Aunt Kitty

Half a block away, up Cresmont, there is a parked Jeep that never moves. It wouldn't be particularly noteworthy if it didn't have a spare tire on the back covered with a black leather casing with a picture of Elvis on it, under which reads the caption "We love you, Aunt Kitty!" I have always wondered about this vehicle. Yesterday, I made a discovery that has put my curiosity to rest.

Because I would be expecting guests at 8pm, and because the sidewalks of Baltimore - poorly lit - are really no place to be after dark (even in the safer areas ... you can't see a damn thing), I decided to preempt my walk with Eska by two hours and took her out at 4, before dinner, rather than at 6, after it. This, I discovered, is when all the fun happens, and this is when I met Aunt Kitty.

A few highlights before we get to her:

- Eska and I discovered a large reservoir along Northway (where Greenway forks off in the direction of Loyola campus)and Millbrook. We might go running here when it is less populated.
- Along Cold Spring Lane, Eska recovered a dead squirrel from a pile of debris, but was just as quickly disgusted by it as I was and put it down even before I had the time to say the (by her) dreaded keyword, "butta."
- We met Eddie the dog, his young mistress, and her (also young) mother sitting on their front porch on Cresmont, just a few doors down from Aunt Kitty. Eddie's mistress was concocting some magic potion to get him to stop barking (out of what I can only imagine was apple juice) and entreated Eska and I to watch her put it together. So we did. Until Baby got restless and started lunging at the eighteen cats seemingly emerging from every hidden corner of the street.

Which brings me to Aunt Kitty.

Just before Eska and I met up with Eddie and his entourage, we bumped into a perfectly pleasant and typically Baltimorean woman. Read: heavy smoker, dowdily dressed, impeccable Bawlmorese. "You're a rullll pretty dog," she told Eska as we walked by. "Thanks," I said, speaking on Baby's behalf. " ... rulllllllll pretty," she continued, as half a dozen cats began to crop up around her.

Eska got excited, and the woman sensed it.

"Oh, you like cats, do you girl? Yeah ... you better get used to 'em ... there's a LOTTA cats on this street ....a LOT of 'em ... they're EVERYWHERE, girl, EVERYWHERE, cats EVERYWHERE, you gotta get used to it ... tell your mommy, tell her ... 'but Mommy, I want one ...' she'll get you one, you just tell her. She'll get you a whole bunch ..."

Elvis Jeep mystery solved. There is no other explanation.

I like Aunt Kitty. She's certainly got character. To be clear, though, Mommy will most certainly not be getting any cats for Baby; besides, the entire contingent of the ASPCA cat shelter seems to have been adopted, already.

So, to recap:
1) Batshit crazy MINISTER OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND, neighbour, Denis
2) Aunt Kitty

Welcome to the neighbourhood.