Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Condo People



          So I ran into Linda last night while taking Mamie for her evening spin around the complex. She was walking her dog Ginger, and pushing (yes, pushing) her other dog, whose name I’ve forgotten. Ginger is a black and white terrier mix, and no-name dog is also black and white, a geriatric – and fat – Chihuahua who rides in her own red doggie carriage. They’re all usually color coordinated, Linda with her black hair and black and white outfits, and the girls with their black and white markings, but often sporting red accents – a leash here (dog), a hat there (human).

          Then there’s the gentleman who I see night and day walking alone, around and around the complex, always with his cell phone on speaker. I wonder if he’s talking to a distant wife who’s checking in to see if he’s getting his exercise.

          Fran is a sweet, slim lady who may be dealing with the after-effects of a stroke with her somewhat halted and hesitant speech. Her husband is a big friendly brash ex-cop, but it’s their dog I can’t stand. It’s a miniature Schnauzer who barks and snarls like an animal from the gates of hell every time it sees you.

          There’s one couple only seen on weekends, since they drive up to their condo here at the end of the work week.
          From Fort Myers.     Only an hour away.

          Lauren and Bill toodle by at least once a day on their tandem bike, in my opinion a true test of marital harmony. (There’s a reason why, years ago, we ditched the canoe and got ourselves each a kayak.)

          Bob is a wiry widower with a George Hamilton tan, game for any fun that may crop up, particularly if it involves a bar stool.

          And I just spotted the skinny, skinny guy from the next building on my ride back from the YMCA this morning, almost 4 miles from our complex. He was out walking in the 88 degree sun and was about a block from the Y, which meant he had another 4 miles to get back. I haven’t seen his wife yet this year, but let’s just say they truly are a Jack Sprat couple.

10 comments:

  1. I really love the descriptions of your fellow walkers. I would not be doing long walks in 88=degree heat, though, and I love to walk. :-)

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  2. Walking in those temperatures? He is either a mad dog or an Englishman.

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  3. Your descriptions are wonderful. I can picture all of these people as I read.

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  4. The writer in you has fleshed out your fellow walkers for us.

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  5. We had a neighborhood who walked many miles each day and it happened after a heart attack scare. So regimes they get really motivated.

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  6. Florida is full of characters, as you have so beautifully described!

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  7. Condo people or fellow campers? It’s all the same from my perspective. A fun piece.

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