I was just minding my business — riding my bike on a sunny afternoon along that road (inexplicably called Lakeview) behind Belcourt Castle — when I stopped short at the sight of two animals: a raccoon and a cat. They were staring each other down. The cat sat with back to the castle and was looking rather proprietary about it. The 'coon, in the middle of the street, seemed to be weighing his/her options: approach or retreat. It was a tense moment ... broken when both critters were spooked by my squeaky brakes. The raccoon waddled (quickly!) to the nearest storm drain, into which he/she disappeared. The cat slipped behind a brick wall that had seen better days ...
The whole castle had seen better days, I now noticed, so I jumped off my bike for a closer look. I frequently jump off my bike for a closer look at nothing in particular, just whatever strikes my fancy, like fancy rooves, eaves, windows, window grates, door handles (of twisted snakes?). Or nothing fancy at all. Or to marvel at the joys of home/castle ownership and subsequent decay and how maintenance can eat you alive. It's no wonder I don't get too far ...
In any case, when I went to get back aboard my trusty vehicle, which I'd dumped by the side of the road, I couldn't do it, because there was the 'coon. The two of us stood for thirty seconds or so, staring each other down, pondering approach or retreat — at least that's what I was pondering — then he/she waddled off to the closest tree. Whereupon I hopped (quickly!) on my bike and was just starting to pedal away when I spied the cat. He'd come back. And was staring me down. At which point I was pretty creeped out ...
