by Bevan
Rod was a motorcycle enthusiast, a bachelor and animal lover. He had a great affinity for cats but became catless after the one which lived with him passed on. Possibly, the word got out that there was a vacancy, and it was not long before he had a feline visitor. It was obvious the creature had been without accommodation and was hungry. Out came the goodies, which she gobbled up, then found a comfortable spot to sleep. Kitty thought it was the place for her and decided to stay on - it was not long before the cat and its new owner became great friends.
Rod thought of a suitable name for her and in a flash moment of creativity, he named her Lady Ga Ga. As time went on the cat insisted on joining Rod when he went off in his car, she loved going for rides and they quickly became riding companions.
At one time, Rod took a trip to Alberta. He was accustomed to driving long distances and decided he would be away almost three days. He could leave the cat at home as she was able to come and go through the cat door and would have access to her food. The day which Rod was to leave, Lady Ga Ga must have had a premonition, as she gained access to the car through an open window - there she was, sitting in the passenger's seat waiting for her partner. The words "out of the car Lady" fell on deaf ears, so Rod thought why not, I will take her with me.
The journey went well until the return trip when they stopped for a picnic in a rather isolated area. After he packed up and was ready to leave, the cat was missing. He spent the rest of the afternoon calling and searching for her. It became dark and he felt there was no alternative but to leave without the cat. With a heavy heart he headed for home and drove all night. He caught the ferry back to Vancouver island and upon arrival to his home, went straight to bed, exhausted. Try as he might, he could not sleep, he was so worried about his friend. He got up and caught the first morning ferry to the mainland, then drove all the way back to the location where the cat was lost. There was a culvert under the road where they had stopped where Rod had searched before. He checked it out with no luck. It was getting late in the day when he decided to give it one more try. On his last call he thought he heard a muted "meow" coming from across the road. He walked across the road and there she was. It was a glorious reunion and a very very happy trip home.
A Few Pet Favourites:
Further to Rod's cat story, this short anecdote tells how things can
be found in the most unlikely of places.
Rod is a motorcycle collector and enthusiastic of almost anything vintage. He played a major part in the restoration of two rare motorcycles. One was a 1914 Indian, the other a 1936 single cylinder Triumph. Both bikes were missing parts. The Indian had no clutch, missing linkages and pedals. The Triumph was missing something unavailable, a cast aluminium primary cover. As far as every one knew, there was only one similar machine which resided in a museum in England. One morning Rod was down at the local fisherman's wharf and he happened to look inside a dumpster.
He spotted a nice old biscuit tin and wondered whether it was worth retrieving. He knew he would probably bruise his ribs by climbing into the dumpster, which he did. He retrieved a very old and beautiful tin. To Rod's surprise when he opened the tin it contained new old stock 1914 Indian parts. There was a clutch and some of the necessary parts to complete the motorbike.
As for the Triumph, Rod happened to be at a recycling station when a truck with a pile of aluminium scrap drove in and parked next to him. Rod noticed an old primary cover on the top of the heap which he bought from the fellow for $25. Remarkably, it was the original cover from the Triumph.
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