I can see 40 houses from my house. Funny, because I have this backyard garden oasis that feels so private.
But yes. On tiptoes, from deck and driveway, I've counted: 40.
Most of my neighbors are retired blue-collar Catholic Amero-Franco-Canadians. There are a few young singles and couples. They occ party and play loud music. They throw back a few beers and sling horseshoes.
They mow their lawns and whack the weeds. They barbecue. One neighbor has a pool and professionally landscaped gardens. Another takes pride in his driveway; he recently had it completely redone: dug up, re-asphalted, and sealed. A flat black seam in the tidy lawn.
My favorite neighbor is the boy a few backyards away. He has a trampoline, and ululates as he jumps. I've never heard him speak, or anyone speak to him. I frequently hear him jump and vocalize. It's soothing, reassuring. Oh, there he is. I'm glad he has his trampoline. He reminds me of a boy I know, a boy with autism.
When I'm standing on the top tier of my raised garden bed, thwarting copper beetles, I can see this young man. He's a teenager. He jumps and bounces expertly on the trampoline. He calls. I listen.
But yes. On tiptoes, from deck and driveway, I've counted: 40.
Most of my neighbors are retired blue-collar Catholic Amero-Franco-Canadians. There are a few young singles and couples. They occ party and play loud music. They throw back a few beers and sling horseshoes.
They mow their lawns and whack the weeds. They barbecue. One neighbor has a pool and professionally landscaped gardens. Another takes pride in his driveway; he recently had it completely redone: dug up, re-asphalted, and sealed. A flat black seam in the tidy lawn.
My favorite neighbor is the boy a few backyards away. He has a trampoline, and ululates as he jumps. I've never heard him speak, or anyone speak to him. I frequently hear him jump and vocalize. It's soothing, reassuring. Oh, there he is. I'm glad he has his trampoline. He reminds me of a boy I know, a boy with autism.
When I'm standing on the top tier of my raised garden bed, thwarting copper beetles, I can see this young man. He's a teenager. He jumps and bounces expertly on the trampoline. He calls. I listen.
