Elmer Update!
Someone was approaching on the trail that I was near.
Something about him seemed odd - though at first I couldn't figure out what it was. As he drew nearer, I noticed that he had a large pack on. That in itself was not unusual. I had previously seen people on the trail take a pack with them that held extra clothes or food. What was peculiar was that the pack was not on his back. It was strapped to his chest. I wondered if perhaps he was carrying a small child. But no, that couldn't be. The pack was much too small for that. Maybe he had simply carried his lunch along - a rather large lunch.
I finished my coffee and twisted the cup back on the thermos bottle as I watched him. When he was within a few feet of me he stopped, grinned broadly and said a booming hello. I returned his greeting. The moment I spoke, the lid of his pack popped open and I found myself staring into two green eyes.
Why, it was a cat!
"This is Elmer," the old man exclaimed, referring to his small companion. "My name is Samuel." The man pulled the lid all the way up so I could get a better look at the cat. Elmer was a lovely cat - with shiny black and white well-groomed fur. Elmer sat up a bit higher when he realized he had an audience. He peered at me with bright-eyed interest from his cozy little nest. One paw now rested on the lip of the pack.
Elmer certainly knew an admirer when he saw one and he promptly began purring, looking from Samuel to me and back again. Samuel proudly proclaimed, "Elmer is a Rag Doll cat. They usually stay unruffled about most things."
I couldn't resist asking questions about Elmer. "How in the world do you get Elmer to stay in that pack? And how long have you been doing this - going on the trail with him?"
"Well," Samuel was clearly happy to talk about Elmer, "I have been exercising with him since he was a tiny kitten. He loves it. I found him about six years ago and we've
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