One of the Mansion residents asked me recently what I do with all of the photos I take. I said I share some on the blog, but I take some because I want the people we call The Army Of Good to see what was done with the money they sent and shared.

I remember when I first saw Summer, a stray cat who jumped out of  a car at one end of town and somehow made her way to the Mansion miles away.

She was scrawny, underfed and sick when she came. Almost all of the Mansion residents wanted to adopt her, they loved the idea of a Mansion cat, but a couple of the residents said they were allergic to cats and objected.

Summer was in limbo.

While the residents thought about it and  all of the resident’s doctors were asked for approval. They all needed to agree or she couldn’t in, as required by law.

The Mansion administrators said the residents health came first, they all made it clear that as long as any resident objected, the cat – one of the residents named her Summer – had to stay outside and go elsewhere.

While Summer’s fate was being decided, it happened that at night, Summer mysteriously appeared inside of the Mansion.

Nobody knew how she got in, or even where she slept, although there were reports she liked to go to Connie’s room or slip upstairs to one of the rooms on the upper floors. She usually chose a different room each night, it was said, but these were rumors. Nobody really knew where she went or what she did.

The overnight staff reported her sleeping curled up on one bed or another, it was suggested that the residents were hiding her and keeping her warm.

In the mornings, Summer disappeared, only to appear outside, where she could be seen hunting mice on the grounds, or hopping into some resident’s lap on the porch. Somehow, she always got in at night, the Mansion is a big place with lots of doors and windows.

Red noticed her but paid no attention, and I saw fleeting glimpses of her out on the grounds or hiding under porch chairs, where the residents could lean over and pet her.

The staff posted signs on the door saying “DO NOT LET ANY CATS INSIDE.” Bowls of nutritious cat food appeared outside as if by magic, in the back, or even on the porch. Night after night, Summer seemed to somehow get inside.  The people weren’t sure she could stay, but Summer had no doubts.

Staffers said they were looking for a home for her, and there was some interest. I wrote about her on the blog, and several people in town said they would take her. Summer legends began to grow. And she didn’t seem to be leaving.

I saw how much the residents wanted her to be there, and I said if the cat could live there, I would try to raise money for her to get her shots, be spayed, wormed, get good food,  and be checked thoroughly by a local vet.

I had a hunch this cat would make  her way inside somehow, the residents came to love her gentleness and devotion to them.

I knew some of the staff was already feeding her daily outside, and I knew they were collecting money amongst themselves to pay the four or five hundred dollars it would take to get her treated, neutered and with all of her shots. They loved her too.

This bothered me, I know what the staff is paid, and this was a lot of money for them. And it might take some time. I thought this might be a natural project for my blog.

For her part, Summer simply decided this was her home, she didn’t seem worried about it.

She liked to come and visit the cat- loving residents in their rooms at night, and she seemed to sense who they were. She liked to curl up with them, which made them very happy. Many of the residents once had cats, some were heartbroken when they had to leave them behind to come to the Mansion.

Summer decided Red was okay and would doze as he walked over her or around her. She was a smart cat who made good decisions. After a few months, all of the residents agreed to take her in, and all of their doctors approved.We just had to get her neutered and checked.

I asked for help on the blog.

The Army of Good raised the money in a couple of hours, and Summer got all of the medical treatment she needed. There was some money left over and it went into a fund for her continuing medical care for for food.

So this is a perfect Christmas story, I think, one with a happy ending. A story of love and generosity in a time of conflict and tension. This is what we are really about I think.

In the cold weather, Summer stays inside now, there are litter boxes placed in strategic places, she eats well and is brushed regularly, several of the residents volunteer to vacuum the carpets to make sure there is no loose hair around, and there are no reports of any kind of allergies.

The vet says she is healthy, of good coat and weight. She is well brushed and groomed, no cat hair anywhere.

Today, I saw her napping on one of her favorite spots, the radiators in the Mansion Great Meeting Room. Ruth and Ken were sitting nearby, they were keeping one another company.

Summer loves sitting on the warm radiator, a perfect place for a cat on single-digit days, and right under the wreaths and ribbons many of you sent to the Mansion for their Christmas party. Summer doesn’t even blink when Red strolls by, and Red is far too imperious to care.

I wanted to show  you how it all turned out this Christmas week, I wanted you to see one of the many things you have done to bolster the lives of these good people and fill the holes in their hearts.

That is one of the reasons I take so many photos, I said.