You never what what will capture Charlie Fineran’s attention during his Photo of the Week travels; even he sometimes gets a surprise.

I am going to title this story, ‘THE GIFT’, and here is my reasoning.  This past week has been ‘A rough go’ – ‘A rough go’ of global geographical proportions, Terrorism in Afghanistan, two back to back Hurricanes, Henri and Ida, devastating the United States from the Gulf States up through the Mid-Atlantic states and then the entire east coast + let us not forget, Covid19, for good measure!! Both storms, remaining potent threats throughout their journeys, journeys which covered almost the exact same territory, which only compounded the devastation! None of these events were an easy or pleasant view on the daily news shows, especially one after the other day in and day out!

On a personal level, last weekend, I was out and about photographing high water levels and damages throughout our area, AND THEN, not even a week later, I am out and about again and its ‘deja-vu’ all over, only worse!!!   GIVE ME/US A BREAK!!!!

Then this morning, (Friday the 3rd of September) delivering the mail at Allamuchy Town Hall, Anne Marie, Town Clerk, pointed to a small basket on her desk, within the basket, a small soft cloth, and under that small soft cloth, all curled up ****THE GIFT****!!!!

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO OF THE WEEK

****THE GIFT**** was instantaneous, in that my ‘focus’ was immediately, pin pointed at, AND, shrunk down to, the tiny ball of fur, under the cloth!  Ladies and Gentleman, that instant focus shift, immediately, erased from my mind, ALL other realities of the world!! I found myself on a mission, a very pleasant mission, that had come without notice, ‘Right out of the blue’!! IMMEDIATELY, go back out to the car for my camera!!  What a camera moment!!  Snap, snap, focus, snap, focus, zoom in and zoom out, then check the camera screen, to see how the photos came out!! I was truly, enjoyably lost in those moments!!!  ‘AND TO BOOT’ it was a NICE STORY, finally a pleasant story, albeit tiny!!!

As Paul Harvey use to say, “And now for the rest of the story!”

This kitten was living with its feral mother and three other siblings behind Anne Marie’s large shed. Sometime late yesterday afternoon, the mother cat, decided to take her ‘runt of the liter’ to Cat Day Care, which meant taking her kitten through the pet door on Anne Marie’s back porch and leaving it!! The kitten, left alone, got comfortable by promptly leaning up against the door!! Along comes Anne Marie’s brother Ed, he opens the back door, AND, out falls this tiny kitten!! Shivering and a little unsteady on its feet, Anne Marie began her magic (NOTE: should have been a Veterinarian) and we are now back to where I began this story!!  Back at Town Hall, camera blasting away!!!

I kind of like and think my title ‘THE GIFT’ is appropriate!!  Hope my sharing ‘THE GIFT’ brightens your day as it did mine!!  Nice way to begin a week!!  HOLD ON, let me rephrase this, Nice way to celebrate LABOR DAY!!  HAPPY LABOR DAY!!

OBSERVATION:

Always a special time, when Nature’s Wildlife, selects you to aid with their Family’s well-being, in this case, ‘The runt of the liter’!  NOTE:  This is just one of many times, Wildlife has selected the Tracy Family for a little assistance and care!  This includes, feral cats, raccoons, deer and even an injured vulture!!

PS Momma and rest of the Family are doing fine!! AND our little ‘runt’, ugh, I mean ‘patient’ is doing fine also!!

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran

Director Open Space, Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission Chairman