The snow drops and Crocus were coming up Feb. 7 and we got 10 inches of new snow last night. Glad they won't be hurt. I'm starting to get antsy.

We acquired a new Cat. Ginger Kitty is not happy. The new cat, Smokey, is still intimidated but starting to show a bit more spirit and is going to be a love bug. We think she is a Nebelung. She seems to have all the requisite markers including very long fur that is about the right color. She is the right weight, size and shape and even her paws match the photos I have seen on the web.She took up residence in the shrubs in the front yard this spring and we fed her while trying to find her owner. By the time we gave up it was too late. All the neighborhood cats were visiting her each day but she was too afraid to let us near. We went nuts getting an expensive shelter set up for her which was ignored. I built some more shelters from Styrofoam which were also ignored and we broke the garage door trying to leave it open enough for her but nothing worked. One bitter cold afternoon I opened the front door and in she strolled. She hasn't left yet.

Unfortunately, she panicked the second day she was here and she bit my hand which swelled up to boxing glove size. I had to go to the doctor who had to report the bite and it has cost about $400 so far, since we had to get all of Gingers shots updated too. She has calmed down considerably since then and seems quite content. She had already been fixed, her front paws declawed (horrors) and she had to get a microchip and all the shots, de-fleaed and de-wormed registered and tags, ten days quarantine.. Ditto renewals for Ginger. Hope Animal Control is satisfied.

She has a sense of humor. Ginger like to play in a big paper bag. Smokey watched for a chance and leaped on top of it then took off before Ginger came shooting out. Now she comes sneaking in when she hears the bag rustling. Ginger is very nervous about her bag now. That is the closest it has come to a fight although we hear lots of complaints and dinner time is a dance.