The Neighborhood Series: The Richard Edition

Our neighbor, Richard, is one of the most helpful neighbors a person could ever want. He gives willingly of his time, knows the area and resources available to residents, is endlessly patient, and has a house full of tools, supplies, household items, and small machinery that he is willing to lend to anyone on a moment's notice. 

My readers might remember me saying that within a couple of weeks of moving into our present home we decided to take down a small bundle of trees. Richard showed up and saw that Neil was missing a tool. He said unassumingly, "I've got that tool. I'll be right back." He was back within 10 minutes, with said tool and spent the next three hours helping us cut and discard of our trees. This scenario has been repeated about 50 times over the past 4 years.

Richard - helping us cut down tress in our new yard, summer 2008.

Despite last year's light snowfall, the years that preceded it brought us significant precipitation. Richard likes to "clean up" after the town's plows using his small truck and a plow, and he usually cleans up our yard in the process, too. At one point, he had acquired 2-3 snow-blowers with any number of problems, which he had managed to restore to working condition. In our first winter, during a particularly heavy snowfall, the phone rang at 11:30pm. It was Richard calling from the street. He was raking his roof. Did we want our roof raked? We scampered out to help Richard. It's not unusual to find our sidewalks shoveled, driveway plowed or snow-blowed when we get home late from work. Richard - he's been at it again. He also plows his employer's lot, his sister's drive way, and the feeding station areas for the local cat shelter.

Richard provides guidance as I rake our roof, February 2009.

Mention in front of Richard that you cannot find something, say ink for your printer...The next morning, you will find a print-out of the specific ink that your printer needs, prices, and places to purchase it, taped to your storm door. Richard is available for giving rides to the garage, feeding the dog when we're at work late, computer meltdowns, fixing the ring on our old telephone, reading camera manuals, and the list goes on. Those old snow blowers that he restored to working condition? He gave 2 of them away to the local cat shelter. 

Richard helps Neil with the final stage of the "small" arbor, September 2009.

I discovered that my sewing machine was broken the night before I had promised to make Dorothy new Christmas stockings. We called Richard. "By chance, do you have a sewing machine?" His response? "What vintage do you need? One from the 40s, 50s, or a modern one?" Neil stubbed his toe and needed crutches? You bet - Richard had a set for us to borrow. We've also transplanted a hydrangea, hosta, rose bush, tiger lilies, and spinderwarts from Richard's small in-town lot to our yard. 

Neil and Richard work to remove an ugly chain fence in our yard. Here Neil is using Richard's small crane in his truck to pull it out of the ground, May 2009.

Richard helps with a computer meltdown, Spring 2009.

It's also fair to say that Richard is a little quirky - a characteristic of which he is proud. We first got to know Richard as the neighbor who walked his cat on a leash. A huge cat with a violent temper, Richard would walk "Mr. Limburgh" around the neighborhood and our yard every evening after work for at least an hour. He also had a car seat for Mr. Limburgh; the two of them would pile into Richard's red, Honda del Sol and take off for the dog farm. (Yes, the dog farm.) Encounter Richard during any time of any day, and he will greet you with "Good morning!" even if it is afternoon or evening. When faced with contradictory information about the time of day, he proclaims, "Well, it is morning somewhere on earth!" Ask Richard how he is doing and every time he will respond, "I'm alive, I think!" Richard is always good for a chuckle, that's for sure. 

Neil catches Richard in a somber moment by the river, Spring 2009.

Boy, are we lucky to have Richard as a neighbor. I hope that my readers have a Richard on their street, too!