An Afternoon Walk

We went for a walk yesterday afternoon. The weather was chilly but the air was still and it made a pleasant change from sitting indoors. Many other people had the same idea. We passed several couples, mothers with children, dog walkers or lone strollers. Each time, we smiled and said hello, keeping our social distance by stepping into the road or onto a lawn. Cyclists rushed past, and we had to dodge an entire family on scooters.

The streets were mostly deserted and cars were infrequent. We could have walked down the middle of the road, and in fact, we saw a man playing ball hockey by himself in the middle of an intersection. It was odd to see so many cars in the driveways of the houses. Most people were at home instead of working. Non-essential I guess. Squirrels raced back and forth across the streets, invincible as always, but safe from motorists this time.

There were signs of life, however. In one block, children had been busy with coloured chalk on the pavement, and the message "Hi neighbour, you look lovely" made me smile. I also tried out the longest hopscotch I had ever seen. A sign in a window read, "Hello from inside". Colourful wreaths and other decorations on the outside of houses showed that many youngsters were keeping busy with crafts.

I wrote about our neighbourhood once before, in my short story, Carnaby Calling. Perhaps you would like to reread it or enjoy it for the first time.