backyard hammock

The cat that walked through the backyard looked almost like a Florida panther. Even though he was grey with black calico patterns and not sandy brown, he was lean, very alert but continually distracted in an investigative way, and although big for a yard cat, he was very small for a panther.

He stopped under the porch window and only then heard the tapping of the laptop's keys. He first just looked at me passively, but then began to stare with preciseness, considering his reaction to his discovery. Suddenly he scampered, first in a slow trot but then into a full run, retreating under the saw palmetto and through the hole in the fence he'd used to enter the once again quiet backyard hammock.