Photo by Bill Stokes
By Bill Stokes
Kickass, the doorstop dog, shares his between-naps job with the keeper in observing the daily flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic as it plays out around the busy intersection of Gammon Road and Tree Lane in the neighborhood mix of schools, businesses and housing.
Unable to resist frequent involvement in the business of others, the keeper often gives advice to errant or speeding drivers and warns pedestrians about crossing the street. Usually, it all goes amazingly smooth and everybody gets where they apparently want to be and the keeper can abandon his window gazing and go back to napping.
But a recent incident jarred him so deeply that he may require memory reduction therapy. A family—mom, dad and four small kids, had parked across the street and headed for the Vista West entrance when a cute little girl, maybe four years old, broke away from the controlled family group and ran across the busy street where the keeper often advises drivers to “slow the hell down!” With one waving arm and her skirt flying the tiny pedestrian did not take time to look for traffic, but the keeper did, with his heart in his mouth. Fortunately, there was only a delivery truck driver who was slowing to make a turn.
The keeper has informed Phyllis that he will be reducing his looking-out-the-window time in favor of the “nap” setting on his recliner.
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