Four Strangers and Inhaling Fertilizer

I had someone ask me, again, if I plan out ahead of time where I am going to meet strangers. In a word - no. That would require too much organization and would really take out the randomness of the whole thing. I just get in the car and start driving until the urge to go to the bathroom happens...no, not really. I just stop when I feel like it and pop in and introduce myself. I also see this as a way to go to places I might normally pass up. And it kinda allows me a bit more vibrato that I might not normally have....you know, I have a tendency to be a wallflower. So I have to catch you up on four strangers.

I was driving through downtown Rowlett and decided to pull into City Hall to found out who might be hanging around. It seemed very desolate and no one stopped me so I strolled into the City Manager's office. Sitting in an open area behind a big wooden receptionist-type desk, surrounded by lots of wooden cabinets and accessories sat a very professional woman. Glasses and long hair with a nice smile asked, "Can I help you?" I said, "I hope so" and with that I extended my hand; told her "My name is Donna," and gave her my spiel. She told me that her name was Denise. She said that most everyone was in a meeting, but if I wanted to walk around I was more than welcome to do so. How nice, in this day and age, that I would be allowed to move about the Cit Manager's office. Do you think you could do that even in Manhattan? I doubt it. Denise likened my quest to a lady who tried 365 crock pot recipes and then critiqued them. I had never heard of the "crock pot lady" or even knew she existed. I bid Denise a great afternoon and left. On the way out I noticed there is going to be a city town hall meeting in February - you can bet that I am going to be there. Might try to meet the City Manager since I have already met his office.

My next stranger was in his front yard raking leaves and I drove past him twice. First, I was trying figure how to get to his driveway and the second time I was being bump-drafted by some teenager in our city's one and only round-a-bout. So one more time around - this time on the outside and a quick right into his driveway and a quick stomp on my brakes so that I wouldn't rear-end his truck. He didn't even look up from from raking his leaves when I pulled up. So with an "AHEM, can you possibly help me?" He looked up. And whilst rattling off my spiel, I extended me hand. With my hand only catching air - I asked him his name. And as if it was almost an after thought he said, "Stan" and shook my hand. His hands were rough and calloused and in my mind I thought - an outdoor man by trade. With a wheelbarrow close and discarded stones from a dug up sidewalk, I asked him what he planned to do with the exposed dirt area where the sidewalk used to be. He explained that this wasn't his house, but he thought the owners were going to plant flowers. So curiously, I asked, "Is this a second job type thing?" "Nope, I am an out-of-work electrician." That explains the hands. He asked me my name again and I oblige. He wanted to know in case I became famous. I just laughed and turned to head back to my car. I wished Stan a good day. Then I had to figure out how I was going to back out of the driveway into the round-a-bout traffic. A quick glance, shift into reverse and a tap to the accelerator and I was back in traffic. I waved to Stan as I drove away.

It was a great day. It was a little windy and cool, but I threw caution to the wind and drove with my car window down, radio turned up and the heater turned on to stay warm. I had seen it a dozen of times - a throwback in time surrounded by modern businesses. As I stepped through the front door and onto the wooden floor, I felt like I was back in Kansas when all the cool stores still had wooden floors And as I inhaled, it reminded me of the horticulture store my dad would go to on the West side of town - Green Thumb. At first, the aroma of fertilizers and DDT-like sprays was overpowering, but within a few minutes, my nostrils relaxed. This was the Roach Feed and Seed, Inc. store and it was cool and perfect. I was absorbed in the sights and trying to wrap my brains around the fact that I could buy stuffed horse hooves and giant smoked pigs ears to feed animals; when I someone asked if they could help me. I went over to the long wooden counter and met two women dressed in boots, jeans, and colorful tops - Dixie and Shayna. Their names just seemed to fit. I extended my hand with my spiel rolling from my tongue and told them this store reminded me of being a little girl with my dad. I asked if I could just wander around and look. "Of course," they said in unison and when back to figuring out how to display products. Cattle vaccines, parrot feed, loose seeds for planting a garden, horse halters, steel tubs, and wooden floors throughout. Off to the left of the front door was an enclosed office that looked like a place an old-timer would go to check the recent prices of soybeans or alfalfa and to the right of the office were two big barn type doors which I guessed are used to load and unload pallets. Toward the back of the store, I was tempted to go upstairs where a great sign heralding the timeliness of cattle vaccines peeked out, but then thought better of it. Smiling and floating about this time capsule, I headed toward the front. Something caught my eye and before I knew it - a streak of brown terror flew past me. There was a bird inside. Holy crap - how do I get out of there without having the dang thing land on me AND without looking like a fool. (Psst....I am afraid of birds and I don't know where this one has gone to) Dixie and Shayna think it has landed a top of a ceiling mounted fan/furnace contraption. They get a broom and are gently poking the air to ferret it out. My heart is beating faster and louder and I move toward the horse halters on the back wall. The last thing that I want is a poked bird flying down on me. And as I rounded the corner in front of the powder based fertilizers, making my way toward the front door, I squealed. The dang bird was not on the furnace, it was in front of me and flapping toward me. Nowhere to go and Dixie is saying, "Poor bird has been in here all day and I think it is scared." I think to myself, "poor bird, my ass - poor Donna." I don't know where the the bird is and I am frozen in fear inhaling toxic levels of fertilizer because I am almost to the point of hyper-ventilating. And with a quick swoosh of the broom by Dixie, I saw it head toward the back of the store. Big breath. Oh thank goodness the line was not busy and my prayer got through to the big guy and I bolted for the front door. I told Dixie and Shayna "Good luck with the bird" and I was out of the door. With all the seeds and feed, that bird could live in there for weeks - it might never leave. So before I go back, I think I will phone ahead and check to see if the bird has checked-out.

The last stranger update drives the 207 route to Dallas. Yes, I pulled in front of a DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) bus (he had stopped to load passengers), left my car running, boarded the bus. Extended my hand introduced myself and met Miguel. He only had one passenger on the bus and I asked him if this was his normal route. He said, "No, I am only on this route every couple of weeks. I usually run the express." I nodded and smiled, but had no idea what the express was. I take quick inventory of the bus. I guess I had thought it would a dirty, smelly bus - it was neither. As I had left my car running in the bus lane and another bus was pulling up - I thought it was wise to get back to my car before it was pushed out of the way. I wished Miguel a good route and a good evening. Also hollered goodbye to his passenger and ran back to my car. I think the 207 to Dallas was in good hands.