Remembering Smokey: Quilt Inspector Emeritus

Smokey, aka Smokey Joe Boy, lost his battle against liver failure (presumed to be related to cancer) yesterday.

Here's a picture of him, doing what he did so well - inspecting quilts.

I feel so blessed that I had this gentle, loving cat in my life. Smokey was a momma's boy and followed me room to room. Smokey was an "up cat" as our vet called him: he would sit on the highest upper kitchen cabinets under a heating vent with his tall ears grazing the ceiling.

We adopted him when he was "three" according to his paperwork from a shelter - but who knows? Amongst his adoption paperwork was an assessment from one of his vet nurses, "Nice cat!". And indeed he was.

His accomplishments include: breaking out of the house by pushing out the screen windows, bird watching the nesting birds, homeland security of his sacred yard from other neighborhood cats, and - as pictured - beta testing all quilts prior to release in the world.

He lived to be 11-ish.

He is survived by his mom and dad, and his siblings: Honey and Max.

RIP good gray boy, we will miss you! Thank you for blessing our lives.