Why I love my neighborhood.

I got up early this morning to go to the gym (yay me!) and decided to take the garbage out on my way. I usually just toss it over the fence into the dumpster, but this morning I could hear somebody rummaging around inside the dumpster.

What to do?

I'm not the kind of person to throw garbage on somebody just because they're dumpster diving, and I'm glad people go through and take out all the bottles and cans. I silently hemmed and hawed for a minute. Should I lean the garbage against the wall of our building and throw it out when I get back? What if they tear it open looking for bottles and make a mess? Should I just yell "heads up!"?

I decided to walk around the dumpster as stompily as I could to catch his or her attention. He heard me and popped his head out with a very friendly "good morning!". He is a senior man who looks like the kind of neighbor you would love to have, who would spend all day picking sticks and leaves off of his lawn.

He reached out and took the garbage bag from me, and I explained that there were no bottles or cans in it because I take those out separately and leave them next to the dumpster.

"Oh yes, I got those the other morning. Thank-you very much."

So I went on my way and started the car. While in the car I noticed him frantically running back and forth across the alley. Was somebody yelling at him or being mean to him? When I got out to brush the snow off the running car, he caught me looking around for him and explained:

"I like to have a little fun chasing the rabbits."

He was chasing the wild hares around the back alley for shits and giggles at 6:45 am. We had a short conversation about the abundance of hares in the area, and then I left for the gym.

I'll have to learn that guy's name.