Oh, Irma! You troublemaker you.

by Angela K. Durden
Technology inventor protecting creator's copyrights. Business writer, novelist, songwriter, and Citizen Journalist.


News reports have Irma sliding by Atlanta. Local animals certainly must feel Irma is on its way. This past week I've had four encounters with animals unknown to me when usually I have none.

Wednesday a squirrel that was either sick or dying, or sick and dying, came up to my balcony and had some things to say to me. I politely asked it to leave as I didn't want his germs there — and he left. 

Thursday, while walking back from the coffee shop, I had fast caught up to a dog and his owner. I assumed they knew I was coming and was just before saying excuse me in order to pass them on the sidewalk when the dog turned, saw me, and screamed and jumped. The man did the same thing. The dog then proceeded to strain at his leash as if he would kill me if he got to me. The man was straining to hold him back while working on getting his heart from racing overtime. I laughed out loud and the man smiled — but the dog took my laughter as a personal insult and ramped up his effrontery.

On Friday I'm sitting on my balcony when this huge cat, long white fur, beautiful thing, walks by and I said, "Well, hello, Cat. I've never seen you before." You've got to understand that most cats hate my guts because they know that I am the queen, so when I say this to the neighborhood cats they mostly give me the stink eye and run away.

This cat, though, had no problem with that obviously, because he stops walking, turns to look at me, sees the stairs, and up he comes where for the next fifteen minutes he sniffs around, sits next to me and yows a couple of offhand comments with which I agree, and shares a bite or two of my food. I said I had to go inside and get busy — and the cat nonchalantly yows goodbye and meanders off. 

Then Saturday, I had opportunity to be around a dog at a library for a presentation about cadaver dogs. This dog said hello to several people in the room and allowed himself to be petted by them, but he was especially enamored of me — spending most of his time parked between my legs in a most adoring fashion. 

The dog arrived in the room just as I was trying to get my camera ready for taking pictures of the event. He comes straight for me — WHAM, kerplunk, almost knocking me out of my chair. Surprised the hell out of me him barreling up like that.

But his attitude is one I want in a man, namely "Oh, I love you! I worship the ground you walk on! Scratch my ears, my Queen!"