Must Love Kittens

There are so many things that I loved about growing up in the country - quiet nights, beautiful scenery, neighbors that lived more than 10 feet away....  but one of the things I loved the most was having pets, specifically cats and kittens.  Having cats is a necessity in the country (to keep the mice away) and I can't remember a summer when we didn't have kittens.  They were always born in the obscurest of places - top of the garage or haystack near the house - and we were forever hauling them back to our garage where they belonged.   My Dad always seemed to complain about all the meowing they did but I also remember catching him once or twice in the garage with a kitten purring on his lap.  They must of had a sort of love/hate relationship. 

Being the youngest in the family and the biggest cat lover (sorry Jocelyn, but I really am) I was the one who usually named the kittens.  I remember one batch being named after soda drinks (Sprite, Cola, Crusher, Pepsi) and let's not forget the rhyming twins Ping and Ming.  My photo albums are full of pictures of me with kittens.  My favorite is one of me and Stinky (she was sprayed by a skunk) both with sunglasses on, lounging on a pillow.  

It's been years since I remember having kittens on the ranch and I was so excited when I heard my brother's family adopted a mother cat along with her 3 kittens.  They have recently moved down to the ranch and acquired their furry family from a community neighbor.  I'm happy to report that McKenna loves kittens almost as much as I remember myself loving kittens and I'm sure we'll be visiting them often.  

Here are a few pics from the visit with the kittens, along with her cousin Rylee.