Development Developments

Rumours grow about the development of vacant land that lies immediately north of the Sack.

It has been known for at least five years that a commercial development is planned for this land. The north side of The Sack will abut whatever becomes established there.

Opinions in The Sack are mixed about this subject.

***

Recent news suggests that a small strip mall or plaza will soon occupy the space. Oscar, for one, is ecstatic.

"In a perfect world, he says philosophically, we will have a liquor store, an outlet that carries only the finest pornography and, of course, a donair shop."

Then, he adds, "If this comes to fruition, we'll never need to leave The Sack again."

***

Liquor is a substance controlled and sold by the rich, to distract the masses from growing and using marijuana.

Pornography, some say, is in the eye of the beholder.

A donair is another matter entirely.

***

A donair is a ghastly food product that enjoys much favour among the local populace. It is typically ingested after a night of drinking and carousing in the downtown quarter.

I am told that it consists of thinly shaved 'meat', covered liberally with a greyish, soup-like liquid. It is normally served on some form of bread product.

I am also told that it is sometimes possible to actually hear the sound of one's arteries hardening as the evil mixture is digested.

***

I will now stand accused of hypocrisy.

I have never eaten a donair, nor do I plan to. But I would happily pay to see The Rolling Stones, if faced with a choice between them and eating a donair.

***

Mrs. Wonders and I would be very pleased if a garden centre bloomed on the vacant land. Florence says she would prefer a small grocery store. Computer Doug wants a 24-hour child care centre. The remaining Dougs favour a hardware store. Elizabeth is hopeful for a pharmacy.

Oscar says he spoke with Mulva today. He claims that she is "on side" with the liquour/porn/donair development.

***

First, We See England, Then We See France.

Oscar's impending trip to France reminds us of another memorable moment in The Sack.

***

A cul de sac cannot simply be built. It must develop and mature. The Sack is currently in its preadolescent stage.

***

Four years ago, there were still open building lots in The Sack. Over the span of six months, five new houses were built. The Sack is now full.

***

On a particular Saturday afternoon, Oscar and I sit leisurely on my front steps. We sip iced cappuccino and speak little.

We watch our soon-to-be neighbour, Elizabeth drive into The Sack. She has been making weekly visits to check on the construction of her new home. This is a wise decision.

***

The new house is completely framed. The roof is in place, but only partially shingled. The outside of the foundation is yet to be filled in. The house still lacks its front steps and porch. An eight-foot ladder is the only means of gaining entry into the house.

***

Oscar and I wave to Elizabeth in a practiced, neighbourly fashion. She waves back and gives us a broad smile. We are becoming familiar.

***

Elizabeth is matronly in appearance and rather regal in deportment. She is wearing a bright, sleeveless summer dress. Sunglasses rest on her head. On her feet, she sports high-heeled sandals.

Our new neighbour begins to climb the ladder, in order to inspect the progress on the house's interior. This is not a wise decision.

***

Oscar and I are distracted by the sudden appearance of a hummingbird moth. It looks like a hummingbird, but it is actually a moth.

As we marvel about Nature's creativity, we are interrupted by a short, high-pitched shriek.

***

Elizabeth has fallen between the top two rungs of the ladder. To make matters worse, the bottom of her dress has become entangled with the ladder as she plunged between the rungs.

She is now clinging to the ladder. Her dress is bunched up and covering her head. She swings gently under the ladder with her stomach and panties now exposed to the gentle Maritime sun.

***

Oscar and I simply stand up and watch. We are mesmerized.

Fortunately, Big Doug is only several houses away from Elizabeth. Engrossed in the task of creating the perfect lawn, he was still alerted by her exclamation.

***

Big Doug carefully and modestly disentangles Elizabeth from the ladder. He, too, is now familiar with our new neighbour.

***

In unspoken agreement, Oscar and I move to my backyard, leaving Elizabeth alone with her embarrassment.

We look briefly for more hummingbird moths. There are none to be found. To this day, we have not seen another one.

***

Naming Rights

Sunday --- it is a glorious, sunny day in The Sack.

An impromptu gathering of residents chat idly at the curb. Florence, our next door neighbour, joins the fray and asks for our collective assistance.

***

It seems that her new foreign student arrived late last night. Everyone feigns surprise. It is impossible to be unaware of such comings and goings in The Sack. Official announcements about such matters are redundant.

***

The young woman is from China and will attend a local university beginning next week. According to Florence, she speaks little, if any, English. Apparently, unless one is a Chinese linguist, it is impossible to pronounce her name.

