Don Quixote was a little black cat who loved to charge at things. There were no windmills in Carlsbad, California at that time, so he made do with strings and Slinkys and whatever we children would dangle, daring him to come flying at us.
He had a great sense of humor.
In A Harvest and Halloween Handbook, there is a children’s party dedicated to the legacy of Don Quixote, Ink and black cats everywhere. I love the iconic black cats of Halloween, and all cats for that matter. And although there is a culturally-assigned association of black cats with witches, I believe black cats can be angels wrapped in fur. I sometimes wonder if so-called witches were women suffering with mental illness. Living in broken-down (haunted?) houses, out of mainstream society, they were kept company by pet cats; who, by the way, kept the rodent count down.
So happy Halloween to Don Quixote and all the fur people whose loyal companionship and entertaining ways make life enjoyable for people of all types. Gracias.
For complete plans for your own black cat Halloween party, see
Treat yourself to an entertaining discussion about the history of Halloween by joining me for a talk with host Kim Power Stilson on Sirius BYU Radio 143 on October 31st at 3 p.m. Eastern.