Impromptu Gardening Tutorial
I was in the bathroom at home yesterday and heard an old woman's voice, and Megan's. I assumed they were talking to each other. It appeared, by tone of voice of both vocalists, that the situation was somewhat dire.
It turned out that our neighbors had caught a man underneath their 1980's-era truck, trying to steal the catalytic converter. Our neighbors are an elderly man and woman. The woman was talking to Megan from our backyard/driveway and Megan was standing in the back door, coming in from bringing in laundry. The woman wanted to let us know what happened and warn us, and from the tail end of the conversation I caught, I could see she was shaken.
So Megan fills me in on the details, and I ask her if the woman said what the guy looked like, and she said no, so after a slash I went outside to ask one of them. I met Robert, 79. He gave me some details. Then he kept talking. And talking. He wasn't interested much in what I had to say, and I politely stayed and listened to him meander around topics and swerve around ideas.
He was born in western Kentucky, during the Depression. Had a farm, and learned to work on it from an early age. His hometown is bordered by two rivers, which is why he thinks it has never seen a tornado. In the past ten or more years, he's been moving around from place to place. The house he's in now is a house belonging to his wife from a former marriage.
I showed interest in peeking over his fence to look at all his plants and assorted greenery, and he invited me in to show me around. It occurred to me that if I refused, I could get out of a very long thing that might be boring. But I wasn't afraid, and I didn't refuse.
He showed me his stream that he landscaped and installed himself, and the myriad flowers, vegetables, and fruits he's growing all around his house. And I do mean all around--every side of his house is flanked by plants, on either side of the circumferential walkway.
He led me all the way around his house, and showed me every one, and I mean every one of his plants, giving me names and details. He offered me some of the rhubarb he's growing. He also told me about his 40 x 100ft lot at a community garden that he attends to about three times per week. I was quite impressed and I told him so. He sort of guffawed at my compliments on his gardening talents. A humble man.
We got all the way around and he shifted gears from Tour Director, to Agitated Homeowner Who's Just Caught a Thief Under his Truck Trying to Steal Parts. He said he had to get to work repairing the damage, so I went back home. The cops could handle the douchebag thief. Soon I may take Lucy over there to see his stream, as per his invitation.
Walking back thru the alley to my door, I felt a warmth of neighborly interaction.
I was in the bathroom at home yesterday and heard an old woman's voice, and Megan's. I assumed they were talking to each other. It appeared, by tone of voice of both vocalists, that the situation was somewhat dire.
It turned out that our neighbors had caught a man underneath their 1980's-era truck, trying to steal the catalytic converter. Our neighbors are an elderly man and woman. The woman was talking to Megan from our backyard/driveway and Megan was standing in the back door, coming in from bringing in laundry. The woman wanted to let us know what happened and warn us, and from the tail end of the conversation I caught, I could see she was shaken.
So Megan fills me in on the details, and I ask her if the woman said what the guy looked like, and she said no, so after a slash I went outside to ask one of them. I met Robert, 79. He gave me some details. Then he kept talking. And talking. He wasn't interested much in what I had to say, and I politely stayed and listened to him meander around topics and swerve around ideas.
He was born in western Kentucky, during the Depression. Had a farm, and learned to work on it from an early age. His hometown is bordered by two rivers, which is why he thinks it has never seen a tornado. In the past ten or more years, he's been moving around from place to place. The house he's in now is a house belonging to his wife from a former marriage.
I showed interest in peeking over his fence to look at all his plants and assorted greenery, and he invited me in to show me around. It occurred to me that if I refused, I could get out of a very long thing that might be boring. But I wasn't afraid, and I didn't refuse.
He showed me his stream that he landscaped and installed himself, and the myriad flowers, vegetables, and fruits he's growing all around his house. And I do mean all around--every side of his house is flanked by plants, on either side of the circumferential walkway.
He led me all the way around his house, and showed me every one, and I mean every one of his plants, giving me names and details. He offered me some of the rhubarb he's growing. He also told me about his 40 x 100ft lot at a community garden that he attends to about three times per week. I was quite impressed and I told him so. He sort of guffawed at my compliments on his gardening talents. A humble man.
We got all the way around and he shifted gears from Tour Director, to Agitated Homeowner Who's Just Caught a Thief Under his Truck Trying to Steal Parts. He said he had to get to work repairing the damage, so I went back home. The cops could handle the douchebag thief. Soon I may take Lucy over there to see his stream, as per his invitation.
Walking back thru the alley to my door, I felt a warmth of neighborly interaction.
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