For Your Viewing Pleasure

This is my all-time favorite photo of our beautiful dumpster cat, Cosmo. When we first got Cosmo, he was our store cat (Oldtimer & Lily, An Emporium of Practical & Beautiful Things in Warrenton, NC) and he quickly became the main attraction. He did tricks for the customers such as fetching his toy mice, climbing ladders, jumping for spinning pennies. One of our good regular, seasonal visitors loved him much, and actually laid on the rug in front of the door to capture this photo. It was worth it, I think.

Cosmo now rules the roost in our home here in NE Ohio. He keeps the three dogs in line, demands treats on his schedule, and has learned to use the doggy door. I never intended to allow him outside, but he had other plans. Right now, however, he is not venturing out. Poor Southern kitty does not like the 20 degree weather, and is totally unimpressed with snow. I see him gazing longingly out the doggy door, and I just know he's thinking "What fresh hell is this?"

The noisy, messy, uncouth dogs, on the other hand, think snow and cold weather is glorious. They snort and snuffle, roll in it, toss it in the air with their noses, and track it in stuck between the pads on their paws. Cosmo will walk up and push his nose on the dogs' backs and feet to check if that stuff they are carrying around is still just snow. He's not impressed.