Hoover, the cat.  He is one, so it always seemed best to leave him home.  Around his stuff.  Where he knows where his everything is.  And isn’t.  For more than three years now, we’ve always left him home.  He likes, and we like, his reliable cat sitter.  But we decided Hoover might like the lake house.  We will be here for five or six days.  It’s winter and we wouldn’t need to leave him for hours while we do fun stuff on the lake.  We have bird feeders.  We have birds and squirrels at the feeders.  Birds and squirrels.  Birds, Hoover.  You will like the birds.  And squirrels.

Hoover only stayed under the bed in the back room for about half an hour.  He only stayed hiding under his blanket for another half an hour.  Then he got interested in the place.  Really interested.  In everything.  In everything several times in a row.  He paced the perimeters of the main rooms.  He looked at himself in the mirror.  Over and over.  When morning came, he watched birds and squirrels from various vantage points.  Three days and a few hours later, he seems to be  acclimated.  We think he likes the place.  We know he likes the birds and squirrels.  He’s already found favorite spots.  In his “Kitty Pod.”  Sitting on an end table that looks out onto the deck.  Sleeping on the flannel sheets with colorful fish on them.   His ears twitch while he sleeps and dreams.  Betcha he’s stalking birds and squirrels.