For Thanksgiving, a few friends and I went to a wonderful guest house in the redwoods for a few days. It's a place I visit every year, usually in the summer, but it's nice in winter, too. On Thursday the owners cooked up a fantastic, *complimentary* turkey dinner for the guests. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams'n'marshmellows, onion-cheese casserole, green beans with garlic bread crumbs, a corn custard casserole, yummy rolls, and about 5 different kinds of pie for dessert. I've been going to this inn for 12 years, but this is the first time I've spent Thanksgiving up there. Won't be the last!!

The place has a resident cat named Pancho. He's a big (OK, enormous - 29 lbs), black beauty, and he's a total doll. There's a very large living room for the guests, containing several comfy couches and chairs and a fireplace. In the evenings, those who aren't out partying hang out and read (after a therapeutic dip in the hot tub out on the deck) - it's very quiet and restful. Anyway, Pancho can usually be found on someone's lap or at their feet, purring away. That someone is often me, especially after midnight when everyone else has gone to bed and I've got the living room and Pancho all to myself. He loves attention - all you have to do is come over and coo at him, and he starts purring. We spent a lot of time these past 3 days bonding. He even sat by the hot tub while I went in for one of my soaks.

During the big Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, it was amusing to watch him beg for kitty treats from various guests. Somehow, his "poor, starving kitty" act was very effective. The guests love to spoil him with snacks as well as attention, which I'm sure is at least part of the reason he's such a flabulous creature. But I must say, it can't be too bad for his health, since he's 18 years old and going strong. At that age, though, no cat can be taken for granted, so when I arrive for each visit, I'm always happy and grateful to see that he is still there.

Copyright © Joyce W.
November 25, 2001