I take a moment. To be thankful, to be appreciative, to enjoy the little things. The sunrise out my window. The pooch still snuggled in her bed. It’s Friday. Life can always be better, but I have coffee, and it’s good.
At The Crack of Dawn
Life at the Rescue – 2006 – by Howard Beakman, VA1000
One can never say that life here is dull. Ever watched someone on a trapeze? Up and down with a pit in your stomach, then butterflies, nervous yet excited, followed by that whoosh whoosh, back down and then up you climb again. So goes our days.
There’s a bunch of us here. How many, people often ask. We lose count. Kind of like a revolving door most of the time, and you don’t bother to count. A few in, a few out. The home crew stays relatively steady, but the ones considered transient? So many new whiskers to twitch. Maw and Paw do well. The cats we remember, they say. The adopters? They all look the same. I can see their point. I was never big on looks anyway. Now smells, that’s a different story. Specific looks don’t do much for us felines. Shapes, however, is another thing all together. Take Toko Thai for example. He likes tall blondes. And Annie? She likes wide people. Me? I’ll take anyone who has cheese Danish.
Anyway, back to the Center. I’m never sure what to think about life at the Center. So many comings and goings. But compared with the previous digs, at least there is variety.
We have two living facilities here now – the House, commonly known as the Geezer Ward, and the Rescue Center itself. Just a stone’s throw from each other, the House has us permanent residents – those of us who fit the mold of unadoptable for whatever reason. Then the Rescue Center, hosting up to fifty furries at a time, all hoping for a new home. I live in the Geezer Ward.
In 1998, when Meowm opened the doors to nomad Meezers, they all stayed in the House. Meowm hadn’t quite grasped the concept of rescue and release, and the number of permanent residents increased within a short few weeks from two to six. Take Sapphire for example. She was VA0002. Her mom was moving to California and couldn’t take her with. She came and visited with Meowm who did what she tends to do – rambled on and on about her idea of a Rescue and all that was involved – without letting the poor lady get a word in edgewise. Hours later, the woman left, and Sapphire sprawled happily on the couch (she’s happy just about anywhere provided there’s a food bowl within reach). It was only after the fact that Meowm realized she had been so busy yabbering that she had neglected to inform this lady she was going to find Sapphire a new home. And no, she had not gotten the aldy’s address or forwarding number either (told you she was talking too much!) Feeling it was not right to rehome her without the lady’s okay, Sapphire, the lump, stayed.
Who was VA0001 you might ask? No, not me I’m afraid – I waited to make my appearance until Meowm and Paw had this Rescue thing down pat (yours truly is VA1000). Ming was the first. His family has gone through a divorce and left the trailer, and Ming, to their own devices. By the time he had been found, however, he had been so long without proper care that his borderline diabetes had gone off the charts. Meowm got two lessons for the price of one with him – Rescue wasn’t going to be cheap, and there weren’t always happy endings.
By the time we got to number 0003, she was getting the hang of it. JoJo, though a far cry for a Siamese, found a home not 45 minutes from here with a nice couple who weren’t allowed to leave until they promised to be on the Board of Directors that Meowm needed to create so she could meet IRS requirements.
Ahh, those early lessons. The next three arrivals taught us that not every cat with a home lives comfortably, and not every cat is social. Responding to a phone call from a man whose wife had been hospitalized, we went on a Meezer hunt in the wilds of the Virginia mountains. Windy roads led to what could be described as not much more than a goat path, flooded by recent storms – water cascading down the mountain sides. In sneakers and shorts, mini Bean (age 8), Grandma Muddles and Meowm were the picture of naivety as they were led to a sagging abandoned shed. It didn’t take a keen sense of smell to note that this would be a memorable experience. Forcing the door open, inches of cat feces blocking the way, the 6×8 room was a mass of flying fur – up the walls, across the ceiling, back down again. The room was completely empty except for some old French fry dishes with week old food. Waterbugs paddled happily in a bowl of pea green water. Were there Meezers? Yes, quite a few, but it was impossible to get a count – every movement brought wild panic to their eyes and they launched like rubber band torpedoes off every surface. If you could have seen Meowm standing there with her mouth agape, carrier helplessly in hand – it was quite a sight. Last time she went anywhere questionable in shorts, with her young daughter, elderly mother, without gloves or plan, let me tell you. I think humans call this behavior clueless.
Why Rescue?
Ok, so I’m not the perfect cat. I’m not just right – I might be too big, or too small; too vocal, or too quiet. I may also have some medical issues, and I don’t have my complete medical history with me to explain why. I may have been exposed to parasites: worms, fleas, ticks, or ear mites. I may have some kind of intestinal upsets, and I may not have perfect stools every time.
Behaviorally, I have a little baggage. I may not be able to walk right into your home perfectly well adjusted. I may take issue if there is another cat, dog or child, no matter what age or sex and may show my fear in a variety of ways. I may not love everyone immediately and I may not do exactly what you want in the beginning. I may not be able to adapt to any situation. I may get confused about the litter box, and might even make a mistake, no matter what litter you use, where the pan is, or how often you clean it.
