Feline Joins Funny Farm Lineup, Ratings Skyrocket
Waring, Tx - (AP) Several months ago I decided I needed a cat. This of course comes with the careful observation that cats, when dealt with properly, can be terribly low-maintenance creatures and given a big enough pile of food, can subsist for weeks with minimal human intervention. I made a phone call to Kelton Fiedler, my neighbor here in Waring who I simply call The-Man-Who-Can-Find-Anything. (He once located an obscure bolt for a '44 Willy's Jeep in less than 16 hours.) Noting his success in the past I got on the horn to Kelton and made known my desire for a good, strong-boned cat.
Last Friday he came through. This was most assuredly a non-hurry request. Falling in line with my theory that if you stay in one place long enough the entire world will pass by at least once, Kelton had an orange tabby show up at his house.
I stopped by Kelton's house (on the north side of town near the river) late in the evening and after an impromptu gun-cleaning/maintenance lesson, I loaded up the new feline and prepared to head across town. As is usual, our conversation covered a vast gamut of material, the last of which were the writings of Aldo Leopold. Now, if you don't know the name Aldo Leopold, you will after you finish reading this. Kelton had been in my house for some unknown reason the other day while I was gone and he duly noted that my bathroom reading of choice was A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. I highly encourage you to read this. It is a collection of essays Leopold wrote from his farm in Wisconsin in the 1930's. Leopold's claim to fame is that he is the Father of Game Management and Wildlife Ecology. He invented game managment which in my mind is no small feat.
According to www.naturenet.com, Leopold "was a renowned scientist and scholar, exceptional teacher, philosopher, and gifted writer.It is for his book, A Sand County Almanac, that Leopold is best known by millions of people around the globe. The Almanac, often acclaimed as the century's literary landmark in conservation, melds exceptional poetic prose with keen observations of the natural world. The Almanac reflects an evolution of a lifetime of love, observation, and thought. It led to a philosophy that has guided many to discovering what it means to live in harmony with the land and with one another."
Wow. Oddly enough, the pondering prose of a man who lived so long ago is almost the perfect train of thought here in the small Hill Country Hamlet of Waring, and terribly poetic. Albeit crude, the philosophies of Mr. Leopold fit the story of this small town to perfection. It was while standing under the star-lit bath of night there on the north side of Waring it occurred to me that the feline in my arms would be the perfect namesake for the impetus behind the wildlife management and preservation in America...Mr. Leopold. So, I told Kelton that from then on the cat would be known as Aldo Leopold. (Also, somewhat intersting to note for ardent Whimsical World followers, is that Mr. Leopold once conducted some of his laboratory research in--of all things--a chicken coop. Oooooh the irony.)
I might add that like the real Aldo Leopold, Aldo Leopold (the cat) will be chiefly in charge of the mouse management in and around The Funny Farm. I hope he understands the expectations that come with bearing such a prestigous name.
Aldo Leopold (the cat) had adapted well to his new surroundings, befriending even the new puppy I acquired recently named Hart (australian shepherd/collie mix.) The two romp around the yard friskally playing with each other as well as Willamina the Spanish Goat.
Aldo Leopold (the cat) has even taken a liking to sunbathing on my bed, so much so that it supports my theory that "feline" is a contraction for the phrase "feeling fine." And I'm sure the young Mr. Leopold (the cat) would agree with me.
Aldo Leopold's (the cat) most entertaining episode yet is how he followed me, Hart, and my matriarchal dog Girl all the way to the Guadalupe River where he dutifully sat on a tree stump while the rest of us frolicked in the river. After the swimming session, we returned home the four of us like a scene from Homeward Bound. It was laughable while it was happening, which with my stories rarely happens.
And thus The Funny Farm, Inc., has ballooned in size to include a dog named Girl, a puppy named Hart, a goat named Willamina, and a cat named Aldo Leopold.
That's the story of my life...
Last Friday he came through. This was most assuredly a non-hurry request. Falling in line with my theory that if you stay in one place long enough the entire world will pass by at least once, Kelton had an orange tabby show up at his house.
I stopped by Kelton's house (on the north side of town near the river) late in the evening and after an impromptu gun-cleaning/maintenance lesson, I loaded up the new feline and prepared to head across town. As is usual, our conversation covered a vast gamut of material, the last of which were the writings of Aldo Leopold. Now, if you don't know the name Aldo Leopold, you will after you finish reading this. Kelton had been in my house for some unknown reason the other day while I was gone and he duly noted that my bathroom reading of choice was A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. I highly encourage you to read this. It is a collection of essays Leopold wrote from his farm in Wisconsin in the 1930's. Leopold's claim to fame is that he is the Father of Game Management and Wildlife Ecology. He invented game managment which in my mind is no small feat.
According to www.naturenet.com, Leopold "was a renowned scientist and scholar, exceptional teacher, philosopher, and gifted writer.It is for his book, A Sand County Almanac, that Leopold is best known by millions of people around the globe. The Almanac, often acclaimed as the century's literary landmark in conservation, melds exceptional poetic prose with keen observations of the natural world. The Almanac reflects an evolution of a lifetime of love, observation, and thought. It led to a philosophy that has guided many to discovering what it means to live in harmony with the land and with one another."
Wow. Oddly enough, the pondering prose of a man who lived so long ago is almost the perfect train of thought here in the small Hill Country Hamlet of Waring, and terribly poetic. Albeit crude, the philosophies of Mr. Leopold fit the story of this small town to perfection. It was while standing under the star-lit bath of night there on the north side of Waring it occurred to me that the feline in my arms would be the perfect namesake for the impetus behind the wildlife management and preservation in America...Mr. Leopold. So, I told Kelton that from then on the cat would be known as Aldo Leopold. (Also, somewhat intersting to note for ardent Whimsical World followers, is that Mr. Leopold once conducted some of his laboratory research in--of all things--a chicken coop. Oooooh the irony.)
I might add that like the real Aldo Leopold, Aldo Leopold (the cat) will be chiefly in charge of the mouse management in and around The Funny Farm. I hope he understands the expectations that come with bearing such a prestigous name.
Aldo Leopold (the cat) had adapted well to his new surroundings, befriending even the new puppy I acquired recently named Hart (australian shepherd/collie mix.) The two romp around the yard friskally playing with each other as well as Willamina the Spanish Goat.
Aldo Leopold (the cat) has even taken a liking to sunbathing on my bed, so much so that it supports my theory that "feline" is a contraction for the phrase "feeling fine." And I'm sure the young Mr. Leopold (the cat) would agree with me.
Aldo Leopold's (the cat) most entertaining episode yet is how he followed me, Hart, and my matriarchal dog Girl all the way to the Guadalupe River where he dutifully sat on a tree stump while the rest of us frolicked in the river. After the swimming session, we returned home the four of us like a scene from Homeward Bound. It was laughable while it was happening, which with my stories rarely happens.
And thus The Funny Farm, Inc., has ballooned in size to include a dog named Girl, a puppy named Hart, a goat named Willamina, and a cat named Aldo Leopold.
That's the story of my life...
posted by Winston A. Hall at 9:32 PM
2 Comments:
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Aldo Leopold (the cat) has even taken a liking to sunbathing on my bed, so much so that it supports my theory that "feline" is a contraction for the phrase "feeling fine."
Love that!
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