In consultation with the young woman and the organization that oversees her placement, it is decided that she requires an English name. It is this matter that Florence seeks our assistance with.

***

Oscar and I are deeply moved. It is a privilege to bestow a name upon another human being. Outside of the birth of a child, it is a rare opportunity, indeed.

***

There is a flurry of discussion among those present. Oscar and I separate ourselves from the group. We require some solitude to give this matter the quiet, careful consideration it deserves.

We run through a number of possible names. Oscar massages his chin. He is taking this task very seriously. We respectfully debate the advantages and disadvantages of each other's ideas. Finally, after much meditation on the matter, we agree on one of Oscar's first suggestions.

***

We have decided that the new Chinese student should be known as Mulva, in homage to an old episode of Seinfeld. We agree that this moniker is easy to pronounce, remember and spell. It is also pop culturally relevant.

***

We are dismayed to find that the rest of the neighbours have moved onto Florence's porch. Before we can make our announcement, we learn that a name has already been chosen. The young woman has been informed and is apparently quite pleased with her new handle.

Oscar is devastated. He will not be seen for the rest of the afternoon.

***

The charming young student's new name is Tammy.

***

Oscar and I will be sticking with Mulva.

***

Talk Show Hosts

It was Oscar's birthday on Friday, so we repair to a sidewalk cafe at the dinner hour. It is a very pleasant evening.

During the course of the evening, we meet an East Indian man. He complains to us about his eating disorder. Later, we converse with a young man sporting the largest Mohawk haircut we have ever seen. One can only encounter such people when going about town with Oscar.

We return to The Sack at about 10 p.m. and recline on my porch with refreshments. Although it is Oscar's birthday, this will be a low key affair. Oscar has several high key affairs coming up, so he claims he is "conserving himself".

***

Next weekend, Oscar will travel to Moncton to attend the Rolling Stones concert. Outside of owning a "helper monkey", seeing The Stones is one of Oscar's greatest aspirations.

The following weekend, Oscar will depart for France. It is a work-related gig. Going to France was previously a great aspiration. But, this will be his second visit.

Very soon, owning a "helper monkey" will become Oscar's main focal point.

***

I have not attended a Rolling Stones concert, nor do I plan to. I have not been to France, either and, quite frankly, do not plan to go.

But, if someone paid for me to go to France, I would go.

My position on The Stones, however, is steadfast.

***

Back on the porch, we are soon joined by Little Doug. He is our first guest of the evening. Because of this, he is directed to the Muskoka chair. Some people would also call it an Adirondack chair. This is where guests on the show typically sit.

***

We ask him if he has brought 'clips' from any new movies he might be starring in. He has no idea what we are talking about.

Oscar can make Little Doug laugh to the brink of urination. Ultimately, this is what leads Little Doug to conclude his appearance on the show.

***

Soon, Computer Doug makes a rare guest appearance. It is just past eleven o'clock. He tells us that intensive negotiations with his children have enjoyed a breakthrough. They have agreed to go to bed.

Computer Doug's appearance on the show lasts for two beers. For him, this is an indepth interview length of time to be on the show. We surmise that Computer Doug is under a lot of stress right now. He does not bring any 'clips' with him, either.

***

Our final guests are Daisy, Little Doug's daughter and her prospective husband, Weed. Though it is approaching the midnight hour, they are preparing to venture out of The Sack in search of fast food. They review possible destinations with us.

We forget to ask if they brought any 'clips' with them.

***

The talk of food sends us to our homes. We say good night to the silent Sack and begin to inspect the contents of our respective refrigerators. For tonight, the show is over.

***

Burning Manor (Part II): "Friends & Foes"

The owners of Burning Manor, whom we shall now dub, Dirk and Dora, entertained many colourful friends at their home.

***

A field guide to the friends of Burning Manor would reveal the following: "The male of the species is rarely seen wearing a shirt and proudly displays a carefully developed beer belly for all to enjoy. Crudely drawn tattoos are de rigueur for the male".

Oscar claims that he once saw the words 'LOVE' and 'HAT' inscribed on one gentleman's knuckles. This could be true.

The field guide might go on to say: "The female friend of Burning Manor is distinguished by an unmistakeable aura of danger. Females also sport crudely drawn tattoos and beer bellies. Thankfully, they wear shirts".

