We’ve been enjoying some spring weather here, and so naturally I thought of this snowy picture I took many moons ago of my cat Alci (short for Alcibiades) when the two of us lived in a house in the Poconos.
You might not be able to tell it from this picture, but this photo was snapped probably in March or even April. This would be something known as Tobyhanna spring. Those who haven’t lived in or near that mountaintop Pennsylvania town might not be familiar with how cold and snowy it can be there. It was the only place I ever lived where we had a surprise 2-foot deep snowstorm that, oops, no one forecast. That showed up overnight in early October one year. So, yeah winters were long in Tobyhanna.
That’s probably why Alci was giving me this look as I snapped his photo. He was probably thinking enough with the snow already, can we have some springtime please?
Alci was the most dog-like cat I’ve ever known. One of his favorite things was to go for walks. When we lived in Tobyhanna our mailbox was a couple of blocks away, and when the weather was mild he would join me on walks down to the mailbox and back. Later, when I got a dog he insisted on joining us for dog walks.
In our residential Poconos neighborhood, Alci would stroll along beside us unleashed, but when we wound up in a busier part of New Jersey I didn’t think it was safe for him to walk without a leash. I picked up a special cat harness and leash at the pet store. I remember it came with an instruction booklet with all sorts of tips for how to slowly get your cat acclimated to the leash. Alci took one look at that leash, plopped down on the ground, rolled onto his back and allowed me to strap him into the harness purring the entire time. He was so excited to finally have a leash of his very own. He was a very weird cat.
Like most of the dogs I’ve known, he enjoyed car rides, but he absolutely abhorred cat carriers, to the point he would make himself physically sick if he had to be in one. I wouldn’t advise letting most cats roam free in the car, but in his case it was the best option all around, especially since he would spend the ride either standing in his spot in the backseat watching the scenery fly past the window or curled up on the backseat purring contentedly. I don’t know, maybe he really had been a dog in a previous life.
I guess those Tobyhanna winters were a real bummer for a cat who loved walks and hated confinement. So, if you’re like Alci and don’t much care for the snow and the winter, I hope you are enjoying a taste of spring and can finally head out on a walk or two or at least find a spot on the deck that isn’t covered with snow to soak up some sun. My sister sent a picture the other day of her chickens doing some sunbathing on her deck up in Maine. So, maybe just maybe spring is actually here.
— Alissa
Weekly Inspiration
What I’m Reading: I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together by Maurice Vellekoop
What I’m Watching: Pixels
What I’m Listening to: “Surrender” by Cheap Trick
Find out more about my books at alissagrosso.com
Find out more about my art at alissacarin.com
My apologies for the typos and such this post is almost certainly riddled with.
Creativity and Contentment 
8 responses to “Here Comes the Sun”
Up heah in Maine, we ordered our spring well in advance, knowing there would be a run as soon as folks from away AKA flatlanders, got wind if its potential arrival. As for cats, my mom had one named Apollo who had a skunk buddy that waited on the front porch most evenings until Mom let the cat out, and off they’d stroll.
I do love unlikely animal friendships!
I am thinking the same way Alci was thinking – enough of this cold weather. lol BTW, is Alci still around?
Alci passed away several years ago, after a life full of weird cat adventures.
We had a cat that used to play fetch. You could throw a crunched up sheet of paper at him and he’d jump (sometimes three feet in the air) catch it, and bring it back to us to throw again!
That’s awesome!
Well, looks can be deceiving, Ali. When I met up with the ladies at Waterfront Park this a.m. it was only 32 degrees (going up to 39). I’m definitely going to try and start any seed-growing indoors until say, May? We are having “pretty” weather, though.
Yeah, those Maine springs can be a lot like Tobyhanna spring. Stay warm and hopefully the weather warms up soon for those seedlings.