The weatherman from Channel 12? No. Rufus the cat. When I took him out for a walk yesterday late afternoon, 3 women came out of an RV across the street and up a few sites... "We heard about this cat that walks on a leash. Is he friendly? (yes) Can I pet him? (yes)"... one woman was particularly loud and screechy (technical auditory term), something Rufus does not like, but he dealt with it. Before those 3 were done taking a turn petting him, two more women came out from another RV: "Oh, he is so handsome! Our friends were telling me about this cat that walks on a leash - can I pet him?"
He put up with being adored, standing in the middle of the street... until a truck came towards us. I said, "Come on, Ruf, let's get out of the street." He immediately marched to the side of the street then sat down... to a chorus of women saying, "Oh, my goodness - he understands!"
"He's a smart boy. Well, it's time for us to get some supper,"... (Rufus already had his, Joan and I were going to Steph and Dan's place to grill some burgers)... he again marched to the front door of our motorhome checking back once in a while to make sure they were still looking. They were.
Joan calls him "your chick magnet." This morning, while Ruf and I were out walking, a guy came up to us: "I heard about this cat - how did you train him? I'd like to take my cat out on a leash, but he won't do it." It's not just the ladies that are fascinated with the big furry boy. Another guy walking by said, "That is a BIG cat - and he walks really good on that leash!"
Truth is, they wouldn't know how good he walks, because we haven't gotten more than a half block or so from the motorhome since we've been here... because someone comes up to ask about him on every walk we take. And he patiently sits while they get their questions answered.
Later this morning, on another walk, the guy with the "quivering bulldog" came by, this time with his wife along. Rufus walked up to the dog, and it once again shook like a nervous little girl. The wife said, "My husband said that's what the dog did yesterday, but I've never seen it before. He must be afraid of your cat."
"Rufus is a good boy (take a drink, Earl) - he won't hurt your dog," I chuckled.
On the way here, I took Rufus out for a walk at each of the RV parks we stopped at along the way. He didn't attract much attention. I don't know what the difference is in this place. We frequently get smiles or seconds looks while walking at home (unless he sees one of his dog friends), but this has been a bit more than that.
3 comments:
LOL! I was taking a sip of my morning Diet Mountain Dew when I read that, and nearly lost it. And yes, Rufus is a very good boy. Reminds me of”hi Bob” parties back in my college days. We’d watch the Bob Newhart show and take a drink whenever someone said “Hi Bob”. Somehow I don’t recall the ending of most episodes….
Diet Mountain Dew to start the morning??? Do you have any taste buds left to taste the bacon and eggs? ;-) I have never been a coffee drinker; back in my younger years, I used to start my morning off with a Coke... now, I can't stomach that sugary taste. My mornings start with a sugar-free hot chocolate. Between the two of us, I think we lost a lot of "street cred" with these two comments. Kidding, of course, not sure I ever had any street cred. I was thinking about ordering some from Amazon. Have a good morning, Earl.
Mountain Dew is my preferred caffeine delivery system, as a life-long avoider of coffee. And Diet because of the sugar. I love the smell of coffee brewing in the house (my parents went through 2-3 full pots per day between them) but I hate the taste. I have consumed *both* half cups of coffee that I'll drink in this lifetime. A half cup was all that I could choke down, and only because it came with the meal.
We got 250 chickens when I was nine, and as the eldest son all animal care was my responsibility (chickens, horses, rabbits, dogs). I was probably 35 before I could eat eggs or chicken again. I cannot recall the last time that I actually had bacon. Probably at a brunch buffet pre-plague. I don't eat breakfast and love bacon, but it does not intersect with my life very often.
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