Cool Cat

Lucy is the only cat I've ever lived with who has self-control. On sunny days or overcast days, she loves to sit on the deck, with or without me. She has never tried to venture off the steps although when deck-lazing was new, she did go so far as the last step. This summer she has never even gone down one step. Instead, she finds a spot and perches -- sometimes under the black-eyed susie climbing plant where she stares at the birds in the woods, sometimes under the gravity-free chair where she can watch the goldfinches, and sometimes under whatever object provides shade.

She has taken to telling me when she wants to go out: she'll find me, cry-meow, and go to the kitchen. There, she waits for me to open the screen door. Often, I simply close it behind her, trusting her to enjoy herself.