My Sweet Old Friend Noah

30 Days 30 Photos - April 4

My parents still live in the mountains of east Tennessee, where I was born and where the weather is generally magnificent. That's one of the many reasons why the people who are blessed to live there call it "God's Country". Every once in a while they have bad weather and it is usually pretty bad when it happens - an occasional 36 inch snow, flood, or a mountain fire. Fourteen years ago there was a severe mountain flood the week before Easter, washing houses off their foundations and roads over banks. As is often our tradition, my husband and I went to visit my parents for Easter. The mess we found at the foot of my parents hill was awful but when we drove up the incline to their home we were met by a precious site. A tiny ball of white fur - a brand new kitten with a pink nose and a wee little mew, sat among my mothers gorgeous daffodils. I fell in love with him on the spot. My parents described the frightening noise of the flood rushing down the mountain. Their cat Ellie Mae and her four week old kittens were bedded down in a basket near my dad's workshop. Unfortunately the workshop was in a direct path of the coming flood. My dad quickly moved the basket near the house on higher ground to assure the safety of the mother and babies. Evidently, Ellie Mae promptly moved her family back to the now dangerous but more familiar spot. From the safety of their house my parents watched, heartbroken, as the mother cat swam with one tiny white ball of fur in her mouth to escape the rushing water. Apparently, when she heard the water coming she panicked and started to carry her babies to higher ground again. She only had time for one trip before she was swept away by the flood with one tiny baby in her mouth. When the water subsided enough my parents searched for the little family. All the kittens had been washed away in the flood except for one. Ellie sat by the now filthy swimming pool with her little boy, both of them completely covered in Tennessee red mud. Noah came home to live with us a month later. What else could we name him? My Noah has been a member of our family for fourteen years. He's arthritic and his eyes have the tell tale sign of age. He's a sweet old guy. Yesterday I was taking pictures of my granddaughters and Noah was very curious about the camera. Sydney thought it was hilarious so I continued to take the pics. My family told me they look evil, but I think they are adorable! Since I used the MACRO setting I thought I would use them as my posting for the "30 days 30 photos" challenge.