I noticed her cats first, I have to be honest here. A big cow kitty sitting on a broken down porch accompanied by a black kitten with the devil in his step.

I saw the elderly woman struggling with a large roll of fence wire, and as I drove past with thoughts of what to buy for dinner and how to get home before having to go to work, a voice within said- “You need to stop.”

“But Lord,” I argued. I can’t stop! This is a one way road and I am only going one way! If I stop, this means I have to circle around the block and I will lose valuable time! I have to go to work tonight and there is much to do.”

I heard the voice again; “You need to stop.”
So, with a deep sigh of how inconvenient this was becoming, I looped my car around the block and parked next to the building- right next to the woman still struggling with the wire.

As I got out of the car, I simply said; “I stopped to let you know that I love your cats!” The woman looked up and her eyes, once empty filled with pride and color. “They are rescues,” she said proudly. “I am putting this fence up to keep Sushi in the yard-he is my devil kitty.” As if hearing his name, the little black kitten came running out from under the porch and approached me. Fearing, he would dart out in the street, I stepped inside the wire and onto the grass. Sushi rolled over exposing a black belly tinged with white and I quickly rubbed his belly before his claws found my hand. “That’s odd,” the woman said- “He never lets anyone touch him!” I just laughed and told her I had a way with cats.

Come to find out the woman’s name is Judy. She is living in a small house behind what was once a fine gallery for local crafts. She had hired a few men to help her with the fence, but after taking off with her $700.00 and putting in only a few hours of work- they vanished never to be seen again.

I stayed most of the afternoon, helping Judy string this fencing. She is living on social security and her one delight besides The Beatles are her cats. When I pointed out to her that her cats would more than likely easily scale the four foot wire fence if they wanted to, she sighed and said it was the best she could do. Being in town, she was only really allowed to put up a 3 foot fence but applied for a variance for an extra foot. She lives on the street I have dubbed Drug Alley and she has lived there over 50 years. She told me of seeing the degratation of the houses and the neighbors around her and talked of the days of old when there were barbecues and get-togethers held in the middle of the street as neighbors celebrated good news and got together during the worst of times.

She insisted on paying me and I insisted she not. I told her that if I ever needed anything, I would stop and ask her if she could spare anything. But for now, it is good. Just to spend time with her and her cats and know that in some way, I brought her crew a bit of protection and her some happiness was payment enough.

As we worked, one by one the cats came out from under the old building. I had to skirt around several of them while rolling fence posts and twice, Sushi came close to snatching the pieces of wire in my hand as I twisted wire against wood.

Judy shared that after she had hired these men to help her, they took her money and then returned one night when she wasn’t home and robbed her blind. They even took an ornate urn she had by the door and she confided to me through a flood of tears, that the urn held the ashes of her dear husband.

Later, she escorted me to the other side of her home where she has effectively planted and placed plants and trees to make a small park. Even though she is in the middle of town, you can sit on the porch swings (which I noticed she had chained down with heavy locks) and for one brief moment forget that you are living on Drug Alley.

What would have happened if I hadan’t listened to that voice and continued on my way? She has had several shoulder surgeries and should not even lift her heaviest cat let alone a heavy section of rolled wire! Would she have hurt herself working alone on a street where most neighbors head indoors for a hit of meth?

I didn’t get litter pans scooped, groceries bought or my kitchen cleaned up today. But, I made a new friend and I visited with some wonderful ferals along the way.