Our Ramses

After 22 healthy and happy years, our Ramses died this last Friday. He was one of a kind and we are so lucky he stayed with us for so long! 

Born in New Mexico, he fully embraced our move to hot and humid Savannah. In fact, he loved the weather here more than anyone, always outside basking in the sun. The warmer the better.

Ramses loved our two previous dogs (Moe and Puna), but Winslow was his special buddy. After all, he raised Winslow from a puppy! Almost every night he would clean Winslow's eyes and make sure his eyebrows were in good shape. We never quite understood what the eyebrow thing was about, but Winslow loved it.

And often Winslow would return the favor and lick Ramses' head until his ears were inside out and he looked like he had plunged his head into water.  Tucker, Louie and Peabody (our other cats) have rallied around Winslow and keep him company. Winslow loves all "his" cats and luckily they love him.

Of course Ramses was also quite sophisticated and an avid art critic. I never knew if sitting on one of my paintings meant approval or disapproval.

As I looked through all our photos, I realized how few of them show Ramses from the front.

Most of the photos are like these. Wherever we sat, he tried to get onto one of our laps. He helped with computer work (this was the last photo I took of him),

keeping us warm,

helping us relax,

and he always supervised my knitting.

You were a special cat, Ramses. My lap feels quite cold without you here to warm it. And our house is strangely quiet without your constant chatter.

Until we meet again...

❧ Silke