I'm taking a shopping break this morning but I miscalculated the store opening times. I figured 10 would be plenty late but it's looking like 11 is more realistic. At least the mall is air-conditioned, so it's not really a hardship to sit here and wait a bit.

This morning I met Jessie, a neighbor cat. She came right in and made herself at home, despite the protestations of her person. While we watched Jessie explore the still mostly-empty house I learned that several other neighbors have cats, too. Everybody lets them roam and they all tend to hang out on their own front porches, without even having conflicts with the few dogs that also live here. I wonder if Lorax will be so well-behaved? I'm sure she'd be delighted to be a sometimes outdoor cat....

I also heard about the neighbor who found a python in her kitchen cabinet after a big rain, and a monkey-sighting. (I typoed "minkey" there and immediately heard Inspector Clouseau.) I could do without either of those wildlife encounters, but I admit the minkey would bother me more than the snake.

The working at home thing has some nice benefits, like ready access to snacks, and your own bathroom, but I can tell already that I'll be talking to myself soon. It's just sooo quiet. Watching out for minkeys might take my mind off the silence, though ;-)