Street Smarts

I found myself recently outside of the local Wendy’s with our grandbeauty, Juniper, feeding french fries to a gang of great-tailed grackles that had gathered in the parking lot. Almost nothing tickles me more than a bird with a french fry. (I don’t know why. The birds just seem so happy.)

A man, late 30s perhaps, came into the parking lot and crossed over to Taco Bell on the other side. His deep tan, a bandana around his neck and the walking stick he carried immediately made me think “traveler.” Homeless by choice, as in the road is his home. Modern-day hobo. (All speculation, of course … but coming from the viewpoint of someone with experience — the majority of it good — with the phenomenon of “traveling kids.”) The dog that followed him, with a matching bandanna around his neck, kind of sealed the deal on my assessment of their situation.