And…… the winner is…… Thoughts!
The #2 story is the true one.
The farm we lived on when I was a kid, was about 50 feet from a main highway, and we had a lot of roadkill, including many of the cats we kept to keep down the vermin population in the barn.
One of the cats had kittens just a couple of days before getting killed on our highway, and Boots (the black and white one) and Rocky (the one getting nibbled) were the only 2 that survived until I could find them in the barn. I proceeded to bring them in the house, and against my parents’ wishes, stated that I was going to make them live. My folks thought I was crazy, that there was no way I’d be able to take care of 2 newborn kittens, all by myself, and they were not going to help me. They were pretty sure the kittens would be too frail to make it.
But, I talked my mom into taking me to the local farm-supply store, where I was lucky enough to find 2 tiny baby-doll bottles that had rubber nipples on them, and I proceeded to care for the boys, keeping them in a cardboard box, next to the radiator in my room. Luckily, it was summer-time, so I could care for them throughout the day, and every night, I got up and fed and washed them off, just like their mama would have done.
The boys lived, becoming monster tom-cats. Boots was more of a home-body, and was kind of the “Grand-Poobah” on the farm, often found babysitting the new kittens. He didn’t care whether they were his offspring or not, he just cared that they cuddled up next to him and kept him warm in the sunshine.
Rocky was a roamer, but he always returned to the farm for visits. Rocky and Boots got along perfectly, as though they knew that they were brothers, and didn’t have to fight over anything. Strange for tom-cats to get along like that, but they did.
The rest of the stories? Totally made up, with help from YoungerDaughter. I did used to try trick-riding on my horse, but I was too chicken to stand up without something to hang on to; I did watch a lot of Star Trek, but never wore dresses if I could help it as a kid; and I was on TV in college, but for the Concordia Christmas Concert on PBS, not for any dating show.
So, there you go. A little truth, a lot of false, and a HUGE load of BULL… er… cats.
Have a great weekend, my friends!
Brea's Air 
Wow, I am glad it was that one that was true!
I play this game with some of my students in the summer. If they are a class I like, I play too. I am a good liar but my real stories are often what they disbelieve the most readily. I have convinced classes before now that I used to be a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, and yet, they always are sure I am lying when I tell them I work as a life model for artists. Some of their lies are wonderful too.
I love the sound of the cats; and yes, they surely did know they are brothers. My beloved Watson rescued young William from a probably almost fatal fight with a much bigger cat when Will was a kitten by pitching in and seeing off the other cat; walking back together, Watson clipped Willaim round the head much in the manner of Gibbs in NCIS. They were not related but there was amity.
xx
Dag nabit!!! I was gonna say #2!! Honest! Do I get a do-over? 🙂 Hey! I am think I am like due south of you right now, in the Rapid City area…..can you load up yourself, sparrow, and the Diva and come down and refresh my water bottle and wipe off my sweat covered brow as I pedal past? It should only be like a 6 hour drive to get down there!
RRRRRROOOADTRIPPP!!!!!
Awwww…cute story. And for you to take on that much responsibility as a kid is awesome!
Oh, we had tons of animals on the farm, and I kind of took on the barn cats as my responsibility. It’s funny, I think about it now, and realize just how many animals we actually had, and I took care of. Wow, I didn’t have much of a life, other than the farm! LOL