Our deck has seen a busy day.
Shift 1: I drink my coffee on the couch with a blanket across my lap, listening to a woodpecker go to town, high up in the oak tree.
Shift 2: Edwin serves his friend a breakfast of poached eggs and oolong tea. She brings the chia seed pudding.
Shift 3: Sasha dog switches between lounging in the sun and harrumphing at barking dogs in the adjacent back yards.
Shift 4: Maxine procrastinates helping her brother move the woodpile as she scrolls through TikTok.
Shift 5: Max and her friend chat, laugh, and scroll through TikTok. They make plans to walk to Starbuck’s.
Shifts 6-10: Max and her friend return from Starbuck’s, and laugh, chat and scroll; they appear in the kitchen for a moment to collect dinner; they laugh, chat, and scroll some more. I ask her when her friend is going home when she reappears for drinks. “We’re not really sure,” she breezily answers, as she tosses her hair and heads back out to the deck. As I type, I hear their animated voices tossing on the wind, and now that Chris has turned on the outdoor heater for them, I’m not sure the friend is going anywhere anytime soon.
My Corner of the Village 