It's Done.

I've paid the Piper in tears. Lori, the adopter, called this morning to ask if she could come get the kittens a day early? I wanted to beg off and say, no. They're her companions now and they were always meant to only be here a short time, so I said; "Sure, come over."

I had a last visit with the kittens and tried to take the ultimate photo of them together, but it ended up just being some random shots of them playing. I kept thinking about Rose, their Mama, and how she would do once they leave her forever. The guilt runs deep. My only comfort is knowing the kittens are safe. They never went hungry or spent a night shivering under a fallen tree. They never were hunted by wild animals. They never slept in the dirt. Hopefully, they will only know a life of comfort and love. I gave them all kisses and wished them well, then left the room to wait for Lori to arrive.

Lori came to get the kittens and was so happy and excited. I took Poppy and placed her in front of her Mother's face and said; "Say Goodbye to Mama." and with that, the two rubbed foreheads. I almost lost it. I didn't mean it, but I think I upset Lori a bit. She was so focused on getting the kittens, she forgot that she was taking them away from their Mother. She waved Daisy at Rose and quickly put both the kittens into the carrier and couldn't get out of the room fast enough. I gave her some food and some suggestions on how to handle the first few days and bid her well. I hope she'll send me photos of the girls as they grow up. I'd love to see how beautiful they are as adults.

After Lori left, I brought Mama some special food and gave her a big hug and kiss, then burst into tears. She seemed calm and relaxed. Not even bothered, while I just sobbed. Honestly, if she's OKAY and I'm sad, that's fine with me. I'd rather it be that way.

And what does fate hold in store for Rose? Just because she's a year and a half older, her chances are fewer to find a good home, too. With the bad reaction to her Distemper booster shot and an eye infection, she needs to take it easy and will stay here awhile longer. She'll be in the foster room, alone, but it's far better than a cage in the shelter—her next stop if we don't find her a home soon.

I'm getting ready to leave home for a few weeks. My dear, Sam will be watching Mama for me while I'm gone. I hate to leave them both, but it's time for me to grow some wings of my own and try to figure out what I need to be doing. I think I need some wide open road to figure that out, so off I go, to points west until I hit Nevada.

I'll be back in a few weeks, hopefully. If you'd like to follow my journey, you can visit my Travel Blog

See you on the road!