Welcome Intrusions

cucumber flower

  We have new neighbors. Old man Larry died about 18 months ago and his house had been for sale since he passed. About four months ago we saw activity over at the house. Larry was my neighbor at 11 o'clock. Not to be confused with neighbor at 9
o'clock (Nancy, who hardly speaks and keeps a very tidy yard) and neighbor at 3 o'clock, Maria, (whose family were farmers back in Italy, and who crams her backyard with tomato, cucumber, squash, eggplant, peas, parsley, lettuce, peppers, and counsels me on the evils of weeds). Neighbors at noon are Terry and Kathy with the pool, the jungle and a howler of a dog named Barney. All 5 of our backyards meet, which is to say that the properties here are quite small.

the intruder





Larry, who was a WW II Vet, had many a story for me before he passed - but the saddest was of his lonely life in that huge house since the death of his wife and estrangement from his son. Older folks will tell you all sorts of stuff if you just lend them an ear. I hadn't been paying that much attention to Larry's successors ( a large Russian family) until today. Creeping over my fence right by the second birdhouse was... what?? A cucumber vine with big cucumber hanging off it! Welcome neighbors!

                                                                                 

Speaking of the unexpected. Cleaning out my son's room, I came upon his 4th grade science book from which fell these two pieces of paper. The first read: To Dean, from Justin A (still his best friend). Spiderman, you, me. I am sorry, good job on the car.

"I am sorry, good job on the car"




the car

 








I may or may not eat that cucumber as I have to sort through the moral issue of whose it is (just kidding - it'll be in a salad by this weekend), but I am definitely keeping those two pieces of paper.