Morning

I just walked Lily in the dark. She seemed to say "now please!" after her breakfast and aspirin.

It is amazing how dark our urban neighborhood is. Nearly every streetlight is off or flickering. The elderly high rise lobby is lit up and a few apartments are lit too.

My back neighbor is walking to his car in the parking lot carrying his squishy red thermal lunch-bag. We smile and say hello. He starts up his vehicle and it sounds like a death rattle.

The moon is out and bright with a ring around it.

I see the silhouette of my rotund neighbor standing on the grassy corner with his two Jack Russell Terriers orbiting him like small planets.

I know nearly everyone, so I feel strangely comforted walking by their homes. Some lights have been on all night. Some houses are dark. And some folks have kitchen lights on as they get ready for work.

I found a tiny three-inch plastic figurine of an Indian on the sidewalk. I drop it in my bag. When I get home I see he's bare-chested, wearing a loin cloth and has face painting. His waist moves when I twist him and his arms also move. He's holding a lumpy white gourd. I position him to look like discus thrower. The disc looks like a gigantic clove of garlic. I wash the Indian with green apple soap and scrub him with my blue toothbrush and place him next to the teapot. Welcome to my world.