One of the great things about being here full-time is being able to be a "good neighbor". Sometimes that means keeping keys, checking on mail, or checking in on a pet from time to time. One of my charges, Puss-lives up the hill. Dal and I were out on the terrace early the other morning (I heard the bells ring 5am twice), when I heard what I thought was his meow. Dal tends to chase, so I put her inside and followed the sound over to the land behind the barn. Voila, there was Puss. We sat together in the dark on the tumbled trunk of the walnut tree. We chatted while he sat on my lap and got his pets, but when it was time for me to go inside he followed. Puss was a regular visitor before I had Dal and Sam with me, but since then I hadn't tried to let him in. As I went inside, I tried to figure out a way we could try this out. I told Dali and Sam that he was just a "lonely boy" and it would be nice of them if we could let him come inside with us. I figured if I opened the tiny window in the kitchen, we could see what happened. Dali came in first. She started to go for him, but once I said "no" firmly, she stopped, sat, and the two of them just looked at each other. But then I heard the little bells, and in came Sam. At first I thought we were home free, but then I heard that growl in the bottom of her tiny throat. I knew she was ready to pounce, so I hurried up and closed the window. Good thing-she attacked that window and the strawberry lace curtain with a vengance. She is the queen of her domain. She tolerates dogs, but this is obviously her cat kingdom. Puss hung around a bit and did that male moaning thing, each of them in the same spot divided by the glass of the window. The good news is that now when Dali sees Puss, she doesn't chase him. She just sits and gazes at him in the dark. She knows he's there when I can't see him. We can now have our visits together on the terrace. Maybe he'll come by more often, and won't be such a lonely boy.