THE ANIMAL-HAPPY FAMILY

We were a busy family after my job change. I was active in our church, dear son was a Cub Scout (with me as committee chairman), and we enjoyed the usual birthday parties and family holiday-times.

One Christmas we got our first family pet, a collie pup that we named Holly. She was a dear dog, very protective of the children, and we had her for many years. It was a sad day for us when she died.

Along the way, we became "cat people" (ugh). We had a number of cats (whose names escape me). At one of my job transfer times we ended up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, sans pets. However, it didn't take long for that to change. A new family moved into the block from Pittsburgh with a brand new litter of kittens. Dear wife and dear daughter went to "have a look" and returned with TWO KITTENS (having just one kitten would make it lonely). They were promptly named TAR (coal black) and MARMALADE (the color of the famous jam), and they were with us for years!!!

At my next job transfer, dear son drove the two drugged cats to our new location , in McLean, Virginia. Marmalade "kicked the bucket," but Tar refused to follow her.

While Dear Wife and I left Virginia for Wisconsin, we left Tar with a neighbor. For all I know, he might still be enjoying life on their back veranda.

More, later.