It was a tough week. Since we have spent the last 3 1/2 years with Molly with us 24/7, so much of our daily routines revolved around her. Everywhere we turn in the boat, RV, and house are reminders. We know, in time, those reminders will hold happy memories, but right now they leave an empty feeling. One of the things Molly taught us: never say never. This hurt is real, but we both hope that the right circumstance will come up one day that will bring another furry kid into our lives. Ahead, there are coves to explore, sunsets to toast, and memories to share.

For anyone out there who has seen and enjoyed the Captain Jim comic strips, we asked Dan to keep Molly as a main character in the strip. It's a nice tribute. He is a very thoughtful and compassionate guy; we know he was concerned for our feelings.

It's over.

Rest in peace, Molly.

When the vet opened her up, she was full of cancer. I promised her we'd take care of her when she adopted us. We did... right up to the end.

She was an amazing cat... followed me around like a puppy. Came when we called her. She would walk on a leash, but it was just for looks, 'cause she always walked alongside us. The house, the boat, and the RV are full of reminders of all the great times we had. Right now, I feel like my heart has been ripped out, but in time, we will celebrate the life and the spirit of our furry kid.

Jim

Well, it's been a while. We are back home in Texas. Along the way, our gray furry family member started getting sick... not able to keep food down, not wanting to eat at all. We took her to the vet last Friday; they took blood and gave us some antibiotics. Following up today, we found that our sweet Molly has a bowel obstruction, most likely lymphoma. The prognosis isn't good, and we have a tough decision to make: surgery that she may likely not come through, or putting her down. Doing nothing is not an option - it would mean death by starvation.

As you can imagine, our hearts are torn apart. Molly is an amazing furry family member - great spirit, independent but lovey. I look into those eyes, and I know I have to do what I can for her. She has always been able to count on us.

We'd like to think that we have added to the adventure in her life. She adopted us; actually, we "dated" for a year before she became an official part of our family. She had never traveled before... she has been coast to coast, border to border with us. When things are stressful, she lowers our blood pressure. Yes, we have been able to count on her, too.

The odds are this will be our last day with our sweet Molly. My apologies for unloading here... many of you have followed along with us on our travels... good times, tough times... this is certainly tough.

Six months before Molly came to our door, we had to put down a sweet kitty that had been a part of our family for almost 22 years. At that time, I said, "Never again." It just hurt too much. I didn't count on meeting a personality like Molly. No matter how much this hurts, the time we've had with Molly has been enlightening... our lives are better for the experience.

Jim