I went to pick up my weekly share of veggies yesterday. Met a cute little guy who I'll call ... um ... the Tousled Tot. Because his hair was perfectly tousled. His eyes were wide and blue. And he was just lovely all around. When I said, "Hello, I'm Patti - it's nice to meet you," he answered, "Fine." Obviously, I was supposed to ask how he was - my bad.
Talked with a few of the grownups about what was growing in my yard. Herbs ... tomatoes ... strawberries ... rhubarb. The Tousled Tot took it all in, eyes wide and blue.
After a few minutes, I went over to the rows of milk crates and loaded up my bag with greens, radishes and rhubarb, and headed out. The Tousled Tot followed me. "Um ... Patti," he said in a clear voice, eyes wide and blue. I politely stopped and came down to his level. "Yes?" I said.
"I was thinking, that next time you come, on the next Share Day ... we could go strawberry picking." (Intelligent being that I am, I realized he meant in my yard.) "What a great idea!" I said. "I love strawberry picking." He nodded happily.
"But," I said, "you know what? The problem I have is that birds keep eating my strawberries before I pick them." He frowned in concern. "Weird, huh?" "Yes," he said. He thought about it.
And then he brightened. "Maybe you should get a crow. Other birds are scared of crows. Just one crow." "You think that would help?" I asked. "Yes," he said. "Try it." "Thanks for the tip," I said. He smiled, waved, and walked away.
I might be in love.
