I’m quite sure I just wrote a “year in review†column — how can it be time to do another one? I’m not sure I actually remember much about 2004; at my age, it becomes increasingly difficult to recall what I did last week, let alone a year ago. However, since my days have a certain continuity, I’ll do my best. [Note to the editor: please do not call this column “The Year in Re-mew.†I’m begging you.] [Editor’s note to Emma: Nor will we call it “purr-fect.â€]
As you might suspect, I continue to reign as queen of the household. By the way, I do not use that word lightly. It just might interest you to know that queen is, in fact, the correct term for a female cat, according to a Glossary of Cat Terms that I recently discovered on the Internet. It may further interest you to know that the correct term for a male cat is not “king.†In our house, “lazy slob†probably comes closest to being correct.
Browsing through the cat glossary, I couldn’t resist perusing the entire alphabet in search of fascinating nuggets of information. Far be it from me to think that I have nothing new to learn. For example, I now know that Acinonyx is a class of the feline family containing only the cheetah.
Did you know that “boar cat†is an old term for an intact male cat and that a group of cats is called a “clowder?†“Dam†is a rather dull term for female parent; I prefer “queen,†myself. “F†was full of disgusting diseases that I didn’t wish to know about.
At “G,†I was astonished to learn that “gib†is the correct term for a neutered male cat — not “lazy slob†after all! My apologies to William, the resident gib. “Honey mink†refers to “the intermediate brown color of Tonkinese [a particular breed], corresponding to chocolate.†Good grief, what’s wrong with light brown, medium brown and dark brown?
At “Iâ€, I was amused to find “ICF: the Independent Cat Federation,†as though there is any other type of cat. “J†provided “Jacobsen’s Organ: A sense organ located in a cat’s mouth that functions somewhere between smell and taste.†If you don’t have one, I can hardly expect you to understand how it works.
“Kindle†pertains not only to the lighting of fires but to a group of kittens. It brings to mind the offensive quotation that the only trouble with kittens is that they grow up to be cats (no doubt penned by an ailurophobe — one who hates and fears cats — see “Aâ€). I suppose one might logically conclude that the trouble with kindles is that they grow up to be clowders.
“Laces†refers to “white markings on the legs.†What’s wrong with stripes? “Moggy†is a British word for cat, which must explain why my spellchecker is having fits. I had to laugh at the definition of “Pedigreed Cat: A cat with a pedigree.†As though there were some confusion on that concept.
I was also greatly amused by “speuter,†a combined term for spay and neuter, at which the spellchecker rightly balks. Then I thought a “ticked†cat might be one displaying signs of irritation or annoyance, but no, it merely possesses “a coat pattern of banded hairs,†whatever that means. The rest of the alphabet was pretty much a write-off in terms of learning anything new or interesting, though the definition of a veterinarian as “one skilled in the diseases of cattle or domestic animals†seemed a bit peculiar.
Dear me, I seem to have digressed right through my entire column. As a review of the year, this is something of a failure. But believe me, learning the difference between “kindle†and “clowder†has pretty much been the highlight of 2004, as far as I’m concerned. That and convincing William that gib means “lazy slob.â€
[Queen Emma lives in Williamstown with fellow Advocate columnist Lisa Hiley (Pet Talk, Mothers and Daughters), some other people whose names she forgets and way too many other animals, including William, of whom she is actually quite fond, in an acerbic sort of way.]
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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Town meeting on Tuesday approved an almost $14 million fiscal 2027 budget, and approved bylaws for short-term rentals and signage, and for public safety vehicles.
Of the 20 warrant articles, one, Article 7, to use free cash to pay prior fiscal year bills of $941.27 was indefinitely postponed by Moderator David Rolle because the bills were for the fire association.
Some 247 of the town's more than 2,600 registered voters filled Lanesborough Elementary School, debating articles during a meeting that lasted more than three hours.
The town's 2027 spending plan is up more than 10 percent, with the main increases from higher enrollment in the regional schools and the McCann Technical School renovation project.
Voters approved the assessment of $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School. They also approved Article 11, which was the use of $16,298.48 in free cash for the McCann's roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. Article 5 asked the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses, which passed.
Fire Chief Jeff DeChaine spoke to the audience on his articles and the need for a new truck to replace the 1996 fire truck, listed on the warrant articles for a total $813,366, which includes a $100,000 contingency cost on whether a 2026 model-year chassis can be secured before new emissions standards in 2027. If they get the 2026 chassis, that contingency likely won't be needed.
Cassidy Flynn scattered five hits in a complete-game effort in the circle as Lenox upset top-seeded Hoosac Valley, 3-2, in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament. click for more
Brayden Durant struck out seven and walked one in a complete-game effort on the mound Saturday to pitch the Drury baseball team to a 6-0 win over Keefe Tech in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament at Joe Wolfe Field. click for more
Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
Gracelyn Wright struck out eight, and Genevieve Lagess went 3-for-5 with four runs batted in as the Hurricanes beat Monson, 17-3, to claim their first Western Mass title in four years. click for more
For the boys, Ward Bianchi helped lead the way with a win in the shot put and a second place in the javelin as the Mounties finished 16 points ahead of runner-up Pittsfield (pending the results of the pole vault, which were unavailable at 11 p.m. Friday night). click for more