Emotionally? I may have some idiosyncrasies. I may nip, swat, hiss, put my ears back, hide, cower or tremble. I may look at you with fear, and distrust, and concern. It might take several months, or even a year before I can begin to trust again.
I am one of society’s throwaways.
Is this the cat you’re looking for?
If not, maybe you should look elsewhere. Please don’t ask to take me home, because I have already been rejected far too many times already and would rather stay at the shelter than be given one more reason to mistrust people again.
I am one of a group of cats. A group that has been dumped in the shelters, booted out the doors, kicked, hit, beaten, yelled at, shot, cursed, thrown from moving cars, left to fend on our own. A group of cats that has learned that humans are NOT kind and society is NOT fair and life is NOT comfortable. A group of cats that didn’t have good prenatal care, that don’t know where our next meal was coming from, that have lived outside through hot and cold and dug through garbage to find enough to eat. We are the cats that have been flea bitten and worm ridden and burned with hot oil. We are the cats who have been hit by cars and left for dead; who have swallowed stones and ribbons and had nothing but intestinal upsets; who have loose stools or who have stools that are so hard they can barely pass. We have been told we were too loud, too messy, or we didn’t match the new furniture. We have been chased by dogs, had our tails pulled by kids, and been bullied by other cats. Some of us have never known a litter box, let alone a clean one. We have watched our loving family drive off one day without a backward glance after 15 years; we have been replaced after ten years with a new puppy. We look at you with big round eyes full of fear and terror, and occasionally hatred, and yes, deep down, with a little hope. We are the cats in Rescue.
Why, then, would anyone possibly want one of us?
The reasons are endless.
We need you. We deserve to be loved, to have a second chance, to learn how to trust again. We have been at the mercy of our surroundings; it is up to you to care for us. You, as part of the race that has caused this overpopulation of animals; you, who as part of the species, some of whose members have mistreated and misplaced these deserving creatures, owe it to us to care. You should be setting examples for the next generation – that this should not be a throwaway society that we can and should be doing something about it. We can be your FAMILY members, members who share in your joys, your sorrows, your misfortunes and your luck. We are here when you need someone to talk to, to comfort, and to be comforted. We lick your tears and pat your face and snuggle under your chin. We like you for you, and we ask so little from you. A pat, a scratch, the toss of a ball, a kind word, we repay you with loyalty and adoration and faithful friendship.
You may have to earn it, this is true, and we may be so damaged by our previous experiences that we’ll never be “The Perfect” cat, but the appreciation that emanates from our eyes; the love that we share when we realize we are safe, secure, and home forever, is a gift that cannot be bought. We have seen rough times, yes, but if we are willing to give you a second chance, why won’t you give us one?
Frog Love
Don’t ask me why, but I love frogs. This isn’t an early childhood thing, as a matter of fact it came about within the last 20 years, when I became really serious about gardening. We have a small garden pond and every year, it is inhabited by one giant frog and sometimes, if we’re lucky, an offspring or two. We put a heater in the pond in winter to keep it from freezing over, and the frog(s) (or their offspring) show up again in the spring. When I found one deceased in the pond one year, I was sad for days. Another year during fall clean up I found one hunkered down under piles of leaves near the pond, and felt awful about disturbing him. I’ve gotten some great pictures over the years; some years he/she is quite tame, and lets me get quite close, other years not so much. Don’t know what it is about them, but they are just so spectacular!
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
So today I was going to make a Cardamon Cake with Espresso Buttercream frosting. Not even sure what cardamon tastes like, so a true experiment. But the frosting calls for FIVE sticks of butter. Thinking of that much butter all in one place is just giving me the eebie jeebies (what a great word. Did I spell it right?) So change of plan – going with a Raspberry Almond Cupcake. Stay tuned for a picture! (I’m still tempted by the sound of the Cardamon Cake – maybe I can find a different Espresso Buttercream frosting recipe).
Okay, so here’s the Swiss Meringue Buttercream rant (this is the type of frosting on the cupcakes). I’ve never tried to make it before because, well, it seemed difficult. It wasn’t so much difficult, as it was tricky – the trickiest part being ‘mix until the meringue and the butter emulsify into buttercream, which may be 10 minutes’. Well, after 10 minutes it had souped and curdled and changed textures a few times, but was it emulsified? Hard to tell. The good news is I did get the sugar completely melted (Swiss Buttercream starts with egg whites and sugar melted over the stove until all the sugar is melted (this is key), then whipped into peaks). Last week we made an attempt at a Lemon Meringue Cake where the Meringue (started out the same way – melting sugar with egg whites) became marshmallow because I didn’t cook it long enough on top of the stove (still tasty, but definitely not meringue). The end result is certainly creamy, and while I stlil need to brave French and Italian Buttercream, I am leaning towards being an American gal and liking the normal ‘light and airy with a slight crust to it’ buttercream that good old fashioned buttercream has. (This did pipe nicely, though, don’t you think? Especially since I still have one hand in a cast!) The verdict? It was much less sweet than the American Buttercream. It is one of the better ones for taking up jam; the jam flavor (and color) really showed through. It has a lighter pillowy texture to it. Not bad for a much less sweet but good subtle taste frosting. Love to hear comments if you have tried Swiss Meringue Buttercream (making or eating!)
Swiss Meringue Frosting