14 Comments
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Tara Penry's avatar

Nice to discover you over at CK’s Funny and Friendly series! I’m sorry you’ve moved away from the Cougar. His life will be more drab than ochre now … unless he squeezed himself into your moving truck when no one was looking. I half-hope he did. Le Chat looks like he could use an adventure.

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Amanda Jaffe's avatar

Hi Tara, it's nice to have met you over at CK's wonderful series, and it's extra nice to see you here! Sadly, the Cougar doesn't seem to have made the trip. I still hold out hope that he's one of those legendary cats that make a cross-country trek to reunite with their people. (He may live with someone else, but I'm convinced I'm his people.)

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Tara Penry's avatar

I will hope for further developments, or a Hallmark Channel movie scripted by you.

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Tessa Smith McGovern's avatar

Delightful!

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Amanda Jaffe's avatar

Thank you, Tessa!

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Kevin Chieff's avatar

Your wonderful story reminds me of Pete Seeger's "Little Boxes", written about similar communities in the 60s, which "all look just the same" (not about "all made out of ticky-tacky").

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Amanda Jaffe's avatar

What an earworm, Kevin -- I can even hear the banjo! My parents used to play Pete Seeger records all the time. That song actually crossed my mind while I was writing this!

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Iris Nagler's avatar

A delightful story! The community reminds me of Westlake Village/Thousand Oaks, where my husband and I lived for two years. A pleasant looking planned community with not much socializing taking place amongst the inhabitants.

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Amanda Jaffe's avatar

Thanks, Iris! You know of what I speak....

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

This was so funny and sweet. Will you put a bowl of food out for Cougar?

Love the bold ochre color of one daring house! Hehe.

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Amanda Jaffe's avatar

The Cougar seems not to lack for food, and I dare not interfere with what I suspect is a carefully crafted and calibrated California diet. :) I'm so pleased you took the time to read this. Thank you!

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Laura Grossman's avatar

Meow 😻

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Amanda Jaffe's avatar

You just made me look over my shoulder!

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Laura Grossman's avatar

I was surprised to realize he has a collar. Someone lets him fill himself with birdseed. I think he wants attention. 🐈‍⬛

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