A nice Portland moment

Today is your typical Portland winter day -- temps around 50, overcast, drizzling.

Late this afternoon, I walked to the Deadhead Fred to pick up some flour, butter, and chocolate for baking. When I got home, I found my favorite neighborhood kitty hanging out on my front porch.

He's a black cat, probably about a year old now. Someone must take good care of him, because his coat is unusually healthy. I think it's the people across the street.

I squatted down and petted him for a minute. He usually leaves pretty quickly, but this time he stayed around. I sat down on the porch couch, and he jumped up on my lap and stayed there purring for about 10 minutes.

It was one of those moments that make life good — sitting on a porch in the comfortable gray twilight, with a purring cat on my lap, watching life go by.