***

Friends of Burning Manor can also be easily identified by their automobiles. The absence of one or more hub caps and the presence of dents and incomplete body work are surefire signs of a friend.

Oscar believes that Dirk and Dora choose their friends according to this characteristic. This could be true, as well.

***

To the dismay of residents in The Sack, a number of these colourful friends actually become residents of Burning Manor for varying lengths of time.

***

My favourite live-in friend of Burning Manor was a guy named Buddy. Buddy lived there for about a year, along with a car of indeterminate colour that was completely bereft of hub caps.

Like Dirk and Dora, Buddy was fond of the drink. While Dirk and Dora had trouble with their big dog after a night at the tavern, Buddy suffered from a different problem altogether.

***

Upon returning from the tavern, Buddy seemed unable to determine, through sight alone, which house in The Sack he actually belonged to. For Buddy, locating Burning Manor became a process of elimination.

***

One evening, I watched Buddy try to enter four different homes, before finding Burning Manor.

The first house he stumbled toward was locked. He gained entry to the second house momentarily, before being sternly turned away be one of the Dougs.

The third house was locked, but Buddy spent several minutes trying to open the door with his key. Either frustration or boredom lead him to the fourth house.

***

Buddy walked right into the fourth house. Ten minutes passed. I watched with amusement and growing trepidation.

Suddenly, the door of the house flew open. Buddy came reeling out, quickly followed by an obviously irate female home owner. He ambulated across her lawn in a zigzag pattern, stopping once to pick up the crumbled package of cigarettes he had dropped. Finally, he stumbled through the door of Burning Manor. Home at last.

For several minutes, the woman stood on her porch with her arms folded. She was speechless.

***

I am told that Buddy was found relieving himself in the main floor bathroom of the woman's home. I hope this is not true.

***

A curious thing about Buddy --- several weeks later, his dented car, sans hub caps, no longer leaves the driveway of Burning Manor. An equally distressed vehicle begins to pick him up for work each morning.

Oscar has it on good account that an impaired driving charge was involved. This is almost certainly true.

***

It was not unusual for friends of Burning Manor to become foes of Burning Manor. Dora, it seemed, was no stranger to conflict.

***

Listen to this:

Several years ago, a certain female friend took up residence at Burning Manor. She and Dora seemed to be very good pals indeed.

Alas, within a week, some form of disagreement took place. Residents of The Sack enjoyed front row seats to a screaming match between Dora and her pal. The match took place on the front lawn of Burning Manor at about 7 pm.

Any sober observer of the match would declare Dora as the clear winner. Her winning strategy was to throw the other woman's belongings, piece by piece, off the porch of Burning Manor and onto the front lawn.

A taxi was summoned. The 'friend turned foe' threw an armful of clothing and other personal items in the back of the cab. She was never seen again.

***

Actually, she was seen again. She came back the next day, accompanied by the police.

***

It seemed that Dora had neglected to throw all of the woman's belongings onto The Sack during the previous fight. Certain of these items were now in dispute.

***

A rematch of the previous fight occurred. This fight took place with Dora and her former friend standing on opposite sides of a police car.

Eventually, Dora was escorted back into Burning Manor by a police officer. He emerged momentarily with the desired belongings. Dora reappeared and continued with a venomous tirade directed at her erstwhile friend.

The police officers hustled the other woman into the car and prepared to drive away. They looked bemused and befuddled.

***

Several weeks before the fire, someone apparently threw a rock through the front window of Burning Manor.

Rumours around town suggest the rock and the fire were initiated by a 'friend turned foe'. Others believe these acts were carried out by the foe of a friend who was living at Burning Manor at the time. Either story could be true.

***

Mrs. Wonders says the hijinks at Burning Manor are "crazy and stupid". I can only reply, "This is true".

***

Burning Manor (Part I): "The Dog Days"

We now return to the scorched house on The Sack, heretofore known as Burning Manor. We also proclaim that it is now acceptable to make light of this whole affair.....

***

According to Oscar, there should be an entrance exam before taking residence in a cul de sac. Not a difficult exam, of course, but one that would ensure adherence to the most minimum of behavioural standards within this suburban bubble.

***

Where to begin in describing the life and times of Burning Manor? I suppose it began with the most simple of suburban annoyances.

Shortly after taking possession of the newly built Burning Manor, this rather scruffy-looking couple acquires a big dog. Let's make that a big, barking dog.

