OUR LITTLE CAT, SIMON, HAS SPRING FEVER. This is of particular interest to us because a little less than a year ago, on Easter, his big brother Scooter died. Scooter-bug was our big personality, our constant buddy, and Simon had never known life without him.

After I laid Scooter to rest by the rock wall, Simon came over and lay down on the grave, and rolled on it, then sat on the wall right next to it and stood for a long time in silent vigil. Simon has always been our outdoor kitty, our roamer, who loved to disappear into the woods. But after Scooter’s death, he changed. Now he stayed pretty much in the cabin or on the deck, day after day and month after month. He no longer cried to go out, no longer disappeared into the woods. When he was out he often stood on one corner of the deck, overlooking Scooter, just twenty feet away. All through the fall and winter Simon’s favorite, essential time was ‘cuddle time,’ in Kathy’s lap in the evening, watching British murder mysteries or the fare of the day. It could not be missed. Kathy said that Simon was grieving, all these months. I believe she was right.

This week the weather has warmed up. Breezes with a scent of spring blow through the pines. The geese call as they fly up and down the river. The snow is melting. And Simon wants OUT! Saturday and Sunday he was out for hours, leaving the deck, nowhere to be seen. This morning I came down the cabin steps in the dark, ready to make coffee. Simon, instead of staying curled up in his little sleeping-box until mid-morning, as has become his habit, was at the door, in the dark, begging to go out. I scratched his ear and told him to wait for sunrise. But I smiled. It is nice to have our Simon back, good to see him eager to start the day, and enjoying his woods. It took a long time. But he is a loyal and sensitive little guy. I think Scooter would approve.