In Honor of LOVE

The one sure thing you can say about my father, that remained true throughout his entire life, was that he dearly loved cats.  Even when Alzheimers took away most of what made him - him, he was still a genuine ailurophile. The weekend after he passed in 2010 we adopted two little orphaned kittens and named them in honor of my father's service during World War II - Kadashan Bay -  named after the ship he served on - and Chester Nimitz - named after the fleet admiral for the United States Navy during WWII.

Over the years Kadashan grew into a "big buddha-bellied bumble bee-biting butter biscuit" of a cat with his brother, Chester, always remaining on the petite side. Tender, loving, inquisitive and absolutely adorable, our Chester was the most beautifully-marked cat we'd ever had.  He loved to tag team for moles with his brother when out back for their "supervised" excursions and liked nothing more than to jump up into his tree to sharpen his claws, check out the yard from a higher vantage point or delay the inevitable when his human brother, Jack, would announce it was time to go in! In January of this year we had to say Farewell to our beloved Chester "Wolfpaw" Nimitz.   
A young spirit with an old soul in a body that was never meant for longevity.  Gone too soon - he joined the others who have drifted in and out of our lives - bringing only LOVE and leaving sweet cherished memories.         Although the winter ground was frozen we laid him to rest next to the castle wall, beneath the branches of his tree where he loved to hunt for moles in the thick green ivy and roll in the soft black soil.

In the Spring we began construction on our FoamFriends Medieval Village.  We started with building three wattle and daub huts and a village well all made from extruded polystyrene and foam craft sheets with plans to eventually design and build a 1:12 scale medieval inn which we would name in honor of our dearly-departed little friend.

Presenting a work in progress:

CHESTER'S REST

                                                                                              For Jeffrey and I - working on this project together has been a wonderfully gratifying experience and as we near the time when the Inn will be placed upon the spot where Chester rests - we find ourselves reflecting on the dear memories of all of the many fur people who have graced our home by sharing their, all too brief, lives with us.  Once the Inn is moved outside, our Bombadil and Goldberry will have to find new napping locations or maybe a foam "cat house" is next on the project list?!  

See more photos of Chester's Rest in the Garden Village gallery tab.

CHESTER'S REST INN