A Walk in the Neighborhood

Each evening in ‘the dry season’ when there are very few mosquitoes, we try to go for a walk. Tonight I stand at the edge of the ‘compound’ to stretch. I feel completely alone.

The sun crouches low on the horizon. It is a bright ball of light melting into the thin clouds. I dance a little to an inner rhythm (happy to be in touch with the beat that has been hard to feel lately).

Here, I am on the edge of civilization; hearing no sounds but birds and the moving of my own muscles. Here, I see no human interruption of the natural tapestry of the landscape. What a wonderful place to be. So far from everything.


Of course, the balance is ever present. If I turn around, I must squint my eyes, to make the fence become invisible. I am actually amidst a new mining development. This housing area adjoins the area in which we live. It is indeed surreal, brand new homes, seemingly transported here into the ‘middle-of-nowhere’.


But they weren’t transported here. Moments later I catch up with Mark and Zachary who have been nearby exploring the giant machines that have helped mold the earth to make these new ‘homes’. The machines are old and seem to have become part of their environment. They are the color of the dirt and they don’t seem to move between our walks. ( The layers of dust are so thick, it looks as though Zachary has eaten chocolate cake and spread it all over Mark!) Even in this dilapidated state, however, these graders, bulldozers, and steam rollers have become a wonderful playground for us. We are on a ship on the open ocean, we are in a castle, we are driving across the desert, we are anywhere Zachary wants to be.

The sun finally sets and we must head home before the last light leaves (it happens quite dramatically here). Captain Zachary docks at the ferry terminal and we are off. What a walk!
CSN