I hear that it is almost time for the annual fireworks, a.k.a. the terrifying explosions, about two blocks from our house.  The humans seem to like it.  They usually have a party or some other nonsense and hang out in the backyard past MY bedtime so that they can watch those boomy things.  The awful things used to scare me.  They still scare the girls.  Gina and Lea will hide out under the bed and in the closet until well into the night.  My dog used to hate them, but I don't think he can hear them anymore.  Mom still gates him in downstairs though, just in case, so that he doesn't have a freak out moment and door jump.  Mom used to bring Sal E. Cat inside ALL DAY on fireworks day so that she could keep track of him and make sure he was home in the evening.  Now THAT was scary.  Noisy fireworks are one thing, but an insane, chipmunk exterminator with FRONT CLAWS invading the downstairs litter boxes and FOOD BOWLS for the whole day....and occasionally chasing Gina to higher ground....well, lets just say that started the day with a real bang too.  

I guess I hate to admit it, but I'm going to miss Big Sal this year.  He didn't like the fireworks.  Not at all.  It was always sort of funny to me that that big ol' cat who was afraid of nothing would be hiding in the laundry basket.  It made me feel brave.  It was one of the few times I ever felt that he looked up to me.  No, it wasn't just because I was upstairs and he was downstairs!  Maybe I made him feel just a little bit safer. 

Anyway, I'll stay out on the landing, at the top of the stairs, again this time too, even though I don't have to guard Sal.  After all, I hear Grandma may come to visit and she feels so left out when i don't at least swat her a couple of times on the stairs when she passes.  It's just so darned fun to mess with her.  If I wasn't such a little kitty, I'd swear she was scared of me.  Holidays wouldn't be the same without our little game of "Swat-a-Granny".... A cat's got to have something to look forward to around here!