An August Evening on Waldron Street

A view from my end of Waldron Street

Last night was National Night Out in my neighborhood – nice excuse for a potluck and chatty gathering. While last year’s event was dang near intimate; just the neighbors on my street; Waldron. This year the event covered the entire neighborhood, although if you look at the photo above, the event was still small.

So with my Indonesian Cold Rice Salad in hand, I trooped the half block to the Pot Luck gathering. I only recognized two of my neighbors; Bill, who arranged the whole event, and Mark who lives next door. This year there was no safetly talk by the local sheriff’s crew, but there were reps of the local fire department, who gave tours of their big, shiny red, fire engine. I didn't know that 8 out 10 calls the fire department get, via 911, are for health emergencies – you know the sort - grandad’s having a stroke. The whole fire crew is trained and they carry an EKG machine, heart paddles to jump-start the faulty tickers and even oxygen-to-go.

The Fire Truck; always at the ready to save Gramps
Loads of knobs and shiny buttons to hit

The neighborhood kids got to make a mess – note homie in his bad*** Potter T-shirt

My new favorite neighbor – 9 years old, Thor the Italian Mastiff

The last event of the evening was a free raffle, and in keeping with my recent string of luck, I won a prize – a Jama-Juice Card. Hurrah! I get to try a charged-up Jamba Juice, heavy on the wheatgrass.