It was about quarter of six this morning when I heard the mockingbirds outside trumpeting the approach of a cat by way of their normal belligerence.  As I was already awake and just lying in bed visiting with the four rulers of my universe, I went ahead and got up.  I walked to the patio doors in the bedroom and glanced out to see if it was Vazra.  It was indeed him, and the moment he saw me peek through the blinds he leaped onto the fence and began talking.

I certainly comprehend orders when they’re directed at me, so I fetched some bowls from the kitchen, filled one with food and the other with water, and went out to the patio.  He was not immediately interested in eating or drinking but did have his sights set on some lovin’.  I spent several minutes petting him and talking to him while he soaked it up like a sponge.  Eventually, however, he made his way to the bowls and enjoyed some breakfast and a drink of fresh water.  Then it was back to the lovin’ part of his morning.

Perhaps ten minutes passed as he alternately ate and demanded attention.  As he was beginning to consider what he might do next, he again leaped on top of the fence and soaked up some more petting as he talked and groomed and talked some more.  Finally, once he’d had his fill, he jumped down off the fence and headed off to find an adventure or two — or at least some trouble to get into.

It’s important that I note the sun is not quite up at that time of the morning, but it is close enough to the horizon to be relatively light outside.  It certainly is not dark enough to hide anything or anyone.

Well, Vazra sauntered off around the building and I decided to start my day, so I went inside and brushed my teeth.  Consider that it only takes about five minutes for me to complete that process, after which I gargle some Listerine.  Needless to say, I started my mouthwash rinse and walked back out to the patio to enjoy the morning before it got away from me.  It could not have been more than six or seven minutes since I was last out there with the cat.

I opened the door and stepped outside.  Much to my surprise, I was not alone on the patio, but I also was not sharing it with a cat.  There was an opossum sitting with the food bowl flipped up on its side as he nibbled away.  We were no more than three feet (a meter) apart.  For a brief moment, I was actually frightened because I had not expected any of the local wildlife to be out and about this early, nor did I think there had been sufficient time for anyone other than Vazra to realize the buffet was now open on the patio.  I was basically startled by the little fella as I’d expected him to have gone home by now.

The opossum turned and looked at me as I burst into his personal space.  One of his front paws held the food bowl in place on its side while he turned in my direction and stared.

“Hey, what are you doing out at this time of the morning?  And didn’t you get enough last night when I fed you?”  Of course, I didn’t expect an answer.

The little critter immediately let go of the bowl and headed away from me to the opposite end of the patio.  Once there, he made his best effort to get through the fence, but panic has a way of interfering with our best plans.  He couldn’t get out.

I rushed inside to grab the camera and hastily made my way back to the patio.  Glancing through the windows as I went, it occurred to me that he was no longer where he had just been.  Perhaps he already got out.

With camera in hand, I stepped out to the patio and froze.  He was still there.  In fact, standing just outside the bedroom door placed us within two feet (less than a meter) of each other.  Again he froze just as I did, and we stayed in that position for only a few brief seconds.  I could almost hear the cogs of his mind as they churned over and over trying to determine what the next best step would be: flee or pass out?

We both acted simultaneously.  I turned the camera on as he turned and ran to the fence.  I changed the camera settings as he began struggling to get through the tiny spaces he seems so capable of traversing.  I lifted the camera to my face as he squeezed through.  By the time I was ready to snap a photo, he was already outside the fence and dashing around the corner.

Oh well.  It was fun while it lasted, and it certainly clarifies the schedule for these little visits.  They can happen anytime.