What we didn't name the cat that wasn't ours.

How about Buttercup?

Buttercup is my name.

Okay, so we'll name her after you.

How about Butterball?

Butterball is a turkey, not a cat.

It's a yellow tabby, it needs a yellow name.

Amaranth?

It doesn't have to be a yellow name.

How about Butterbeer? That would be a good name.

Butter is not the only thing that is yellow, you know.

The cat that is probably not named Buttercup did not come home with us this morning. She met us at the half-way mark our second time around and Not-Buttercup and our old dog, Naisey, enjoyed walking together for a while. They behaved like old friends. Happy to see each other and enjoying the cool morning breeze. It's still chilly at 5:30 in the morning, but spring is definitely in the air.

When our big (younger) dog, Nancy, approached, I was very curious about how the very friendly Not-Buttercup would welcome her. Cats must have a sense about these things. She pulled herself into Halloween cat pose and when Nancy gave her the nose, the cat exploded into a little yellow fury ball of spits and nose swats. Nancy backed down immediately, as any good dog faced with a good cat should.

We also saw a fox this morning. It first crossed my path on the first quarter of track (also Naisey's, but I don't think Naisey sees well enough to spy a sly fox these days). Needless to say, I was more excited by the near-encounter than the dog. The fox is a beautiful animal. We would see them occasionally in western Kansas when I was a kid and it always felt like a really special encounter. They seem like such sophisticated animals.

Near the end of our walk, I was excited in telling the rest of the family about the fox encounter, as well as warning little Not-Buttercup that she should keep an eye out. About that time, the fox made its second appearance, running in the opposite direction. Everyone saw it this time. Except Naisey, she's definitely not seeing as clearly as she did when she was younger.