Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! We're ready to rhyme, which is easy to do thanks to Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic challenge.

As always, our host shared a photo prompt to help guide our poetic endeavors. This week's prompt is this intriguing image here:

Some of the first things this image brought to my mind were the stories and shows I've seen related to the unfortunate crimes and other downsides of the California gold rush of the mid-1800s. Second, this photo prompt randomly reminded me of some old-school, old-fashioned doodles I created something like 3 years ago. So, I wrote a poem related to all of these things, of course tossing in some kitties and a pup, and I interspersed the aforementioned doodles throughout the poem. To be honest, this poem didn't turn out like I wanted it to, and I'm not its biggest fan, but here it is nonetheless.

Gold

The year was 1849,
And there was a new fad for which there was a long line.
It had a little something to do with panning for gold,
To find that stuff that could make you rich and bold.

Jethro's dog brought him the newspaper on one fine 1849 morn,
And with shock and awe even the canine's face was adorned.
Right there on the front page was news of the gold rush.
About it not a single person could remain hushed.

Jethro sighed and stared at the newspaper story.
It said that a person could pan for gold and be met with glory.
Jethro was hundreds of miles from where the gold could be found,
But eagerness seemed to be showing on even the face of his hound.

After much deliberation and even more hesitation,
Jethro packed up his covered wagon and prepared to head across the nation.
His home and belongings were humble, and he would admit that,
But he packed his most prized possession, those being his dog and cats.



After what felt like an eternity,
Jethro and his furry companions reached where the gold would be.
They set up a little place to stay,
And then Jethro went to the river with his gold-seeking tray.

Jethro learned that getting rich on gold was neither quick nor easy,
And the thought of it all soon truly started to make him feel queasy.
Folks stooped over the river and eagerly panned for gold,
Rarely looking up to offer even a single hi or hello.

Jethro witnessed more than one fellow find himself some loot,
But not a single soul would offer the finder a congratulations or a hoot.
He even heard that some of those folks had been robbed,
And that fact was enough to make Jethro want to sob.

One day, Jethro managed to find himself a small chunk of that gold,
But, lo and behold, that very night it was stolen by someone greedy and bold.
The next morning, Jethro found himself the nearest sheriff's office,
The entire way remaining nothing if not cautious.

The sheriff rather sadly told Jethro that there was little he could do,
And it was then and there that Jethro decided what he would be doing by noon.
That is, he would do nothing but pack up his covered wagon,
Something that made neither him nor his furry companions feel saddened.

They were all homesick, that was the truth,
And before the sun was even fully overhead, they were en route.
After what seemed like an eternity,
They arrived to their home county.

Perhaps speeding just a little, Jethro finally saw his little shack on the horizon,
And he could not help but to begin smiling.

His dog jumped out of the wagon and ran the rest of the way home.
The cats did the same, and towards their home they did lope.

As Jethro pulled in front of his humble home,
There was something he did immediately know.
Though he, his furry friends, and his house might be growing old,
This humble place was worth more than any gold.

***

Next, we're of course participating in Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for her majestic whiskers.

Just look at those!

***

We're now going to share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing is still spending precious time with her sweet but sick kitty Sammy, and so the Fill-Ins will be hosted on just my blog this week. We continue to send many, many purrs, woofs, thoughts, and prayers to sweet Sammy.

The fill-in statements for tomorrow's challenge are below.

1. Time flies when _________.

2. _________ takes forever.

3. _________ is my earliest memory.

4. Is it weird that I _________?

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Tip of the Day

Today is the last day of National Pet Poison Prevention Month. Since Easter is just around the corner, we're going to give you a summary of what Easter items to keep away from your furbaby, so that they do not end up at the emergency clinic around this springtime holiday.

First, keep those Easter lilies away from your kitties and pups! There are a number of lily types that are toxic to furbabies, Easter lilies being one of the most dangerous. Any part of the Easter lily can be toxic, even the pollen. Lily toxicity can lead to any number of life-threatening side effects, one of them being acute kidney failure. As you surely already know or can guess, it is simply safest to keep any and all lilies out of the home, well out of reach of your kitty or pup.

Other Easter goodies to keep away from your furbaby include chocolate, which is also toxic, as you all certainly already know. Don't forget the danger that other candies can pose as well, such as the sugar-free sort containing toxic xylitol. If you are giving or receiving Easter baskets that contain candies such as these, keep them well hidden away, so that hungry or curious furbabies cannot help themselves to a toxic snack.

It is also worth it to noting the danger of Easter grass. This stringy grass-like material often used as a filler in Easter baskets can be dangerous if ingested by a kitty or pup. It can lead to emergencies such as intestinal blockage, perforation, or laceration. Try not to use any such materials in Easter baskets. If you receive a basket with this dangerous fake grass material, keep it well out of your furbaby's reach and dispose of it safely.