Avalon

This is my new baby... Avalon, or Ava for short. She joins me and my other cat, Veruca Salt, whom I often call Ruca and my old mutt of a dog Bodhi, short for Bodhisatva. My apartment is now officially at maximum capacity.

Ava, of course, came to me very ill. We almost lost her last week when her illness caused her temp to rise to 106F. Fortunately, Ava's new mom works in a pet hospital. She is now on the mend and doing great.

Veruca was none too thrilled by the addition to begin with. This morning, however, they are lying side by side, both staring longingly through the screen door to a back yard full of plants, flowers, birds and butterflies, which their mean old mama will not let them out to. As I stopped checking e-mail to watch them a moment ago, they rubbed noses and moved closer to each other. As soon as Veruca caught me watching them, she batted Ava across the face and ran off. They are back again now, side by side. Yeah, I know, Veruca has issues...