It started with a blood-curdling scream. Coming out of my sleepydaze, a glance at the bedside table clock told me it was 2a.m.!

Since I have become used to blood-curdling screams in the earlymorning hours in recent months, my heart was pounding not withfear, but with the bit of frustration one has when awakened out ofa dead sleep in the early morning hours for the umpteenth time.

It has become somewhat of a joke around the Jacobs’ household asthe girls’ are gleeful with delight when I inform them of thecurrent morning’s antics of Fluffy the cat.

This particular morning was a bit different.

You see, Fluffy has another cat friend who likes to ruffle oleFluffy’s feathers. He used to come around in the daylight hours,but seeing how he is jet black, he apparently figured out hischances of surprise are better in the wee hours of the morning.

It used to be that when the screaming started, just myappearance on the front porch sent the black cat scurrying forcover. Apparently, as time has worn on, the ole black cat decided Iwas harmless, and his scurrying turned into staring at me. Then itturned in to outright indignation as he would spit and hiss at mebefore he stepped off into the bushes.

The tide began to turn recently early one morning with oleFluffy perched at the window screaming with the black cat on theother side hissing. He timed his move perfectly. As I slowly openedthe front door to sneak up on him, there he stood — big yelloweyes, hissing, spitting — daring me to walk out onto theporch.

I quickly closed the door and told Fluffy she was on herown.

Then, a few nights later it happened!

Two a.m., and you would have thought murder was being committed.Fluffy is screaming, the black cat is screaming, and I am scared towalk out on the front porch.

So slowly I walked up to the front window. There stood Fluffy,wailing, nose-to-nose with the black cat — nothing separating thembut a thin pane of glass. A rather large, thin pane of glass.

Quickly, I reached out and thumped the glass right about thespot where the black cat’s nose was pressed. Apparently, my thumpwas more of a whop, and the next thing I know, glass is flyingeverywhere.

The next morning, the girls thought it was hilarious. So did theguy from Estes Glass!

Fluffy disappeared for 24 hours and the ole black cat, well, wehave not seen him for days. Ha!

The dog now has her bed on the front porch, and me, I have sleptsoundly for the first time in months.