Vacation Diaries Part 2: The Zoo McHugh

Look at this cat. Isn't it the most fantastic, marvelous, splendid cat you have ever seen?
This is "Big Kitty", my mother's prized Maine Coon cat. You know that famous movie quote where Tom Cruise tells Renee Zelweger, "You complete me." Well, Big Kitty completes my mom. Here is a sample of the conversations that we had about Big Kitty when I was visiting.

Mom: Just look at him. Isn't he beautiful? He is the best cat.

Me: Yeah. Wow.

Mom: No really, he is truly special. Don't you think?

Me: Sure.

Mom: Don't be mean. He is just so wonderful. He saved me from being lonesome.

Me: Uh-huh. That's great.

Mom: He lets me tuck him into bed. He actually lays his head on the pillow and I cover him up. Can you believe that?

Me: Wow, that's insane. (hint of sarcasm)

Mom: If I die, will you take care of Big Kitty?

Me: Mom, if you could have a civil ceremony with this cat, would you marry him?

Mom: Yes, probably.

Enough said. You get the point. This is one damn fine cat. If you don't know about Maine Coons, then you better read up. It will rock your world. This is a picture of my mom with Big Kitty. She also has a less social Main Coon called ....wait for it....Little Kitty. Apparently, their majestic splendor was so overwhelming, she couldn't even think of names.

I titled this post "Zoo McHugh" because my mom lives on a property with other animals, even though she doesn't acknowledge any other animals other than Big and Little kitty. These other animals technically belong to her boyfriend, Bruce. I just thought it was cool to rhyme Zoo and McHugh because I am Suessish like that.

This is an alpaca named Chino. He is the friendly one. Judging by his teeth, Chino has had way too much coffee. You can't even see the poor dude's eyes because of his Afro.

This is an alpaca named Nelson. He is not so friendly, but he can see better.

This is Snickers the goat. He smiles all the time. Secretly, he is laughing at my mom's relationship with Big Kitty. Even though his eyes in this picture make him look soul-less, he actually is quite a friendly guy. He likes hanging out with alpacas.

Did I mention that Snickers is the largest goat I have ever seen? That's a bold statement from an Indiana girl. He is the size of a small pony. I loved his goatee. Hehehe. I just giggled because I realized that a goat had a goatee. Oh, the irony.

This is the best picture that Nelson has ever had. He told me. He made me show him on my digital. We agreed that the sun rising and the cactuses in the background make this picture pretty special. Not Big Kitty special, but special.

Zoo McHugh also has lots of vegetation. There are many saguaro cactuses on the property, which I love. Did you know they are endangered? If you get caught cutting one down, you can get arrested! When I saw a broken down saguaro in Bruce's backyard, I was shocked that he wasn't in jail yet. He informed me that a storm took it out. Apparently, it is okay if Mother Nature destroys saguaros.

Below is the pool in the backyard. The alpacas swim with my mom daily at sunrise. Just kidding. I think it is awesome that people in Arizona can keep their pools up all year, instead of covering them or draining them like we do in Indiana.

Zoo McHugh a.k.a Bruce's house, was beautiful. But only because Big Kitty was there.

Stay tuned for Part 3: Spa Faux-Pas