My husband quickly offered our daughter $5.00 for the kitten and she laughingly accepted. This was the first and only time we ever "bought" a cat. George decided that the kitten's name should be "Ditcher," because our son-in-law operated a Ditch Witch service.

As we began our 300 mile drive back to Euless, Ditcher was extremely active. I was crocheting an afghan and he amused himself (and me) by playing with the yarn and trying to grab my crochet hook. About half way home, Ditcher disappeared. After searching the car, we finally discovered that he was in the back seat, curled up in my yarn basket . His soft orange coat blended with the other colors.

Ditcher was an only cat for the first five years of his life. He was remarkably intelligent and he also had a mischevious sense of humor. He was extremely affectionate and we formed a special bond. He followed me around the house as if he were my shadow. When he was outside, however, he preferred to display his independence. He was a fearless hunter and he bravely defended his territory against stray dogs and neighborhood cats.

When Ditcher was five years old, we adopted a stray kitten, Dobbin. Initially, Ditcher resented her presence, but she gradually won him over. For several years, before we moved to the Triple C Ranch, they accompanied us on our weekend trips to the country. When we made a permanent move in 1986, they were already acclimated to life in the country.

I plan to add additional photos to Ditcher's page and to write more about his life and adventures. In the meantime, please read Ditcher's Tale. Our granddaughter wrote this imaginative account of Ditcher's introduction to the Triple C Ranch, supposedly told from his point of view.