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Tuesday, September 05, 2006

The Neighborhood


It's a wonderful day in the neighborhood. The lack of traffic is quite the blessing. Weather man on 'puter says: "Downtown temperature is in the mid-ninetees." That amazing contraption in our dusty garden reads 105 degrees F, in the shade. A thunder storm is aching to break, nevertheless, it is locked away in billowy clouds. The sun wins.

Unlike yesterday when the sky exploded. Wind howled like a pack of wolves. Layne and I were on our way to visit Sarah at school. "No turning back," she says. "The storm won't last." Flash flood warning! Horizontal rain, trees uprooted and "vote-for-me" signs flew carelessly on mini tornadoes. Visibility, oh, none! Did I mention the road at Jack's (in the box) broke off into pieces creating moonlike craters. It's Southern California.

Today, it's back to normal, so to speak. Sweltering heat and pure white marshmallow clouds that hang like my dog's ... um, never mind. Our puppies (all ten of them) are strong, nonetheless, I worry. They look very much like that droopy dog cartoon character. Huckleberry Fin is barking already. He's a chubby little pup. I shouldn't name them, I think to myself. They're all leaving in a few weeks. Happy homes for each.

Six o'clock in the evening has arrived and the streets are abuzz with people. Nice stranger come talk to me. Do they know I live here? The neighbor across the street, a police officer, is making his friendly rounds. Looks like he's introducing himself to one and all. Sweet. I hide. It's hot! No doubt about it now, the Neighborhood Watch will have it's humble beginnings here today.

Neighbor to the right says hello, pass me, to the neighbor on the left. She doesn't see me. It's cute actually. I am behind the wooden gate. She's inches from me. Across the newly-tarred street from us and the nice police man (we're at the quietist intersection in the world) there's an adorable old Indian man tending to his beautiful garden of roses and yellow pretties bordering his perfect little field of green grass. Water bill has got to hurt. Like me, he's hiding. He, beneath a large straw hat though.

Everyone is gathering at the mailboxes in front of said perfect garden. Indian man finds it hard to hide and is forced to say hi, about 13 times. What a beautiful voice. He should never hide that. I think he sees me. I wave.

There's a knock on my door. Someone wants to play with Layne.

A voice ( not mine) behind the door says, "Layne is in the park."

Children are playing basketball in our finely manicured park (for which we pay property taxes). Layne, my homeschooled child, has escaped and is rollerblading up and over park benches--credits toward PE class. Pretty girls are on the chase with their bright red bicycles. Now there's a scene.

It's a wonderful day in our neighborhood yet I don't think anyone knows I'm here. Strange, really, I don't mind.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I loved your neighborhood piece. Sounds like "Andy of Mayberry".
And you are "Harriett the Spy"...I used to love that book when I was young. I spied on the neighborhood from the vantage point of a tall tree. I had a journal hidden in a bushy branch.

The Gatekeeper said...

I know, I know, I love spying. hehehe. Once, I watched people in the neigborhood, when we were surrounded by police, through our secret window. Mmmmmm. There's another post.

Anonymous said...

Well I can understand about the neighborhood hee hee hee. I feel the weather is coming to a cool down, (pretty soon here in our desert world!!!) and "King Jesus"!! is on the move, as usual doing what only he can do, putting the right people together, WOW!!!!! Thank you Lord for your infinite wisdom of all!!!!! Thank you for direction and for putting the right people around me and my children......On a different note I sometimes feel like a single mom due to the fact that my husband is gone weeks at a time due to his job!! But Praise the LORD!!!!! We are never alone because Jesus is not only a father to the father less but a husband to the "HUSBANDLESS" ( Is that even an Engish word??)Oh well we all know what I mean hee hee hee bye bye for now!!!!!

 
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