The big, barking dog soon becomes a fixture, tied for all hours on the front lawn of Burning Manor. The big, barking dog does what any self-respecting canine would do in a similar situation; he barks madly at everything that moves and escapes from his prison with increasing regularity.

***

Residents of The Sack quickly become perturbed. Several residents have confrontations with the woman from Burning Manor.

They quickly learn that she is not a woman to be trifled with. They also learn that she has a proclivity for swearing, threatening and the spraying of copious amounts of saliva.

***

The big, barking dog was not a bad dog, even though he did bite me once. During one of his frequent escapes from custody, I endeavoured to make friends with him. In his enthusiasm, he bit me on the right hand.

Still, he wasn't a bad dog. He was just a big, barking and bored dog.

***

As the big, barking and bored dog became the source of much frustration in The Sack, a new twist occurred. The cheerful couple from Burning Manor acquired a second dog.

The new dog was much smaller. I'm not even sure if it had the capacity to bark. It did not appear to require confinement, because it was left to roam freely on the front lawn. The big, barking and bored dog seemed pleased to have a companion. He barked less, but he escaped more often.

***

One day, the little dog ran away from The Sack. Sadly, on one of the main roads, a car struck it. The little dog suffered a leg injury and, thereafter, would walk with a significant limp.

***

In 1962, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup. During the deciding game of the series, veteran defenseman, Bobby Baun apparently suffered a broken leg. Incredibly, Bobby Baun somehow returned to the game and scored the winning goal. This is the stuff of legends.

***

Thanks to Oscar, the little dog became known as Doggy Baun. I still laugh everytime I hear this. I even laughed when I typed it. However, I will admit that one would need to be a pretty big Toronto Maple Leafs fan to appreciate such an obscure reference. This is probably why only Oscar and I laugh ourselves silly over it.

***

Back in The Sack, complaints to the Animal Control folks began to mount. Soon, the dogs were relegated to the back yard of Burning Manor. Barking and escaping continued, but to a much lesser degree.

Indirectly, however, the big, barking and bored dog continued to be part of another problem. The couple from Burning Manor had a penchance for spending long hours at a local tavern. I have no trouble with this.

Upon returning home in the wee hours, however, the dog would invariably escape through the front door as the couple stumbled in. It seemed as if they would be surprised to discover that they even owned a dog, each time they returned from the tavern.

***

Whenever the big dog escaped onto The Sack at 3 a.m., he enjoyed himself immensely. His favourite game appeared to be 'Hide and Seek'. The harder the drunken couple would look for the dog, the more it seemed to relish its freedom. I have no trouble with this, either.

***

The woman from Burning Manor was really the problem.

While searching for the dog at 3 a.m., she would call out for it using a raspy, slurred 'day-time' voice. Many a nights sleep have been interrupted in The Sack by this voice.

At the risk of threats, cursing and saliva, some residents would yell at her from their darkened homes. Others would slam their windows with gusto, a move that, inevitably, proved far too subtle for her to understand.

***

It has now been one week without sleep interruption on The Sack.

***

Next: Burning Manor (Part II): "Friends and Foes"

***

Not One of Her Better Days.....

Tonight, around supper time, a young woman went crazy in The Sack.

Perhaps it might be better to say that she had an uncontrolled meltdown. No one is quite sure what inspired her explosion, but it may have had something to do with a telephone call she was engaged in when her torrent began.

According to some residents, a loud ranting and raving was emanating from her house, loud enough to make people stop in the street and some to open their doors. Everyone looked at each other in that now-familiar face that says, "Now, what!!??".

Eventually, the young woman came storming out into the street, cursing and bellowing. She was last seen striding stiffly, but purposefully, down the street.

Then, everyone went back to what they were doing.....

***

Dougs I Know

We continue with non-fire related posts.....

***

There are three people named Doug who live in The Sack. There has been a total of four Dougs who have called The Sack home, but one Doug moved. He is referred to as Doug That Moved, in order to differentiate him from the current Dougs.

I was not acquainted with Doug That Moved, as he moved before Mrs. Wonders and I arrived. Oscar, however, was acquainted with Doug That Moved. According to Oscar, Doug That Moved "seemed okay".

***

Interestingly, the house previously owned by Doug That Moved was purchased by another Doug. Who could have predicted this?

***

It is a serious business separating the Dougs while in conversation about events in The Sack. If one was to say, "I was talking to Doug the other day...", great confusion would likely arise.

The Sack has a rudimentary Doug Identification System to alleviate such confusion.

