Jeff:

Jeff was my first best and close friend here in Jackson; and in the future, long after we've left here, I think it will be great to be able to look back over the years and through the writing in this blog and remember him.  Why, even on those first days when we were still getting settled, Jeff would walk over the boxes still lying in the front yard and come and talk to me.  Later, when I would be sitting on my front porch, Jeff would come up there with me and enjoy the sunshine. 

 

I guess I should mention that Jeff isn't a person.  He's a black Lab who belongs to the people who live diagonally across the street from us.  We live on Pearl Street on a corner lot;  their house faces Kimball, and is to the left of our house as you're standing in our front yard. 

 

Jeff's humans are the Walkers.  They're very nice people, although we've never gotten to be really good friends for some reason.  But for the first several months we lived here, Jeff would come over to see me whenever I was outside.  And if Lydia saw Jeff out in the yard, she'd tell me, "Jeff's out here," and I'd quit whatever I was doing and come out on the front porch to see if Jeff would come to be petted.  He usually did.

 

I don't see Jeff as much as I used to.  His roaming days are over now.  The "leash laws" around here have been more strictly enforced recently.  He spends most of his time in the Walkers' back yard.  I go over there to see him when his humans are taking him for walks sometimes.  Occasionally, he still gets out on his own somehow; and when he does, I try to make sure to talk to him.  He's always glad to see me, and he always enjoys it when I pet him.  

 

When the weather turns warm again, I'll look forward to those happy occasions when I get to spend a little time with Jeff!

    house faces