I got out of bed before eight a.m. today and made a pot of coffee. I checked the outdoor thermometer: 32 degrees F. There was a very thin rime of frost on the deck, not as thick as it was a few weeks ago. It looked colorless out there.

I drank some coffee at the dining table. At the back door, I heard Sasha making a very loud, very low noise, which could only mean one thing: he had spotted another living creature in the backyard. Sure enough, he was standing there, all puffed up, nose to nose with a sleek, jet black cat, who stood calmly on the other side of the glass.

The visitor saw me and began to walk away. Sasha continued to talk and stare, probably imagining that his intimidation routine was working. The black cat headed into the garden and over the fence, and Sasha proceeded to recount the whole thing to me in detail. He is so cute when he’s territorial.