Not long ago, Tim was heading out to deliver trash to the dump and to return a library book.
He placed the book on the roof of the car to free both hands, in order to stash the bags of garbage and recyclables into the backside of the mini-SUV. And off he went to the library, a distance of two or three city blocks away.
But the book wasn’t in the car. He then remembered putting it on the roof of the car, and retraced his steps. But there was no book along the road, or its edges, or the driveway.
A few days later, he went to the library to pay for the lost book, and was told the book was not in fact missing. It was right there on the shelf.
What thoughtful neighbors we have, what a great library, and what a nice town we live in, Tim thought, still smiling when he arrived home.
This week we have several more smiling people in town, including Dan Waters, Rick Karney, Sioux Eagle and Tom Hodgson. All report seeing hummingbirds at their feeders, this late in the season, tough little survivors of the recent storm. Ours had fled shortly after Labor Day. But the turkeys still hang around, bless them. One calendar-worthy bluejay splashes and preens regularly in the birdbath just out the kitchen window, adding to our list of quotidian joys.
Patrick Rawls and his dog Beatrice arrived in town last weekend from the northern hilltop town of Proctor, Vt. Patrick brought his belongings and plans to stay. He is able to run his business remotely, and has planned accordingly. We are glad to meet him and hope the move works out.
En route to his new home, Patrick had a lot to think about, and he barely noticed the dazzling colors of the sugar maples, the other maples, the golden ginkoes and the untamed crape myrtles on his route south.
Here in our backyard, some of the big maples are tipped with bits of gold (even less than the glitter in the Oval Office). But out on the paved street, one big show-off tree is flaunting red, gold and orange, mixed with green, to capture the attention of any passer-by. The rest of the sentinels along the route are still clothed in solemn green. In fact, most of trees I have seen all through town are mostly green, blithely behaving as if this were still September.
Jeffrey and Nancy Smith have arrived for a brief visit from Vienna, Va. Jeff has virtually life-long ties with members of the Whiting family and with many others, including a mere half-century with Tim and me. Jeff and Allen Whiting popped in Sunday for a brief visit while Nancy and Lynne attended a baby shower for the Whitings’ newest grandchild, who hasn’t yet arrived.
Birthday greetings go on Friday, Oct. 9 to Tony Shalhoub, who spends part of his summers here, and to Lee Steere, who was born Oct. 14.
Congratulations and happy wedding anniversary to Timothy Lawson and Dorie McCullough on Thursday, Oct. 15.