Temperatures in the high sixties, the sun shining, today’s a really gorgeous day. It’s not a wonder so many people love it out here. It was supposed to be windy, and I suppose it is, but this is quite tolerable. Little more than a breeze if you ask me.

Sitting outside now, in my doorway, the door pushed open next to me, a breeze filtering its way through the house. I’m watching the neighbors. Feeling like a part of things.

It’s the sunlight and the company, it’s easy to get lost in this kind of thing. It’s easy to forget who you were, what your problems are. You get outside in the sunlight and it bathes you in that hue that falls a deeper golden with every quarter hour, drifting nearer and nearer, slower and slower to the mountains.

This is okay.

My neighbor gets home, pulls up further down the parking lot, a rolled up newspaper and flipflops, dark sunglasses. He smiles at me and says hello.

“Hi,” I answer back with a smile of my own. But he fiddles with his keys, trying to put it in the lock on the first try. He seems shy. It’s kind of cute, actually. He leaves the door open behind him to let the air through, and it’s not too long before the kitchen window opens, and the faint sound of music drifts through the openings while he seems to be doing the dishes.

Others come and go. An quirky looking middle aged woman with a small dog walks past and smiles at me. Very friendly.

Another young woman with a much larger dog walks past, but doesn’t meet my gaze.

Lots of dogs around here. Funny really. You don’t see dogs in the city. I’ve counted at least three this afternoon so far. It’s cute but weirds me out deep down. Something strange about it. Something a bit too… Stepford about it. Of course. Can’t just take a good thing and enjoy it, I have to put some kind of a weird spin on it. They’re dogs.

One on a walk around the development with an awkward-looking kid. The two who passed me by. It’s normal sweetie. Normal.

Look, Katie, relax sweetheart. Relax.

This is good. It’s nice out. People are nice. Maybe I’ll actually start a conversation tomorrow, drop a chair on the front porch here, become someone they recognize, a part of the complex, a part of the family. That’d be nice.

Stepford Dogs, Jesus. Must be going out of my mind!