Suburbia

I just returned from my daily walk. I say daily because I have no set time to venture out.  I just know I have to walk every day, if possible.  As the temperatures continue to rise, it becomes harder to motivate myself.  Wishing I had heeded the recommendations when I was much younger, I now engage in some form of exercise every day.  The more aches and pains that arise, the more exercises I add. Once they become routine, they are not so bad.  The exercises take over an hour-and-a-half to complete.  I have to remind myself that I am retired and exercise will keep me healthier as I continue to age. It beats the alternative, I suppose.

As I stepped off my front porch and up and down the bridge-like front walk I heard the sounds of suburbia.  Across the street an old fence was being loaded onto a flatbed and new panels were being unloaded from another.  The voices of men instructing each other as they carried panels and installed the new fence reverberated through the neighborhood.

Continuing along my usual route I saw yard crews mowing and edging. In front of one neighbor’s house the man was visiting with a contractor about a repair that needed to be completed. A new air conditioning compressor was being installed at another home.

Rounding one of the cul-de-sacs I was deep in thought about the various flower beds and landscaping when I noticed a pair of legs, crossed, at the edge of an open garage door.  As I came closer, I noticed a hand waving, although I could not see the man’s face in the shadow of the structure.  I said hello and continued my turn toward the uphill slant of the street.

Later today Mosquito Militia will spray (organically) my yard and deck – my Urban Oasis – to cut down on that pesky population that I seem to attract just by stepping outside. Another indication of life in suburbia.

At last my house was in sight – a welcome abode where I would cool down and drink a whole glass of water before carrying on with my day’s objectives. I reflected on my observations, noting how grateful I am to have a comfortable home, food in the refrigerator, relatively good health, and a neighborhood where I feel safe enough to walk alone at any time of the day.