She nose how you'll act now. Atom: Oh, me'll get out. Jus wait an see! Teehee!


Cat Chat 11-25-00
Ham and Yams

Chester: Thanksgiving came again last week. I think it's really cool that it comes every year! It my favorite holiday!

Emily: Chester made a pig of himself--again! I tink he must have eaten three quarts of yams. It's a good thing Mom cooked a lot of food. Grandpa bean was over to eat and seemed to enjoy everything lots. He's a nice bean, even tho he pays more tention to Atom than to me.

Atom: Dat's cause me is more fun dan yous! Teehee!

Chester: Well, you're certainly crazier than Em, but I think it's more of a novelty thing. You're new, so Grandpa bean finds you interesting. Besides, you do have a tendency to get up into people's plates while they are eating. It's sort of hard not to pay attention to you when you do that!

Atom: Well, me has to see what is goin on, doesn't me? Yous neber nose ifn dar might be somethin yummy dar.

Harry: That's furry true. Yous never nose ifn there might be some good nibbles on the beans' plates. Tho I didn't enjoy the ham as much this year. It was a little hard fur me to chew. I like stuffers I can just lap up these days. But it's nice to be offered a taste.

Emily: It sure is. I tought da ham was yummy, but I didn't eat too much. I still like my cat food better.

Chester: All the more for me! Teehee! And the ham was wonderful. So was everything else. Grandpa thinks it's a bit odd to have a dragon at the table, but he seems to be getting used to the way things are in our house. The Moms turned on football for him, which made him happy. They hate football, but he loves it. I don't understand football at all. It seems barbaric to me. I like watching basketball with Mom2 a whole lot better. But it made Grandpa happy, so that's what counts. Everyone said what a great cook Mom is--and she is, always. She makes great food.

Emily: Yes, she is. There's always something yummy to be had at dinnertime. And Thanksgiving was fun. Chester is big enough to sit on a chair jus like a bean. That was quite a sight, I meow, seein him sitting there at da table wid the Moms and Grandpa. He was too little last year and was down on the floor wid us cats. It was a nice day. Still, it was nice too when Grandpa went back home and it was jus us agin. Mom2 was itching to get back to watchin all the politically stuffers what has been goin on on TV. She's been glued to that fur days and days. Mom watches some too, but Mom2 is the real politically analyst in da fambly. She nose more bout dat stuffers dan da beans what is running for da offices do, I meow! I tink she oughta run fur one ub dem offices herself. She'd do lots better den dose beans what is already in dar. She's one smart bean, Mom2 is!

Harry: She sure is! She's the smartest bean I ever nosed. Mom nose lots of stuffers bout music and science fictiony stuffers, but Mom2 nose all bout real stuffers. It's neat to hear her talkin bout it. I love sitting and listening to her talk all bout that political stuffers. And basketball stuffers too. She nose everything in the world, I meow!

Chester: She certainly seems to. And if she doesn't, she goes surfing on the Web until she finds out all about it. And she remembers it all too! I didn't think humans had such good memories. Mom remembers weird things, like the words to silly songs Grandpa used to sing or funny family stories. But Mom2 can name names of all the politicians and what they do and don't do. And she studies all sorts of other stuff too. Mom does all the writing, and Mom2 does all the reading and tells Mom what's going on in the world. They make a pretty good team, I think. Mom cooks great and Mom2 knows everything. It works out quite well. Especially when we have leftover ham and yams to eat while Mom2 is telling us all about what happened in the world that day! Heehee!

Harry: Yous and your ham and yams! Silly dragon! But we did have yummy leftovers fur sure that night and the next day too. Now basketball season is in full swing, as Mom says, and I get to snuggle on the couch between the Moms and listen to them talk bout basketball stuffers, when they're not talking bout politically stuffers.

Emily: You'd sit on the couch and snuggle wid da Moms not matter what dey were watching!

Harry: Well, of course, but I like listening to them too. I specially like Mom2 talking to me, cause she baby talks me so sweet.

Emily: She does do nice baby talk to us. She's a furry special Mom. We's lucky to own her.

Atom: Me doesn't nose bout all dat politiker stuffers, but me lubs watchin da basetball games on da TV. Eberytin mobes real fast an me tries to catch da beans but me can't. But it's fun to try.

Chester: Teehee! It's so funny to watch Atom watch TV. He paws at it like he's really going to catch the things moving on the screen. He especially likes it when one of the Moms fast forward a tape.

Atom: Yeah, dat's special fun! An da Moms don't neber yell at me fur doin it neider, which be real nice cause it seem like me is alays gettin in trouble fur sometin. But me jus likes to pway. Me pway wid eberytin me can. Em pways wid me a lot now.

Emily: I do not! I paw whap you and growl. I don't play! Humph!

Chester: Em, admit it, you do play with Atom more and more. Only instead of playing Meow and Chase like you did with Harry, you play Growl and Chase. It amounts to the same thing. I can tell you're having fun.

