Dear Diary, This is Babbette, the newest addition to the house. Her full name is Wild Winken Babbette. She's probably about as old as I am. She's a really confused cat. Lived most of her life outside the house and hated every minute of it. There were 3 in her litter, Winken, Blinken and Nod and their mom was Babs. Babs went missing when the three were kits but my lady made sure they had food and were cared for. Over the next few years, Nod and then Blinken left us. This is the only Babbette left. When she was outside, she was very angry. Hated every cat that crossed her path. She's nice to us in the house, though. Doesn't hiss or hit like she did outside. A couple of nights ago she found my lady's bed. Well, she knew where it was and that we all slept there, but she was afraid of it. When I say she found it, I mean she decided to claim a spot on it. She's fun to play with. Mostly she plays with Sara Sue, but sometimes I join in.

Dear Diary, Well, it's official now. My lady's man came back without Morgan. He's been back days now and no Morgan. I didn't think I would miss her, but I do. No little black face hissing at me, taunting me to chase her. I've been pestering my human, hoping that she'll get the hint and get Morgan back here. But she just goes through the usual routine -- checks my food, checks my water, makes sure my potty box is clean, then she throws up her hands in frustration, not knowing that it's Morgan I want. Whatever Alabama is, it should give Morgan back. There's no one in the house for me to play with or torment. Mellow would slap me silly if I tried to go after her. Lovey Bud would simply rub up against me, butting me with her head. Sara Sue thinks it's funny if I try to challenge her. Her solution is to pounce on me. Babbette has some wicked claws and doesn't mind using them. And Osiris, well, one can't attack a hero, now can one? I find myself eating more. Can't seem to get enough food. It's the only comfort I have right now.

Dear Diary, We insiders are all rather subdued. There are only six of us now. It's fairly obvious to us that Morgan Child is not coming back. The humans put her in a travel box several days ago and then my lady's man took Morgan out with him. He has not returned nor has Morgan. Mellow spent two days searching the house for her friend as she was sleeping when Morgan was put in the box. Don't understand the subdued atmosphere around here now. I mean she was a real bother. Always hissing at everyone. And for several weeks she had been hogging my night time sleeping spot next to my lady. I say good riddance. Whatever Alabama is, it can't be that bad. My lady would not have let her man go there, nor would she have let Morgan go, if it were a bad thing. My lady liked Morgan, but then she's a human and there's no accounting for a human's taste.

The photo is of me at the blogging machine. My lady left it vacant, which she's been doing more often lately. With any luck, I should be able to sneak more time writing my journals now. Somehow I've got to get her to turn that screen a bit though. It's too far away from my good eye. Well, I'm off to see what kind of trouble I can get into today. Have to locate a new cat to chase now that Morgan's out of the picture. That's the only thing about her that I'm going to miss.

Dear Diary, Oh so much has been going on since last I wrote. Maybe I should start off with Babbette having her trip to the doctor. After she moved into the house, she just lay around, not doing anything. Stayed mainly on the back porch sleeping. My lady's man was terribly worried about her and finally took her to the doctor. She had medicine to take. Got it shot down her throat a couple times a day. She was none too happy about it. But after several days, she began behaving differently. She started to explore the house and prance around in a perky way. But then Sara Sue started sneezing. And she started sleeping a lot. Then she began to look like the cats outside do just before they stop moving and turn cold. My lady put her in the car and took her to the doctor. When she came home, she didn't have medicine that was squirted down her throat. My lady shoved a thin sharp thing into her twice a day. I never saw medicine like that before, but I suppose it must have been medicine because Sara Sue began to start moving around again and she didn't look like she was going to stop moving and turn cold. And soon my lady stopped sticking her with the thin sharp thing.

I truly am Lucky as none of these busy things happened to me. Mellow was the next to have something strange happen. One day she was just gone. My lady said Mellow must have gone outside and strayed off into the creek. I know what that means. The creek is where frightening things happen. Mellow was gone for many days. And then one day, she reappeared in the kitchen. No one was in the house except my lady. She did not open the door to let Mellow in. Mellow was just in the kitchen. Something magic must have happened to her. How could she be gone and then just reappear out of nowhere? Something must have taken her away and then put her back. Mellow was weird after that. Acted as if she didn't know any of us. My lady put her in the car and took her to the doctor. When she came back, there was no medicine for her. She slept a lot for a few days and then started acting almost normal again. But she has been much pushier since then. She doesn't lay by herself on the bed at night like she used to. Now she comes and lays on top of my lady, and on top of me, because I always sleep next to my lady. Sometimes she squeezes in between me and my lady. She acts as if she owns my lady now. I don't like how she is now. She gets in my way when I want to cuddle with my lady.

Then there is Morgan. She seemed just fine to me, but my lady and her man put her in the car and took her to the doctor. She was gone for quite some time with them. There was no medicine for her either when she came home. Don't know what that was all about. My lady keeps telling Morgan now that she is going to Alabama soon. I wonder what Alabama is. My lady has been holding Morgan more since she had her trip to the doctor.

It's a good thing it is warming up outside so I can get away from all these others. They take up way too much of my lady's time. At least outside I can watch birds and have some quiet time. Well, sort of quiet, considering there are a ton of other cats running around outside. Mostly they don't bother me though. I smell them on my way back into the house, but otherwise they don't mean much to me.