Monday, December 03, 2007

A pretty shitty day...

We lost our cat Ray yesterday. He was struck by a car. Rossana had been worried about him because he wasn't at the door for breakfast. But I told he was fine. He sometimes comes late.

But I was wrong.

I recovered him and placed him in a cardboard box. I didn't want Rossana to have to do that, but I had to hand him over to her for burial because I had an emergency with a client. She buried him near the barn and hauled a large stone over to top it. She buried him with some food and a toy mouse and she placed a small statue of the Egyptian god Bastet next to the grave.

Ray could be a pain in the ass sometimes. For the longest time he didn't know how to purr or play. He could shred your hand without even realizing what he was doing. He didn't get along with Little One and attacked her several times. But in the end he was a good cat. He found his purr and learned to play. And he was totally affectionate. A total lap whore.

I am trying not to think about it because this stuff just wrecks me. Rossana is really torn up.

The day was topped off with a clients web site being attacked by hackers and knocked offline for 8 hours or so. It was a mad dash to recover the site, change all the passwords, find out what information had been compromised, and emailing the findings to the client.

Halfway through the day I took Rossana out. We worked collecting some fieldstone we'd been offered by our friend Grimm. It was cold/wet work but it kept our minds off Ray. By the time we were done and grabbed a meal the temperature had plummeted. Icy rain started to fall. We drove home with a van overloaded with loose stone on the most slippery roads I have driven in quite a while. We nearly slid right off the road several times. It rained today, but it was much warmer. My stomach started to unknot a little.

All and all a pretty shitty couple of days.

8 comments:

Ed Dale said...

I am sorry to hear about Ray.

Anonymous said...

I am very sorry to hear about your kitty.

Anonymous said...

:-(

I'm so sorry to hear about Ray. You and Rossana have my deepest condolences! Brightest Blessings to you both.

Anonymous said...

So, so sorry about Ray; he was a right wonderful, fluffy, and feisty guy. He'll have lots of good company at the Bridge while he waits to be reunited with you, including Bill (and Peeper and Pal), who will show him where all the best treats, and toys, and sunny nap spots are.

Anonymous said...

Comfort yourselves with the fact that you gave Ray back his purr. You loved him and allowed him to become the kitty he was supposed to be.

Not even many of us are given that much.

Kelley Holiday said...

So sorry to hear about you two losing Ray to a crazy driver.

As people who share our lives with three lovely kitties, we know how special they can be. Even when they wake you up at 4 in the morning yowling to be fed, pet or let out.

Thinking of you fondly,
Kelley

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about Ray. I liked him.

Anonymous said...

I too am sorry to hear about Ray, I have lost alot of four legged friends over the years, We have a small "pet" cemetary out here around a Pine tree. And sometimes you swear you wont take in another,but one day another comes to your door and steals your heart. sigh We have an assortment of nice kitties here that are looking for homes as well. Some male and some female. All mostly shades of grey and stripes. All purr and play. We will happily send a couple your way to ammuse you in place of the hole in your heart that Ray left. Bright Yule to you both.


Don and Kat