 The Shaffer Journal
Volume 3 Issue 8 August 1997
What follows is the August 1997 journal published by my company as written, produced, and managed by the cats. Lots of good stuff this issue thanks to the cats. Note: This edition was ready to go very early in August, but was delayed due to my father's illness. He is getting better now and at home. Seems like things conspire against us when it comes to getting these monthly journals out. Sorry it took so long to get this edition on line. Thanks. July was a sad time for I Ebony, Abby, and our human bean. Kitty became very sick the early part of July 1997. She suddenly died of a stroke on July 9, 1997. These journals are now dedicated to her spirit. We all loved you, Kitty! Click on the cat graphic below to visit Kitty's Memorial page. Kitty Talk
 Kitty born June 6, 1982. Died July 9, 1997. I Ebony have to take over diss journal now with dee help of Abraxas WhiteCat. I nose dat hard for human bean tongues. So I Ebony gives Abraxas the wonderful nickname of Abby. Meow! Nice vets help us get Kitty ready for her final trip home. Day sad like us. Kitty born, raised, and loved hills of southeastern Ohio. The trip to Virginia to pick up human bean's parents was hard on me Ebony. I missed Kitty so much dat I cried and cried. We continued on to Ohio with human bean's parents who were furrrry nice to me. When we gets to human bean brother's place, day already have a furrrry nice spot in pet cemetery picked out and ready. Human bean and brother performed the sad duty of burying Kitty in a nice sunny spot close to her old hunting grounds. I nose Kitty looking down from Rainbow Bridge meowing at us to stop being sad now. I be Abby and only little kitten, but I hears all kinds of stories about Kitty. Before Kitty died, she had pawed two stories waiting to be puts here. Here is one of them about an old dawg named Patches from Kitty's point of view. Here it tis: (Note: Patches was a very old dog that belong to our human bean's parents for almost 15 years before he had to be put to sleep and go to Rainbow Bridge.) I Kitty sorry to see Patches go to Rainbow Bridge, but he was getting on in years. Hard for him even to eat there at the last. I remember giving him a bath and batting at him from the protection of the inner part of the bi-level coffee table. I used to ambush him from the hidden corner of the kitchen near the refrigerator. I remembers how he bit people on the way out not on the way in! Heaven has enough room for one little poodle mix of a dog called Patches. He is now resting peacefully in the Shaffer Pet Cemetery in Ohio on the side of a hill. It is a wonderfully cool spot with a breeze and a bit of sun in the afternoon. I misses that old, scruffy dog, even if he was just a slobbering dingo dawg and not really a real a doggone cat!!! I Abby back to meow dat was good article from Kitty GreyCat. Come back and see Kitty's last article featured here in Kitty Talk, of course. Ice meowing and pawing some furrrrry good cat article meshelf. I learns lots and lots from Ebony and whoman bean. Eben kittens can do diss stuff! Meow now and be good till next month. Florida Keys
We have exciting news! We are moving to the Keys. Here is our new address:
Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company
PO Box 501833
Marathon, FL 33050-1833
Our new telephone number is (305) 743-9648. Come and visit us sometime. Call first. Duck calls are always preferable but moose calls will be accepted too! Internet Stuff
I am amazed as always of all the stuff you can do and see on the Internet. It continues to grow rapidly every day. But I was surprised at the reaction of many to the news of Kitty's death. The outpouring of sympathy and understanding was unbelievable. Kitty got over 400 email sympathies. Some sent graphical tributes. Others put up web pages for Kitty. This does not count the number responding on two busy cat bulletin boards that Kitty used to frequent. I felt part of a larger community. For all that might be wrong, this one thing was so right. Kitty was just a cat, but she loved us all. Thanks to all of you! Hockey News
Well, I no longer have season tickets. I should cry, but that is that. I will be able to go to select games in Miami watching the Florida Panthers. The excitement of the coming season continues to grow. I read the hockey news every day and examined every trade. Soon the regular season puck drops and the race for the cup is on! Marathon Trip
