Long Hollow

      Frankie, the neighborhood guinea widower, has been coming by every other day or so. He divides his time between our house and our neighbors’.

     If I see he’s here, I scoop up some bird seed and scatter it on the ground under the trees so he can make a hasty retreat if my dogs, who seem to be ignoring him right now, take a more sinister interest in him.

     I talk to him a lot. My excuse is that he is lonely since the ‘passing’ of Ruthie, and he is obviously a very social creature. When I step outside, he scurries to me, especially if I have the afore-mentioned cup of birdseed.

     But he’s not just interested in us for the birdseed. This morning, after I scattered the seed and he began eating (and chirping in between bites), I told him good-bye and turned back to the house. He set in  squawking and following me, then flew up eye-level onto a horizontal branch in one of the oak trees, chatting nonchalantly and pecking at the bark for bugs.

     Poor little guy. What could I do? I had to stay and visit with him. And later, when I spotted him in our little courtyard, I took a break, sat on the front porch and visited with him some more. We had a nice conversation – I just wish I knew what he said.