Cassilkitties

When Fripp and Siberry passed away earlier this year they left some very big paw prints to fill. Ellen and I eventully got to a place where we were ready for kitten energy again and thanks to our friends at Independant Animal Rescue we got it in spades! Meet Joni and Jaco.

Yes we know.  They are the two most beautiful kittens ever to claw the earth. I visited about 8 sibbling pairs in foster homes and shelters and knew these two had to come home. They are sister and brother and inseparable.  They run 1000 miles an hour and then collapse for a good 6 hour nap.

We have a tradition of naming our cats after musical figures and Ellen named these guys for Joni Mitchell and Jaco Pastorius who collaborated frequently for about 4 years on 3 of Joni's studio albums. In 1983 Ellen was in New York with some friends and she was in a bar and went to get a drink and the guy next to her pointing to the sound system said "That's me playing.  Let me get you a beer."  When she returned to the group, her jazz loving boyfriend exclaimed in reverent tones "do you have any idea who you were just speaking with??? That is Jaco Pastorius-the greatest bassist of all time" She had no idea. I have some history too. In a very previous lifetime (1979) I was a roadie for Joni and Jaco on the Shadows and Light tour.  Video clip here of one of their great performances. Yours truly below with Joni. It was a heady time for a 21 year old. 

These two are off the charts fun and the light of our lives now. They are eating like Great Danes and even though they are not yet 6 months old they have almost doubled in size since we got them.VERY curious but surprisingly well behaved for kittens.They seem to have instinctively figured out that they can't play with the art but everything else is fair game.

Jaco is the contortionist.  How does he do this?

Joni takes very good care of her brother.

when she is not beating the crap out of him.

Joni is focused on her modeling career.

 

Jaco is focused on Jaco

Well that was exhausting.  Time for another nap.

“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.”

                    --Christopher Hitchens