Workkampers are leaving Heartland RV Park.  Four neighbors have already left; Saturday morning we’ll pull out for Tennessee.  We’re going to camp along the French Broad River and have Christmas dinner with our old bud New Orleans Julee in Newport, TN.  We’ll stir up some clam chowder, and cook a rib roast with potatoes and vegetables.  We’ll bake a red and green velvet cake and a pecan pie.  Julee’s going to do some of her favorites.  It should feel like a traditional Christmas and a fine way to cap our work season.  Needless to say we’re looking forward to getting away from our granite and sand trailer park, and back to old friends and nature.

This morning before full daylight I heard a cat meowing.  We’ve been here 13 weeks and this is the first meow anybody’s heard.  Either somebody’s abandoned his cat, or his feline done escaped!  I like cats, but don’t want to keep one.  I tried to go back to sleep, but he kept complaining.  Pink wanted to walk and look for the lost kitty.   We went out.

Our next door neighbor was nearly in tears.  Debbie and Butch wanted to leave today at first light, and while moving stuff between the trailer and truck, the cat got spooked.  Pets notice when routine changes, and it disturbs them.  This was an old cat, with asthma, and a sandbox of neuroses.  Butch opened his door to discard the garbage, then Nicky the Cat bolted out.  Nicky used the cover of darkness to hide, and soon he went quiet.  We four looked high and low without success.  Then my Kat crawled under the trailer Nicky was last seen under.  Kat crawled in pretty far, and saw eyes looking back at her from the undercarriage of Nightshift Dave & Daphne’s RV.

Old Nicky was way up under there.  To get him somebody would have to crawl further under and grab him.  Kat started her approach to Nicky.  Butch offered this encouragement:  “He’s got no front claws.”  About then Nicky let out a fearsome hiss while displaying a mouthful of ivory daggers.  Butch added more encouragement: “You’ll have to go in fast!”

Kat grabbed old Nicky and held on tight.  Nicky seemed pleased to be caught and didn’t bite.  Deb crawled under from the other side, and calmed him down.  Deb got him out, and they headed toward Florida with their old cat.  ‘Twas a happy ending to Amazon 2013, thanks to the Hero Kat.

Shall we call her Lifesaver?