May was a terrible, lousy month on many fronts for me personally with one vehicle death and two pet deaths just for starters.
Our Mazda, for all intents and purposes, died. I can’t justify a $10,000 repair bill on a SUV with nearly 94,000 miles, but that is another column for another day.
Some of you may remember how a few weeks ago, I wrote about the death of one of our cats, Gizmo.
Approximately three weeks later, Gizmo’s sister, Gadget, started acting sick so we took her to the veterinary hospital in Richmond. She did not seem real bad. The vet’s office told us she was in her end stage.
She was approximately 18 years old. My wonderful wife, Cecelia, and I thought it best to have her put to sleep. We took solace in the fact she did not suffer.
Gadget was a sweet cat. She never tried to bite or scratch me, which set her apart from her brother sometimes…LOL.
While Gizmo enjoyed spending quite a bit of time outside, as Gadget got older, she generally preferred the creature comforts of staying indoors.
Gadget was generally a good cat aside from the time Cecelia and I went on vacation. Gadget and Lucy, one of our other cats at the time, decided to trash the kitchen and dining room in protest.
They knocked pretty much everything off the kitchen counter and the hutch.
We came home to find Gadget sitting on the kitchen counter and Lucy sitting on the hutch staring at us defiantly.
Gadget was my protector.
On the rare occasions Cecelia would start talking meanly to me, Gadget would hop up on the couch to protect me. She would physically get between me and Cecelia with her back turned to me staring at Cecelia meowing.
I thought it was sweet. Cecelia might have a different viewpoint…LOL.
May 24 started a new era for Cecelia and I. It was the first time in our married life we did not have at least one cat.
I am not going to lie. It was and remains kind of weird.
You get used to being greeted by your furry, sometimes demanding pets.
They are good company, particularly when they want to be.
I miss our cats. All of them had their own unique personalities.
We will probably get another cat or two in the future, but I don’t know if it will be anytime soon.
I think it is best to have two cats, so they have someone to play with while you are gone. Others may disagree.
Now to touch on one other subject before I conclude this column.
As many of you know, the bridge over I-75 on KY-312 has been demolished and will be rebuilt as part of the I-75 widening project.
Traffic is being detoured onto Browning Acres Road and Barton Mill Road. It is adding about six minutes to my work commute each way.
Immanuel Baptist Church, which is off Browning Acres Road, is making the most of this detour. It has posted five signs along the edge of the road in front of the church for people to see going both ways. The signs read as follows:
• The bridge is out…
• But hope is in!
• Sometimes detours…
• Take you where you’re meant to be.
• Join us Sundays 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Well played Immanuel Baptist. Well played.
