Little Miss Sweetsie is grounded until further notice: no more outside for her.

Yesterday afternoon she was in the back yard with a gray mouse or it might have been a vole. She'd look away and act like she didn't care so it would think it was safe to run, and then she'd catch up to it and intimidate it some more. Finally, she lost interest and wandered off, leaving that little animal crouching in the grass. I went over there, and couldn't decide if she'd worn it out and it had died, or it was still playing possum.

It was getting toward evening, and Princess started flouncing around the yard, kicking up her heels, racing here, racing there. This is her way of avoiding coming into the house or getting caught. It got later and later, and she was still out there as darkness fell, but I didn't know where.

Around 8:30, the fox started barking. He only barks when there are other foxes or that cat to bark at. Last time he did it was when she stayed out past dark. She finally came in the house that time, but no sign of her last night, and the owls were hooting out in the woods.

So, this time, I heard the fox behind the house, and he was moving around. He barked several times. I figured as long as he was making noise she was still there to make noise at, and his mouth wasn't full of cat. But even after he wasn't barking any more, she didn't come home. I propped the back door open in case I'd nod off, and not hear if she wanted in.

I kept going out to shine the flashlight around and call her, because sometimes she acts like she needs to be reminded to come home. Worrying, I couldn't sleep until 3 a.m. Occasionally, I went outside to call her, and once in awhile I thought I heard something downstairs, but nothing was there. I was sure that if she could get home, she'd jump up on the bed and immediately fall asleep, but she never came, and the hours passed.

What was she doing all those hours? Did she curl up and take a nap? And when I got a replacement cat, would it be as good a mouser? And with the back door propped open all night, how many mice came pouring into the house that I'd now have to catch in traps?

I decided I would get up at first light to hike up on the mountain and look for what was left of her, just so I'd know for sure. Or maybe I'd find her up in a tree that I could coax her down from.

When I couldn't wait any longer, I got up and went downstairs ready to go out and face the music. And there was unscathed Eloise sitting in the living room looking out the window. How long had she been there? Did she come and go through the open door during the night? And never came to see me? That little snip.

So now she's zonked out on the bed for the day, and when she gets up, she can cry all she wants, she's grounded and has to stay inside until I get over this scare, and if she ever does get to go out, not after 1 p.m.