***

Firstly, there is Big Doug, who, as the name implies, is quite a big man. Naturally, there is a Little Doug. Both Big and Little Doug are quite handy with tools and such. This is a good thing for The Sack.

Both Dougs can also be depended upon if one needs a 'doohickey' or even a 'whatchamacallit'. Big and Little Doug seem to have ample supplies of such items in their respective garages. This is also a good thing for The Sack.

***

If you have guessed that the third Doug is called Medium Doug, you would be wrong. This Doug is actually referred to as Computer Doug, because his job seems to be related, in some way, to computers.

Computer Doug cannot be depended upon, if there is something amiss with your house. This is not because his house doesn't have a garage. Household repair and maintenance are a bit of a mystery to Computer Doug.

However, if there is something wrong with your computer, Computer Doug can definitely help you.

***

All of the Dougs are very nice people and very good neighbours. Based on my experience so far, you can't go wrong with a Doug on your cul de sac.

***

According to Oscar, Jesus Christ had a younger, less well-known brother named Doug. I remain doubtful about this.

***

Cul de Sac Boys

Sunday morning finds Mrs. Wonders and I enjoying our coffee and newspapers at the breakfast table. Suddenly, there is a tapping sound on our front door.

***

I open the door expecting to see one of our neighbours. Instead (and I am not making this up), I am surprised to see John Dunsworth (aka Mr. Lahey, from the television show, Trailer Park Boys) standing on our doorstep. He is holding a long metal clamp and a few hand tools.

***

It turns out that John is at the wrong house. Apparently, he promised our neighbour that he would repair one of her antique chairs. He wasn't sure about our neighbour's name, but had met her several weeks ago and said that he would fix her chair.

***

Our neighbour is away for a few weeks and Mrs. Wonders and I are looking after her property. As a Trailer Park Boys fan, I know who John is, so I decide that it is okay to bring him into her house to inspect the chairs. So, 'Mr. Lahey' and I go into the house together and begin shaking chairs to see if there is an unstable one that warrants repair.

***

It is at this moment that I am struck by the bizarre nature of this scenario. One moment, I am having a quiet, relaxing morning in The Sack and then suddenly, I am inspecting antique dining room chairs with a well-known television character. I don't believe that I even have the capacity to make something like this up.

***

John Dunsworth is a very pleasant, likable and down-to-earth man. We are unable to find a chair that needs repair, so we leave the house and walk back to his car. We chat briefly about "The Fire". He hadn't noticed the house as he drove up. He does not think that 'Ricky' or 'Julian' had anything to do with it.

***

"Quiet on the Set, Please!"

Let us take a temporary respite from posts about the fire....We will return to this topic, especially with some anecdotes about past events at the doomed house on The Sack. Right now, however, we need a break from fire related matters....

***

On a windless summer night, when residents have retired to their homes, The Sack almost resembles a carefully constructed movie set. In the soft light of the street lamps, the homes look clean and well-maintained. Lawns and front gardens look almost manicured.

From the sky, The Sack would appear in the shape of a keyhole. The street is long and narrow until it reaches a circle. In the middle of the circle, there are some trees and a few large, ornamental rocks. Residents have planted a small, well-maintained garden among the trees.

When the wind is still and there are no cars or people moving about, The Sack can easily seem as if erected on a sound stage somewhere in Hollywood. The effect is even more pronounced on a foggy evening (and we get more than a few of those here), as the rest of the world disappears from beyond The Sack. At times like this, it is a beautiful place, indeed....

***

My most excellent friend (and fellow resident of The Sack) is Oscar.

Oscar and I have spent many nights enjoying ale and 'witty repartee' (as Oscar would say), while casually reclining on my front steps. It was from this vantage point that we first discovered the movie set analogy described above. In fact, Oscar has often commented about how The Sack resembles the streets and houses shown in Pleasantville, a 1998 film starring Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon.

***

Just like the movies, however, The Sack is merely an illusion. It has as many faces as it does residents. This, I think, is what makes it such a fascinating place to observe....

***

After the Fire.....

Things have been more than a little weird around here since the early hours of Tuesday morning. Not only have residents of The Sack been spending a considerable amount of time out on the street and gathering on porches, but there has been a steady stream of gawkers driving in to view the remains of the burned house. Fire investigators have had a steady presence on the street. People are more than a little unnerved.....

***

I'm starting to give more credence to the New Urbanism movement after this latest event. It is becoming increasingly clear that the fire was an attack on the residents of this particular house. The culprit was able to carry out this attack without being seen. There may be some truth to the idea that "misbehaviour" may be more likely, due to the absence of passing traffic.....

