Thursday, March 13, 2008

Hem cat


So by now you probably heard that when Hemingway settled in Key West, Florida around 1931, he was gifted a six-toed (polydactyl) cat by a ship's captain. Today there are around 60 descendants of that cat roaming freely around Hemingway's Home and Museum on the island.

Most of them are named after a famous artist (Pablo Picasso, Emily Dickinson), but I could not find out the name of this black beauty so I baptized him Nikon - for our fellow blogger and lover of cats and all things Hemingway...

15 comments:

ft. lauderdale daily photo said...

Great shot of Nikon. And isn't fun to live through our friends' vacations down here?

Nikon said...

Wow, I can't tell you how much that means to me - honest!
A beautiful cat, too & a beautiful picture, Isabella - thanks so much :-)

Nikon said...

I'd like to bring him/her home :-)

Peter said...

Thanks Isabella for showing me the way to Nikon's blog!

Jilly said...

Lucky visitors. It's a whole world you've opened up with this Hemingway thing. Love Nikon's blog.

Thanks for commenting on Monte Carlo DP - I laughed about at your comment.

Kate said...

Ah, how sweet it is--we look out for one another, and I can't think of a more fitting tribute for Nikon. Now whenever I see a black cat, regardless of the number of its toes, I'll think of Nikon and Papa Hemingway! Hmmm! I wonder if I could introduce another animal into our house? I'm not sure how compatible it would be with our parrot and dog. But, what the heck!! Thanks, Isabella! And Nikon!!

MJ said...

Has someone made the creature angry? He looked as if he has been woken up from his afternoon nap :)

Nice shot.

Nathalie H.D. said...

Sixty cats around? Oh noooooo - I would find that creepy.

I would love to take a tour of Hemingway's home and museum though.

Isabella, sorry I don't comment every day but this Florida tour with your friends is just fantastic!

Nathalie H.D. said...

A small cafe in Avignon ha a nautical chart of the Florida keys on its walls (it's a crêperie, a traditional Breton crepe restaurant, so the decoration is all things nautical). It's such an exciting chart, looking at the string of islands just makes me want to go. And even more now!

(I've sailed in and out of Florida to/from the Bahamas, but never the keys)

Anonymous said...

I guess none of them cats could ever give you the "finger".

I mean, wouldn't that just completely confuse everyone?

Peace :-)

GMG said...

Hi Isabella, this week was another hectic one, so I’m sorry to have been a bit absent from here. Anyhow TGIF, so I managed to drop by to see some wonderful pictures. Loved to see Papa's Key West, now that Sue has moved to Chrleston and is no longer posting those fantastic sunsets...
And also the «steroid» beach and Everglades people... ;))
Hope you enjoy Oia and its fabulous sunset at Blogtrotter.
Have a great weekend!
Gil

Uma por Dia said...

Thanks for the story and for the photo :)

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

Everytime I went to Keywest and saw Hem's house..i thought of Nikon too :)

kuanyin333 said...

We'll be visiting Key West in April, and I plan to visit the Hemmingway House among other places. I too love cats, and I plan to take lots of photos.

Anonymous said...

Yes, a perfect tribute to Nikon who brings us a bit of our adored Hemingway every now & then! Your wildlife photos on this blog are wonderful~~the dragonfly!

Michelle