But here's the real Star of the Show.
His name is Matty (or Mattie).
When I first met him, on the first day we were here, I called him Slim Shady.
But later after I met his owner, the aforementioned Fire Captain/Gardener . . . I thought he said his (her) name was Maddy (Maddie).
He said that was his/her original name but when they discovered she was a he they changed the name to Matty (Mattie).
(It has now become obvious that I don't know how his name is spelled.)
He's about the friendliest neighbor we've ever had.
Whenever I open the garage door he appears from under the trees and shrubbery in the front yard or comes running from across the street.
He darted into the house one day as I opened the door but I chased him back out quickly.
I've been told his friendliness is because the previous tenant here used to feed him canned cat food.
Captain Doug told me that was not necessary because in spite of his slender shape he is well-fed at home.
But he still comes by on a near daily basis for his pets and pats and we love him as if he were our own.
