Monday, January 09, 2006

Its just me, Peanut & the cleaners, yard workers, cable guys, fencebuilders ....

It's about 10.00 am and Peanut & I are out for a stroll around our neighborhood.

I'm really happy that our neighborhood has sidewalks on all the streets, not just the main parkway and we have easy access to the extensive jogging/fitness trail that runs along Denton Creek.

The weather here in Dallas has been superb. A very unusually warm winter filled with sunny days makes it easy to get out to enjoy the fresh air.

But, it sure is quiet.

I mean, really quiet. As in we are the only ones out walking.

The only other people I see as we cruise the blocks are crews with leaf blowers cleaning out the yards, a couple of cable guys digging in the ground, the occasional plumber/electrician truck and what I guess to be the cleaners. I guess they are the cleaners as they park in front of the houses in much smaller cars than you usually see driving around here. Its very popular to have a 'back alley' where owners access their garages, leave out the trash cans, etc. So, when I see cars parked out in front along the curb during the day, the assumption is that they belong to someone not living there.

The scene is very different around 3.00 pm. Suddenly, mini-vans, SUVs and other family transporters appear from the back alleys or pull up in front of homes to discharge school-aged children. There are even small groups of boys or girls (not yet at the age that they would mix!) riding bikes, kick-scooters or skateboards down the block and jogging path. Its very nice to see the neighborhood come to life.

Though I'm left to wonder where are the other little babies? It can't be that Peanut is the only one around here! Maybe they are on a different schedule and I've yet to spot the baby-strolling time slot. Maybe their mamas have to work and most babies are in daycare? Maybe they just don't stroll??

1 comment:

Maiju said...

that was exactly the same thing i wondered in United States. Jonna was 6 months old when we moved to Greeley,Colorado and we already had a habit of going out every day. Parks were always empty when we were there and i saw strollers only at malls. I guess all the reasons you mentioned do that and maybe it's not customed to take babies for stroller rides...

Hope you find company though. It's boring without other moms or adults to speak to. i had a friend who came with me many times to park while she didn't have a work visa yet and she had to spend time too. They still live in USA.