Sadness....

We are being treated to some beautiful weather these past few days. Today it was 70, I nearly had to recheck the calendar, to see that it is indeed still March. Several things were going on over the past weekend, however I still managed to clean the chicken coop out, and moved our 10 chicks out to the coop, set up the heat lamp, and they are quite happy to have all that space! They have even had a couple of chances to enjoy the outdoor pen....and had so much fun scratching in the mud. They are quite happy to be out of that brooder, and feeling like "big chickens" now. I'm able to now sit with them and interact with them even more, and just enjoying watching them having so much fun!

But we have also had some bad luck here....sometime during the night Saturday night/Sunday morning, our young barn cat, Kit Kat, was hit and killed on the road. She was born here last spring, from a litter of 6. I found homes for all the kittens, but kept this one, I knew when she was born she was the one I would keep. She was so very sweet, and will be missed. I had the difficult task of rescuing her body from the road and burying her on Sunday. Then, something I still can't understand, happened. We lost her mom, Snickers. Snickers had been acting normally. Saturday morning, we sat together on the log swing outside, which we always liked to do, she came trotting up to me talking, and jumped up into my lap. I pet her for awhile....but had to get up and get ready for a family function we had...so said goodbye. We were gone for several hours.....but Saturday night, she came into the garage and hung out for awhile, which she also likes to do...(I keep a litter box in the garage for her)....but I usually put her out before I go to bed, because I didn't want her kitten to be alone down in the barn...call me a sap! I said goodnight to Snickers that night, and went to bed. Sunday morning....we were out and about doing things around here, and she was clearly visible, came out and watched us a couple of times, which is normal for her, she was around....nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She was her normal self. This was the morning though that my husband saw Kit Kat laying in the road in front of the house....so I was feeling sad...and maybe a little distracted...hoping I didn't miss something I should have seen.

Monday morning I went out to do chores, and Snickers was laying on the hay...where she likes to sleep, I said hi to her, and she answered...but didn't get up. She usually does come to me, but not always, so I didn't think much of it. I wondered if she was reacting at all to our other cat being gone........but would keep a closer eye on her. I had gone to work, and when I came home, the first thing I did was check on Snickers....who was sleeping in the barn. I noticed she hadn't eaten any of her food, but again....wondered if she was feeling her own little sense of loss? When I went to check on her later....Snickers was gone. Looked like she died peacefully in her sleep. But it was a huge blow. Both of our pampered barn cats....two days in a row. I dug the hole through tears...... but I could not bury her myself. I had to ask my husband to bury my Snickers for me. I couldn't do this one.... it will probably take some time....the tears come everytime I go down to the barn....

I have to add....in my last post, I mentioned the pond, and how I was eagerly waiting for the arrival of the frogs. Last night, after Snickers was buried, and it was dark, I had the window open in my bedroom, which faces the pond where Snickers spent a lot of summer days prowling as cats do, and I heard a couple of frogs. Clearing their throats, letting me know that what I have been waiting for will soon be here. I opened the window a little wider and just listened. I got a tear in my eye....thinking perhaps those kitties sent me those frogs that night. Just when I needed them.

So, Rest In Peace, my sweet Snickers and Kit Kat. No one could have any idea how much I'm going to miss you both....