Last night we made our delivery to the Fred Meyer warehouse in Clackamas and got out in record time. When we go to Fred Meyer in Puyallup, WA we can look forward to paying the lumper service $140 to unload the trailer then wait 4 to 6 hours. But in Clackamas the lumpers only charged $50 and had us empty in 45 minutes! What a relief.

We checked the two truck stops in Troutdale, OR but both we completely full (we didn't arrive until 9:30 PM, by which time most truck stops are pretty well full). We ran about 45 minutes back to Aurora and found a parking space - right next to where a driver had mucked out a cattle trailer. Whew, what a stench! But Harri and I were both tired so we got to sleep anyway.

This morning I decided to run in to the truck stop to get some breakfast and take a shower (it's just so much fun to pay $9 for the privilege of taking a shower). While I was getting my shower bag ready with a change of clothes, etc I was seeing a few blackbirds fly past the window. Harri was of course seeing them too, and was watching with great interest. To keep her a little bit occupied while I was away I threw a few handfuls of kitty kibble on the parking lot beside the truck, then went in to shower.

When I returned an hour or so later I chased off a good-sized gaggle of birds, and Harri wasn't her usual quiet self. Usually when I walk up to the truck she's standing in the driver's side window and gives me a quiet little "meow". This morning, though, I could see that she was talking up a storm. When I opened the door she was meowing and mrrrrping and squeaking non stop, telling me all about what had been going on while I was away.

Based upon my observation of my feline masters, I'm pretty sure that what Harri was saying was something like "Paw, there were birds! I mean there were LOTS of birds! And they were BAD BIRDS! They were trying to hijack the truck! Those dumb bad birds didn't know the truck was empty but they were trying to steal it anyway! And they tried to get in through the windows, but I fought them off! And there were LOTS of them! And they were MEAN! And they fought A LOT! But I chased them all away and kept the truck safe! And there are MORE BIRDS!"

Since Harri had been so very busy and had done such an admirable job of defending our home-away-from-home I gave her an extra large handful of Chicken Temptations *and* Salmon Temptations, and an extra long chest snuggle. I am so very fortunate to be protected by such a valiant warrior guardian kitten!

Copyright © Dan Mahoney
April 8, 2005