AN ODD LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD

I live in an odd little neighborhood where people prefer to abandon an old sofa on a scenic horse-drawn carriage route (such as Montreal Street) than leave an old book lying around in a public place for a complete stranger to come by and pick it up.

Now the laundry room...well, that's an entirely different matter. "Lost & Found" it is not, but, on the other hand, it's a convenient corner to deposit one's ancient analogue TV set complete with rabbit ears, a speckled-tomato and popcorn-spattered microwave, or perhaps a perfectly good pair of previously-enjoyed hot pink "Crocs".

Which reminds me, strange things turn up when you least expect them, like last summer when I happened upon several oddities carefully stashed away from the high tides and soggy seaweed at Ogden Point. A great find as I recall -- an assortment of colorfully painted round stones inscribed with a myriad of merry messages: "This is a Smile Stone!", "Get Your Own Pet Rock!" and "Color Me Happy!"