Taft and Washington

I love my neighborhood.  I have not lived in town for over 26 years.  But my house on Taft Street sits on two lots so I have breathing room.  The house has been well loved and wonderfully landscaped with so many flowers and exotic trees that it was "The envy of the neighborhood" according to my neighbor who lives on the west side of me. She is the one who invited me to have Memorial Day dinner with her and her interesting family. I have been working on the yard, weeding, moving flowers and mulching.  Apparently this makes my neighbors happy.

A young man and his father live across the street to the south of me.  The son is a nice, helpful young man who helped me plow out my driveway last winter.  He also brought me mushrooms this spring.  This picture is of a deer that visits their yard every evening.  I was missing my deer something awful last week and I looked up and saw this doe grazing on the clover in their back yard!  When I told the father about it, he said that he has a fox that comes at 4 am every morning too.  My animals have found me I thought...

A few days ago a nice young man was walking down the street with his very blond and curly little girl  I asked how old she was and he replied  in the thick Irish brogue I remember from Catholic school as a girl!  I told him about my grandson, anything, to keep hearing that lilt and accent.  I love the diversity here right down the street.  I have a single mom who lives catty corner from me too.  She and I really relate and have great conversations about our lives, kids and all the craziness that goes on in the world.  I like her.  She is friendly and down to earth.  And the most amazing woman lives across the alley.  She is larger than life and has a huge white, pet rabbit.  Naturally we bonded easily.

I started mowing my yard this evening.  Lovely time to do it, still warm, still sunny.  A jogger ran past, I waved, so did he.  Then a neighbor lady came walking up with her very "chatty" little dog.  She stopped and wanted to visit!  She always worries that her dog barks too much, but he stopped and calmed down as I petted him.  She chatted away, and told me that she misses her grandkids.  She asked if  I mow to get some sun, "No, it is part of my work out" I replied...I like her.  I think she lives in the house with the beautiful roses out front so I should try to visit sometime.  She is nice.  I started mowing again.  The father who has the fox in his yard came over and motioned me to stop.  Now he worked as a greens keeper at a golf course so he knows grass and lawnmowers.   He had something to give me which was a jug of flower fertilizer.  He said, "I don't need this but you do.  It is awful heavy, but you can use it on those flowers.  You are really making this place look nice." I liked hearing that.  I like knowing it even more.   I like the people I have met here and I like that it is quiet and people are nice to one another.  I like that rabbits are everywhere, that deer wander about and foxes slip silently through at about 4 am.   Sweet little neighborhood, my new place to live.