Zip and I met at our usual time, around 4 p.m. I brought some water and sat in our blue chair—the friend’s chair, I call it—and Zip appeared out of nowhere, hopped onto the armchair, and crawled up my chest to a spot on my shoulder and under my chin.

I have the Iphone ready for a selfie; I want to record our friendship as many people are curious about it and following it. Once I start scratching under his chin, he closes his eyes and sometimes falls asleep right on my shoulder or chest. I hold him under his belly with one hand. He is incredibly soft and affectionate for a wild animal, purring right from the start.

They understand it better than I do, but I enjoy it. On my shoulder, Zip is one of the sweetest creatures I’ve known, right up there with Zinnia. I am blessed to have the two of them around me.

I was happy to see our UPS person, Bernie. Bernie is a rabid animal lover—especially cats—who visits all of the cats on the route and brings them treats. He was delivering a package, saw Zip and me on the chair, and came over. He’s the nicest delivery person I’ve ever met, and we love it when he visits. He can never stay long and runs back and forth to his big brown truck.

Bernie has been looking for Zip, but Zip has been avoiding him. He is friendly but cautious.

I told Bernie to sit down next to us and talk with me for a moment, and Zip carefully approached him and got a few cat treats (Bernie, a good friend) is always ready. Zip got the treats but then jumped back up onto my lap.

Zip is meeting Bernie from UPS, a great cat lover.

Bernie will be back. Sitting in the sun with Zip every afternoon is a meditation, a time for love, calm, and peace. He opens me up and brings me good feelings. We do seem to love one another, but this is the first time I’ve ever fallen so much for a cat. Flow was the first cat to get to me, but she was too much a barn cat to socialize. Zip is a great barn that seems to love some people. But not everyone. He decides who. He is a ferocious hunter.

He said he had just lost his favorite cat on the route, who was run over by a car on nearby Route 61. He said he might be getting a new favorite cat.

Zip is waiting for me. When I start to sit down, he jumps up onto the armchair. He is no fool.