November 25, 2023

I was out in my yard behind my large white colonial house when the neighbor and his brother came home. I watched him enter the rectangular fence next to his house and lasso his dog which was beyond excited to try to run free. He kept repeatedly drawing the dog back but the dog was relentless. My daughter came out of the house and asked me if I was going to cut the grass. I told her that I was going to wait since I was enjoying the clusters of yellow flowers that scatted themselves among the thick green wild. The neighbors dog broke from his owners restraint and bolted into the taller grass with a leap that sent a flurry of grasshoppers in all directions. He called for the dog; "Zach! Zach!" I thought "He is happy, just let him be." Then I told my daughter that we can help the flowers if we mat the grass down in a spiral underneath and around them so they don't get choked out. Just lift the flowers a little to the side and use your foot to step the grass down. Then I was in the house and heard someone at the front door. When I checked, a newspaper had been delivered through the front doors letter slot. Looking at it I figured it was for the previous resident but thought I might read it and see what I thought. Then my usual curse brought me back to this cell. But I can close my eyes and still see the flowers.