Sweet Pea

Within the last two months or so we have been feeding a kitty that lives around here. I know, I know...feeding an alley cat? Am I crazy? But one night around 1 am I awake to hear an enormous sound of unhappy cat coming from what I thought was outside. So I quickly get to the open back door (the weather was so nice and this was before I wised up about the bats) and found no cats. So turning back into my house I realize that Oliver (aka Killer) has cornered a very frightened and apparently extremely hungry cat that has snuck into the house for a bite to eat. He was now on top of the dryer wide-eyed looking desperate to escape this predicament. After leaping a screeching cat claws over and around and out I came to the conclusion it would be a lot easier to feed this cat and keep him out of the house, out of the garbage and my heart calmer.
So, as we feed our kitties their 9 pm treat I began to feed the one outside. He was very aloof and for so long I never did see him but the food would be gone in moments.
Pretty soon as I went outside I would see him coming up the alley at 9 pm. He definately has a clock. And he knows the time for food.
So eventually I would be able to talk to him as he was eating without him running away.
Now, I can go down the stairs and before I am five or so up he will come right up and eat. Still, though, he will have nothing to do with me being close. But he definatley knows my voice. I know this because the other night my friend and I pull up to the back of the house in her car and I told her that if Jim has not fed the alley cat yet he will be waiting. And waiting he was.
As she turned off the motor and lights I opened my door to reassure him that I was here and don't be scared...it's just me and my friend. As he heard my voice he stopped and relaxed. He let us walk by him as he kept a 10 foot clearance but did not run away. This makes my heart happy. To know that in his unsafe world of hiding and searching for food and he lives every day without a stroke of comfort that we provide some kind of comfort for him.
I was able to catch a couple of pics of him last night. I until I zoomed in with my camera was able to see his markings and face for the first time.
I call him Sweet Pea. And no, I don't know why. But if real men can eat quiche, this cat can be called Sweet Pea. And he likes it.