I decided on the spur of the moment to visit Marathon and Gulfstream Trailer Park and Marina in the Florida Keys. I got a reservation at the Holiday Inn for half price off courtesy of Microsoft. I checked out the maps to Marathon on the Internet. The Internet showed me where the hotel and the park were in the city. I got all caught up on my email and web site. I left early in the morning and filled up the truck at Texaco at Pinellas Park in the Tampa Bay area. Crossing the Skyway Bridge is always a thrill, but not worth the two dollars toll. The countryside was beautiful. I stopped at McDonalds and enjoyed myself with a nice breakfast. I like fast food places. Back on the road again and passed Fort Myers. The coffee was especially good there. I guess I don't get out much anymore. I am easy to please. Then passed Naples to thunderstorms everywhere. Alligator alley (I-75 toll road) was okay, but US41 was much better. There was more to see. On SR997 saw all kinds of crops growing. It made me miss Ohio some, I must say. Marathon was simply outstanding. It has a population of about 15000 or so and is situated on about a eleven-mile stretch. But there was at least one of everything that a big city would have. Gulfstream Park was more than I expected. I was especially impressed with the owners. Very friendly and helpful. The park's layout was very nice, but I liked the pool looking out over the Gulf of Mexico the most. The beaches were not very sandy, but functional. There were lots of bike paths. I saw boats everywhere, of course. I liked the hometown radio station. It was quaint but entertaining, the music good. On the way back I visited Key West first. It is very much a provincial city, but nice in its own way. Key Largo was nice. There were lots of bridges. The scenery was excellent with the Gulf and the Atlantic on either side. And the water so clear and warm! I enjoyed the Everglades and thought Homestead looked wonderful considering all they had been through. I visited all the rest areas before pulling into Seminole and back home. I realized as I turned the truck's engine off that I wanted to live in the Florida Keys in the great city of Marathon at Gulfstream Trailer Park and Marina! Did I say they have a marina too?!?! Poetry Corner
Scully's Place on the Internet asked for a poem, and I was happy to oblige: "Magik Into My Life"
July 29, 1997 There upon blue mountains
A golden sun waxes old
Dusk spins the notes
Of a song so fair Fireflies glow warmly
Here and there . . .
Warm breezes moving
And the squeak of a swing Moon rises slowly
Magically reflecting
On still pond
And the stars sing Of roses wafting fragrant
Sublime, lost in time
And all in a tune
Subtle music to closed eyes And in the moonshine
Comes the angels
Down from blue mountains
Bringing magic into my life . . . For there we are
Hand in hand
Swinging that old swing
Listening to the night's mood Not a word said
But all shared
In simple love
With magic in our minds In the Park
It is with heavy heart that I must say goodbye to all my many friends here at Roycroft in the Tampa Bay area. You residents of the park made it very special. You all will be missed. I want to especially thank Annabelle, Pam, Roger, Treca, Alta, John, Gene, Mary, Al, and all those that I have unforgivably forgotten to mention. Many friends have moved on to new earthly places and some to that big campground in the sky. I am sorry to say I am very bad with names. I know that I have not mentioned all the nice people here at Roycroft. Still, please don't hesitate to call and/or visit me and the cats at the Florida Keys in Marathon. Speaking of which, many new adventures await me at Gulfstream in the Keys. Already I have made two new very nice friends at this four-star travel park and marina: Roseanne and Frank. This article will continue with news from Roycroft and now Gulfstream for all those subscribers whose loyalty is much appreciated and valued. So, finally, many thanks and a fond farewell! "The Mountains of Ao"
I have written about 90% of chapter nine. There is a lot of editing, correcting, grammar and spell checking, and rewriting still to do, but chapter nine is almost done. I continue to write a paragraph a day, sometimes more. This is the real fun - writing daily. Proofreaders are reminded to send their opinions to me at PO Box 501833, Marathon, FL 33050-1833. If you want to become a proofreader, write to Larry Shaffer at the above address. I will send you a disk (specify format needed, e.g., WordPerfect 6.1). I'll gladly have Abby lick the stamps and paw the packages shut tightly! The Dull Stuff
Inputs and letters to this journal are subject to approval by Ebony. All inputs may be edited for content and become the property of Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company. [Previous Journal] [Journal Index] [Next Journal] Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths. [NLT]
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