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As I was dragging a htthat had been part of the backyard for so long that it was just part of the scenery: the old Airstrealy pines

It had belonged to randfather, who’d used to it to travel the country on the original hippie train, Woodstock not being far from Bailey Falls After he passed away, it was put out to pasture It was always far down on the list of things to do, with so priority for where to spend those few extra dollars each -to-rust elephant in the backyard, so big it was unnoticeable

But today I noticed it, and went in for a closer look I’d always thought these old trailers were kind of beautiful, in a retro kitschy kind of way Very Rosie the Riveter meets the open road But this one was half covered by weeds and listing to one side on bald tires, doubtless a home for critters as well Someday it could be fun to look inside the trailer, but not today

I returned to arden work, finished it up, and then headed inside After my mother’s constant chatter for the last week or so, the s and empty

Another day, another breakfast rush I keptshift at the diner the next day The employees had mostly been there for years and the place really was capable of running itself, but I knehy e It was her baby, it had been her father’s baby, and she was hoping it would one day be s would fly first But that was a thought for another day; I had a breakfast shift to run So I played short order cook, cracking eggs and slapping toast down for Adam and Eve on a raft, wrecked

A steady flow of orders, constant gossip froers, two quarreling waitresses, and one very sh the breakfast And found myself onceon the perfection that would beco But this tih to announce hi

"Are you armed?"

I peeked over rin I answered it with my own and held my hands up in the air, potato in one and peeler in the other

"I am; you may not want to come much closer," I said very seriously I nodded toward the basket on top of the boxes he was carrying "I can’t believe you brought nuts to a potato fight"

"I’ll ad over to"Or it went very well foron the point of view"

"Point of view is i down my peeler He was closer than I expected and I found ht and curious "So what did you bring htly on the stack of boxes "Lettuce--a few different kinds, including a new blush variety Bigfat rutabaga And a special treat, the first strawberries" He lifted a s from the top of the pile, opened the top, and I peered inside Nestled at the bottom were a handful of plureen leaves

"Mmm" I breathed in "That s out one of the tiny fruits "It’s a new variety we’re trying this year--brown sugar strawberries A low yield so far, but it’s about the sweetest strawberry I’ve ever tasted"

"Yeah?" It looked the same as every other one I’d ever seen

"Go on Try it," he said, offering ers"