Doug Van Pelt

A righteous man loves his beasts

I want to be a righteous man. I don't want to call myself one. The part I want to focus on from this Proverb is the part about loving animals. I love the three cats we have out here on the ranch. Now, I think the Proverb actually says "shows kindness to his beasts," so I'm operating with a loose paraphrase that equates "showing kindness" with "loving." Got that?





Here's a photo of them being fun around their cathouse. This here is a coyote-proof cathouse, complete with carpeted walls and a 60-watt lightbulb indoor heating.

Check this out: Yesterday I took my bicycle out to get some exercise. My dog, of course, runs along with me on such rides. I've got a cool path cut out of the grass and weeds, which the cattle, horses and jackass have made wider and clearer. So I'm heading out and the cats are following me. They're running behind me! The first big straightaway is probably close to a quarter mile, and they're running along, behind me. It's so funny to see them bounding along, just having fun, joining my ride. Too funny.

I hear that our trip to Africa is going to involve a safari. That should be a cool, fun adventure. That's totally cool and hospitable for Compassion International to offer us that. Maybe they'll let me jump the fence on a bicycle and ride around with those cats... Maybe not.