23-8-2010

IMG_3246
Originally uploaded by cspatrick

Before the rain started, we had our windows open and I was barely aware of a bell ringing in the distance. It sounded like an old-fashioned telephone bell, but this was steady instead of being intermittent, and I hardly gave it a thought until it grew louder and began to intrude on my consciousness. I looked out the window and watched a gentleman push a cart around the corner and onto our street, ringing his bell. As he approached, I scrutinized his cart and realized he was a knife sharpener. He never called out, only rang his bell. As he approached our window, I tried to take his picture, but he turned away. I retreated, but tried again when he was standing under our apartment. Again, he deliberately turned away. I suppose he figured that if I wasn’t going to spend money to get my knives sharpened, he wasn’t going to allow his photo to be made, so I had to settle for a shot of his cart and his backside. He got no takers on our street – evidently most of the people are a work.