Emily: Well, maybe. Sometimes. But da monster kitten is still a pain mosta da time. Anyways, now dat Harry isn't up to playing Meow and Chase anymore, I hab to hab someone to play wid. Balls and yarn are fine, but it's nice to sink my teeth and claws into someting dat wriggles an fights back. I guess he's turning out to be not so bad, some of da time. But I miss Meow and Chase wid Harry. I wished he wasn't getting old and tired so we could play agin. He does da Meow part sometime, but isn't much fur chasing no more.

Chester: Aha! I finally got you to admit it! You do have fun with Atom around. He's getting to be a much better behaved kitten too, not just an air-headed monster.

Atom: Me's a good boy! Me's only had to hab cage time twicet dis week. Dat's real real good, me meow!

Harry: Yes, you're even behaving better around me, part of the time. It's a big relief! I don't like getting my head jumped on, yous nose.

Atom: Me doesn't mean to make yous unhappy, Harry. Me lubs yous. Me jus get cited is all. But we was talkin bout Thanksgibin before. How many more days is it fur we gets to hab it again?

Chester: Not until next year, kid. But Christmas is coming soon, and that's lots and lots of fun. You'll love it.

Atom: What be Chrissmas??

Emily: You'll see. An we'll splain it all to yous too, when it gets closer, cause we hab a Christmas column to write. We did a real good one last year. We has to tink ub sometin real good fur dis year too.

Harry: I've been thinking that myself.

Atom: Tell me now! Me want to nose what yous is all talkin bout!

Emily: You'll jus hab to wait. Dat's part ub Christmas. Waitin, I mean.

Atom: But, but...otay. Me'll wait. Me'll jus go chase dis ball til yous is ready to tell me.

Emily: Good, yous do dat. Now, Harry, what is we gonna write bout fur Christmas?

Harry: Hmmm...I have an idea or two. We'll talk about it later. I'm going to go nap.

Chester: And I'm going to go raid the refrigerator!

Emily: Ok. Hmmm...Christmas...Christmas...

Cat Chat is © 1999 - 2008, 2009 Ariel, Emily, Harry, and Chester the Dragon. All rights reserved worldwide. This column may not be reprinted in part or whole without express permission of Ariel.

Poetry Corner
“Lake of Mar” 11.10.00 
by L. E. Shaffer © 2000 L. E. Shaffer

Lake of Mar
Silver placid surface
Peace at last
Dying sunrays

Blessings muttered
Slowly, deliberately
Golden due
Upon the head

Wind stilled
And soundless
Surface utterly becalmed
Warmed and framed

Sunset alive
Stars being born
Moons at play
On Lake of Mar

The wind knows
What yet
Is to come
Words useless

As Runes of Ao
Play in rays
Of spent light
Till one is seen

In the face
Of one moon
Reflected of
The other serene

Silvery surface
Glassed over
No stirrings
As prophecies

Run rampant
In the aftermath
On Lake of Mar
Placid, still, serene

© 2000 L. E. Shaffer

Hockey Puck
In the NHL the Florida Panther are finally winning games instead of a tie or an overtime loss. In the NFL, the Miami Dolphins have amazed us and are still in first place. Don't count on it lasting though. In MLB, nothing is going on thankfully. In the NBA, you can count on boring being the norm. The Miami Heat are not doing well without Zo. Oh, my! NASCAR is over. Can't wait till Daytona. In golf, Tiger Woods won eleven tournaments this year. Go Tiger! Well, that's it for sports!

Guest Articles
We have a poem by Katje and a promo from Rhenn.

"Untitled"
by Katje

I weep from the eyes
and wish I could die
now I am silent
too tired to cry

The night is so dark
no star to be seen
A landscape of sorrow
where I have never been

The moon does not shine
her light does not bless
The storm raging in me
I like even less

tossed by this storm
I am carried away
into the endless night
away from the day

Here in this darkness
filled with lost cries
I dwell all alone
and weep from my eyes...

Promo by Rhenn

The Mountains of Ao
Tears from Ao and two poetry collections, Pages of Life and Visions of Life, are available electronically at http://RunesofAo.com/aobp/. The Runes of Ao project, The Mountains of Ao novel currently on chapter 13 of 22, and the The Book of Kalian Mysticism poetry collection are all works in progress. The third poetry collection called Moments of Life is about to be published. Also a collaboration with K. Young on a novella called Dragon Embers is now published on the webzine called The Outer Rim and AlphaOmega Bookstore & Publisher.

The Dull Stuff
Inputs and letters to this journal are subject to approval by Ebony and Abby. Submittals may be edited for content and become the property of:

Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company
Merchant Occupational License #48210-0076151
PO Box 501833
Marathon FL 33050-1833
(305) 743-9648 voice/data/fax

Internet URLs: http://RunesofAo.com
http://RunesofAo.com/aobp/
http://RunesofAo.com/ebony/
http://RunesofAo.com/abby/

Publication date: November 30, 2000
Author: L. E. Shaffer
Company: Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company &
Shaffer Internet Publishing Company
© 1995 - 2008, 2009 L. E. SHAFFER
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FIRST PRINTING

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