***

You might want to include me among those who feel unnerved. Most of all, I'm angry that this crap has happened here. The things that typically occur on The Sack are most often either amusing, puzzling or even frustrating. This......wasn't any of those things......

***

Fire in The Sack

Oh, dear...it looks like this blog is going to write itself.

***

At about 2:15 a.m., I awake to loud voices outside on The Sack. Looking out the window, I am surprised to see several neighbours in the middle of the road, but can't tell what the commotion is about. Mrs. Wonders is fast asleep and I debate whether or not to wake her.

Suddenly, there is a bright flash coming from a house across from ours. It is a fire. It is time to wake Mrs. Wonders up.

We dress quickly and make our way downstairs and into the street. More people, some in still in their sleeping apparel, have gathered on the other side of the street. There is panic and anxious excitement in the air.

The top floor of the house is engulfed in flames. The front upstairs window either implodes or explodes and smoke is now billowing into the sky.

Sirens and the heavy engines of the fire trucks can be heard in the distance. It has taken only mere minutes for the fire department to respond. The fire fighters move quickly with their hoses. Flames are now shooting into the sky at the back of the house.

On the street, we worry about the fire spreading to other houses. Fortunately, it is a calm evening with little, if any wind. Within about half an hour, the fire appears to be out. The house is in ruins, especially at the back.

***

The inhabitants of the house were not home at the time of the fire, neither were the two dogs which live there. Thank God for this.

***

The word on The Sack is that the fire was deliberately set. Remarkably, no one here seemed surprised to see it on fire. The fire itself seems to be the last in an ongoing series of craziness at this particular house over the last six years. I had intended to write a post or two about this house in the near future. I still intend to do so, but it appears that it will now be necessary to write about it in the past tense.

***

I have discovered that it is hard to write about a fire, without using the words "engulfed" and "billowing"

***

An Eclectic Mixture of Humanity

It would be very dull, if everyone here was pretty much like the other.

***

You might expect The Sack to contain a relatively homogeneous group of people, especially in this part of the country. Thankfully, this couldn't be further from the truth.

There are some people who don't have very much money and others who could easily live in a more upscale locale. While the majority of people are white, there are a number of people of African and Asian origin. At one point, there were two gay couples living on The Sack, but now I believe there is only one. There are both white and blue collar workers. There's at least one retired person. There are lots of kids, dogs and cats.


How did such a mix of people end up here? The Sack was only built about eight years ago, at a time when the housing market was just starting to open up a bit for those who previously might not have been able to afford a home. Prices were low and so were interest rates. Since then, prices have risen significantly, to the extent that more than a few of us might not even be able to afford the houses we live in, if we were looking at buying them now.

***

One thing I'm sure about: Everyone on The Sack is doing the best they can, in the best way they know how, in a difficult world.

***

Another thing I'm sure about: Life, at least in this cul de sac, is a little bit odd and, at times, even a little bit insane.....

***

Whither the Cul de Sac

One might wonder what a cul de sac actually is.

***

According to Wikipedia, a cul de sac is quite literally, the "bottom of a sack". An interesting place to live, don't you think?

More specifically, the cul de sac is a dead end or street with only one entrance.

Wikipedia also makes reference to criticism of the cul de sac by the New Urbanism movement. Apparently, such a residential design offers the potential for more "misbehaviour" in the street, due to the absence of passing motorists. The New Urbanism folks also seem to be concerned that the cul de sac creates isolation, discourages foot traffic and encourages increased vehicle traffic on other streets.

"Cul de Sac" is also the title of a 1966 Roman Polanski film. I haven't seen it, nor do I plan to.

My favourite usage of cul de sac is the metaphorical one noted by Wikipedia --- "a line of thought or action that leads nowhere"

***

Raccoon Visit

As I write these words, there is a raccoon on my back deck. I turned on the outside light and stood looking at him through the patio doors. He paid me no heed. In fact, he was decidedly aloof to my presence.

***

Raccoons are not the most exotic animal to frequent this suburban cul de sac (or as I like to call it, 'The Sack'). In truth, the humans that inhabit this odd little sociological experiment (as I also like to call it) are far more intriguing. There are about twenty or so houses on The Sack and in total, there are probably about sixty people, big and small, who call this place home.

***

The raccoon is gone. Long live the raccoon.

***