I had not ever spoken to him, even though we have been neighbors for over 6 years, and it was one of the most pleasant surprises: A big, surly man with shockingly kind, blue eyes full of indeterminate depth. I brought his wife some iris starts, and he not only brought me the scrap boards I had been eyeing from his pile, but he brought them all made into garden beds. The extreme kindness of it caught me off guard, and won my respect. It makes me wonder what other quiet treasures the neighborhood might hold that I have overlooked.

Another good day; working and playing with the kids; managing the summer with relative simplicity. I really do love my life.