It was after midnight and I was sitting at the keyboard letting thoughts pool and notions manifest when I felt eyes. Feeling watched is nothing unusual in the house as two slinking felines move in and out of shadows to inspect the activities of their humans. However, these eyes felt strange…
As sunshine has become an entrée these past few days rather than a rare dessert, J and I have been leaving the front door open to let a cooling breeze through. It was through the screen door I felt the weight of a curious stare.
Glancing away from the glow of my computer screen I slanted a glance to my right expecting to see Roz at the front door. Seeing an outline and shook my head, except realized the face was on the wrong side of the screen. For a moment my heart plummeted thinking, “She got out! She got out!”
Calling out to J who was asleep on the couch, I glanced to the screen to see the face and a little black hand pressed palm flat on the screen. My eyes got big. Its eyes got big and it quickly ducked down. Half-way out of my chair I stopped and blinked, forcing my eyes to focus. Two seconds later, the face appeared again…though this time the mark of the bandit was clear around its equally curious stare.
Sly Cooper had paid us another visit.
Returning to my seat, I waited – watched. Sly and I played peek-a-boo a few more times until he decided it was time to move on, whatever tasty morsels he’d found on the deck had been gobbled and he had other stops before morning and as quickly as he’d manifested in the door, like a ninja, he disappeared soundlessly down the steps and into the dark.
I’m sure they’re nightly, if not weekly, visitors on our deck. J and I first met the three bandit racconis on Thanksgiving. When the snows came, we found evidence of their return on the thirteen steps that lead to our deck. I wasn’t sure if their visits had stopped, but tonight tells me that at least one of them is still hanging around. As summer approaches, I’m sure there will be more. The three from Thanksgiving werelast summer’s babies, I’m sure they will be having their own hordes of peeping toms.
This photo is from Thanksgiving morning, I’d have snapped another shot tonight, but I never made it to the door and it was fun playing boo-peek with the neighborhood wildlife. As far as peeping toms go…this one is okay in my book. I can imagine seeing scarier things starring back at me through the screen door…I’ll take one of these squat and furry bandits peeping in any day.
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