RIP Simon

The hardest thing about living with kittehs is that their little lifespans are just too short. It's always so hard to let them go. The photo above is of Simon, long-time reader Oh Susannah's kitteh. I'll let Susannah's words about Simon speak for him:

Simon Henry LeBlonde (he was such a character, he merited three names, not just one) was 15 when he died on Thursday, two months and two days short of his sixteenth birthday. He was my big Blondie Boy, up to 20 lbs in his prime, with bright green eyes. I called him The Yakker, because he talked a blue streak and could easily hold a 20 minute conversation. He seemed to have an endless vocabulary of inflections and impeccable timing. He was my constant companion, spending days in the sunny spot or under the warm lamp on my desk while I worked, evenings in my lap and nights snuggled up next to me. Being a native Californian, he loved to go surfing, running across the room and pouncing on plastic grocery bags.

I hope Maxx will take him for a ride on his comet. Simon was a very adventurous soul and they will have a rip-roaring good time. Shortly after I got Simon at age 6, I took him out on the large second floor porch to explore and get some sun. We lived on an island where the houses were just six feet apart. Simon jumped up on the porch rail to survey his new domain---suddenly he took a great flying leap to the flat gravel roof of the neighbor's garage. As he jumped, I yelled SIMMMMMONNNNN! and when he landed (safely, thank God) he hunkered down, knowing he was in BIG trouble. Fortunately, most of the roof had been converted to a lovely garden so there were stairs. In a panic, I ran next door and asked my neighbors to let me go up on their roof to get my cat. When I got up there, Simon was still in the same place so I had to climb over the parapet wall and pick him up. I wanted to scold him, but all I could do was hug him tight and bury my face in his fur knowing that he was safe. Come to think of it, that's the way we said goodbye on Thursday, my face nuzzling his fur, my heart pounding, but comforted, knowing that he was going to be okay now.

Happy Trails to our sweet boys!

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we're together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, 'till we meet again.

Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It's the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here's a happy one for you.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we're together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.

Happy trails to you, 'till we meet again.

RIP Simon, may your days spent comet-riding be joyful.