I was reminded today of one of my all-time favorite photos--and memories--from my old house back in Canada.  Those of you who have been with me for a while will remember that my hometown flooded last year, destroying pretty much all of the properties adjacent to the beautiful river flowing through the center of the village.  My mid--1800s home was one of them.

The kitty in the photo is my girl Bella... aka 'Bingy'.  I rescued her when she was a 6 week-old kitten living rough behind someone's woodpile with her Mum, Aunt, and three siblings.  Sadly, one of the kittens died before the rescue, but the rest of her furry family all went to good, loving homes.  Miss Bella is one of the nicest kitties I've ever met--always loving and playful, never a scratch or hiss... an absolute sweetheart.  She was always a household favorite, and every time my Mum came over, she would call her 'Bella Wella Bing Bang'.  With time her nickname became 'Bingy', and the name stuck--somehow it suits her.

Each year a groundhog family used to take up residence underneath the porch of my house.  Groundhogs are rather curious creatures I always found, and they would come up onto the big brick porch steps for a spot of sun and a nose around.  At some point they came to realize that there were other furry creatures inside the house...  and they were as intrigued by the cats as the kitties were by them.

This particularly handsome little fellow was a young one, and after he and Bingy caught sight of each-other, it was fascination at first sight.  Each day, Bingy would roam the porch and spend long periods of time staring out the glass door, waiting for her furry little friend to appear.  A few times I was fortunate enough to capture their  'through the glass' interaction, and every time I see this shot, I can't help but smile all day long! 

The groundhog came to be called 'Edward'',  and I wonder what has become of that family of subterranean dwellers...  My beautiful house was contaminated with fuel in last March's flood and sadly it had to be demolished last August as it was no longer safe.  So many wonderful memories were made in that house, and so much of myself went into renovating it.  I swear, I touched every square inch of it during the years I called it mine, and it's loss was a terrible blow.  The basement was filled in, along with their burrows.  I hope they managed to rebuild their underground empire...

I am so thankful to be able to look at photos like this one and remember the happy days spent by the river.

Happy memories and definitely one of my favorite things  :-)
2/21/2013 08:48:19 pm

Good to know I'm not the only one who names the critters. Love that photo of Bingy and Edward!

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2/21/2013 10:10:58 pm

All the furries get names around here! :-) Happy Weekend, Anne!

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2/21/2013 10:55:46 pm

That photo and tale are absolutely adorable!

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2/21/2013 11:13:42 pm

Thanks, Sherry! It was so cute to watch them interact every year :-)

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2/22/2013 06:28:14 am

Oh gosh, that's a tough story Leisa. It must have been tough to lose your home. It's good you have this photo (and I'm sure others) to remind you of happy times there. I'm sure Edward is missing his Bingy, but hopefully he's doing just fine.
Thanks so much for your visit to my blog,
Susan

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2/22/2013 10:46:26 pm

Hi Susan, thanks for stopping by! It was a rough year last year, but having great memories makes it bearable :-) Happy Weekend!

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2/22/2013 08:56:42 pm

I love, love that pic., it's amazing the groundhog stuck around that long...even long enough it get his picture taken....he's very photogenic! ha Must have broken your heart to have your house torn down. I too have an old century home and just love it's beauty! Awesome post my friend. Diane

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2/22/2013 10:49:52 pm

Thanks, Diane! Edward would sit for ages (upwards of half an hour) on the steps, staring in at Bingy... they were in love! It was so darned cute! The house... yeah, it sure did break my heart... century homes become a part of you, as you well know, and seeing it demolished was a big blow. I'm so thankful for the time she was mine :-)

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2/23/2013 12:30:05 am

I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your beloved house. We have groundhogs here and I've always loved them. I haven't seen them the last two years but they used to live under our shed and I'd see the babies in the Spring. I researched them and they are vegetarians who build tunnels under ground - one for eating, one for sleeping and one for eliminating waste. I miss seeing them on our property. Love that photo - it's absolutely priceless.

Thanks so much for joining in this week.

xo
Claudia

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2/24/2013 12:16:22 pm

Thank you, Claudia. It's certainly one of my favorite memories from my house! I love the groundhogs, and when I was a little girl, we had a furry family living under our garage--every year the Mum would bring out the babies in the early summer and they would all stand upright on the front lawn, peering in the big living room window. They're just adorable, and such smart little creatures :-)

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2/23/2013 12:47:46 am

So glad I stopped by today at your blog! I LOVE the pic of your cat and the groundhog! What a treat!!!

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2/24/2013 12:17:18 pm

Thanks! I'm so glad you dropped by :-)

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2/23/2013 01:12:21 am

Great photo! I don't think I ever saw a groundhog that close in person. Cute! So sorry about your house.

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2/24/2013 12:18:02 pm

Thank you, Diane! They really are adorable :-)

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2/23/2013 05:00:29 am

What a darling picture. We have groundhogs too, but they never come up to the house.
Balisha

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2/24/2013 12:18:51 pm

Thanks, Balisha! Your groundhogs must be more timid than mine were :-)

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2/23/2013 02:58:48 pm

So sad to have lost your historic home. The memories will remain and hopefully, you have pictures. This photo made me smile! It's adorable. As much as I love all creaturesdiscourage ground hogs from coming into our yard. They eat up the whole garden and will take down plants in no time! They also destroyed a neighbors foundation with all the burrowing and cost them thousands to get their foundation fixed. They are cute at a distance! This photo would be great on a greeting card! It's priceless!

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2/24/2013 12:20:06 pm

Thank you, Sandy... You're right--as cute as they are, they sure can be destructive little critters!

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2/23/2013 11:50:11 pm

What a horribly sad story about your home but also..what a fun picture. I just love it! :)

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2/24/2013 12:20:47 pm

Thanks, Debra--I'm so glad you like the photo, it's one of my all-time favorites!

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2/24/2013 03:05:13 am

That is the greatest photo! We've had visitors too, a fox, raccoon and possum, but no groundhogs! We also have outside kitties and they are named -- even the ones who just pass though! Right now there's Patio, Cali Mae and Earl Grey living in our yard, and Oliver is our inside cat!
I'm so sorry to hear about your home -- I know that must be tough. ((hugs)) to you...

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2/24/2013 12:23:24 pm

Thanks, Sarah! I love furry visitors--and that you've named one 'Earl Grey'!!! That's awesome :-) We also have an Oliver kitty--furries are the best!

Thank you for your kind thoughts...

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2/25/2013 08:34:00 am

Way 2 funny. Those little critters tease my dogs like that. Also, I love your wreath. Very nice.

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5/21/2013 06:31:11 am

Super cute photo - what a great shot. I never seem to have a camera ready when I need one. And then by the time I would get one ready to snap that priceless moment - poof - he would be gone! Thanks for sharing.

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