Kittens coming

One of kittens -- seven weeks

You can't have too many cat stories.

So reads the conventional wisdom on the social media.  God knows, if I'm desperate -- desperate like Trump-desperate -- for attention and "likes," all I have to do is post a cat picture on Facebook.

"Oh, isn't he just adorable!?"  Which I read as "Aren't you, who posted this photo, just adorable?"

But "Confused Ideas" is a work of literature, not out for cheap squeals of appreciation.  Nevertheless, the last time I adopted new cats was in 2004, back when "Confused Ideas" wasn't even a spark in the synapses of my churning brain.  And it's exciting to look forward to new members of my household, members of whom  -- past experience teaches -- I will quickly become obsessively fond.

So the two kittens are still up in Winthrop, Washington, with their third brother and their mother.  All three brothers had their eight-week birthday on Thursday.  Yesterday, to their dismay, they were taken to the veterinarian, received various shots, and -- horrible to relate -- lost their manhood. But they're too young to miss it, and their recovery will be swift. They were never planning to sing baritone, in any event.

The mother and her favorite son will be adopted by someone in Winthrop.  But my two kittens will have their nine-week birthday here in Seattle (no public celebration planned).

Yes, on Tuesday morning, I will drive to Newhalem, near the western entrance to the North Cascades National Park.  From Winthrop, the sister of my friend Jim B. -- the sister who enticed me into this new human-feline relationship -- will also drive to Newhalem from the east.  And in Newhalem, the transfer of custody will occur.  As Jim B. commented, it sounds a bit like a spy thriller where a prisoner is covertly released in exchange for certain secret documents.

It's about a 2¼ hour drive to Newhalem from my home.  I expect the transaction to be swiftly concluded, all human participants wearing masks.  I will carry my own lunch, a water bottle, and a thermos of coffee, returning home with as little interaction with the local populace as possible.  Yes, the fear of Covid-19 still looms large.

But by late afternoon, they will be in Seattle, studying the features of their new home.  Between now and Tuesday, I will secure all easily destroyed items of importance in my house.  I know kittens.

I may report later on their progress.  I'll try not to keep whipping photos out of my wallet to show you.  I'll try not to write tedious reports bragging about their report cards and high SAT scores.  But I'm only human. 

And admit it -- everyone loves a cat story.