Moving out of a home inevitably entails considerable planning and work. Our neighbour Dwight (Whitey) has been moving out for at least 2 weeks. It’s taking that long because not only does he have a house full of the usual belongings, his double car garage has been crowded with quite an array of “toys”.

At one time there was a sporty little convertible in there. He must have sold it to make space for other items. I haven’t seen it for some time. A 1928 Chrysler coupe needing a lot of work took its place. In time, he and his friend Leroy turned it into a dazzlingly pretty hot rod, with a chopped roof. A real peppy little job with a 1979 Chev 350 motor. He also has a regular “family” type car, plus a heavy duty pickup. Not that he has a family living with him.

Several years ago he bought a motor home, about 27 feet long. It’s been gone for about 2 weeks, so I think he found a place to park it until he settles in somewhere.

Other than the hot rod coupe, it’s the Harley that has attracted most attention in our quiet little community. Some people in town think he must be a Hell’s Angel. I’ve never seen any indication of that. They certainly haven’t stopped by to chat.

There used to be parties in the back yard on his side of the hedge that separates our properties. Dwight is pretty generous with his beer and at times the music, talk and laughing made it necessary to close our bedroom windows at night. I think Kim, our neighbour across the street may have paid him a visit to discuss that. In the past year there have been fewer people and the noise level has been negligible. I suppose its his biker image, his congeniality, and his willingness to share the beer that have drawn a seemingly continuous stream of people to him.

Recently he casually informed me he has a girlfriend in Alberta. He said she was coming out shortly to spend a week with him and he’d introduce me. Shelly did indeed show up and I found her to be an attractive lady with a lively personality. She’s likeable and easy to converse with.

I understand now why he changed his mind about where he’d settle. Initially he thought it might be Salmon Arm. Now it’s definitely a small community not far from Edmonton. He told me the land around there is swampy and infested with mosquitoes. I asked why he’d leave Hedley for a place with an abundance of creatures eager to torment him. “It’s for the love of a woman,” he said. I’m going to miss Dwight and his faithful companion, Spook.