In the middle of our street

When I was little I lived in the woods, which was fantastic for tromping around and discovering old abandoned cabins with hot bowls of porridge in them, but it lacked other things. Like sidewalks. On the television, children walk along sidewalks to their friends houses after school. But I had to drive to a friend's house just to go Trick-or-Treating. It was very traumatic, I tell you.

So I've always kind of loved the idea of neighborhoods where you can borrow a cup of sugar or a landscaping implement from your neighbor, and hang out and have barbecues and things.

Oliver's Bar looks like this now


And he's moved some 100 yards or so up the street toward me and Annie and Ryan and Swedish Mike. I realized a few days ago that what I've got now here is a lot like Sesame Street.

One afternoon I was eating at Sa's with Autumn, which is right about in the middle, south of TEFL, across the street from Swedish Mike, and just north of Annie and Ryan. I was telling Autumn about how lovely our little community of neighbors is, and I saw Oliver walking over to Swedish Mike with a small pink plastic container, and I fancied that he was asking for a cup of sugar or something, because that's just the kind of thing these folks will do for one another.

But this was in that pink container


Oliver found it in his bathroom, and his wife insisted on keeping it as a pet! She hasn't named it yet, but she'll let everyone know. Isn't it cute? Still no sidewalks, but this is just as good.