blog 1

The day started with a slow rising. I didn’t have to drag myself out of bed, I just woke up much earlier than my alarm was set for, so I had more than enough time to get ready. I listened to some nonsense TV, sipped my coffee, slipped my Birkenstocks on over my socks, grabbed my umbrella and fell out the door.
It is such a blessing to be able to take the walk down Applewood to work. The trees gave the perfect amount of shade in the summer and despite their nude appearance, made the street beautiful in the winter as well. I left my house 5 minutes early so I could walk slowly to work. Down Applewood lane.
I stared up in marvel at the trees. Somehow, they almost completely shielded me from the steady rain. The grey clouds made the whole street gloomy. Despite the hair ruining, sock wetting, makeup changing, negative aspects of the rain, I couldn’t help but smile with every storm. I dragged my feet in the leaves that had fallen. All I could feel was severe appreciation for everything around me. My big brown purse swayed happily with me.
I made a slow turn onto Canary Street. I could see Dani unlocking the store. I sped up a bit and met her just as she was walking in.
“Hey,” I said in a quietly enthusiastic voice, she looked over at me. “Is Sharon coming in today?”
“Ya she called me this morning saying she was coming in at 10:00.” I looked down at my watch 10 minutes.
“She said we should just tidy up the place a bit.” Dani said, gesturing to the brooms. We each grabbed one from the dusty corner behind the counter. I noticed a book on the ground. “Who closed last night?” I asked putting A Land Before Time back in a milk crate. “I think Mindy and Quin” she said, trying to remember.
“That’s odd the place is usually spotless when they close.” I scanned the store. It wasn’t just one book on the floor. A whole shelf had fallen, the cash register had shifted, and a window had broken. I looked over at Dani, she was sweeping the broken glass into a dustpan. “Did we get robbed?” I asked, almost shouting.
“Did you not hear the storm last night?” Dani looked at me like I was crazy.
“Nope, just saw the rain this morning,” I said, unfazed, “Why? Was it bad?”
“Was is bad?” she said laughing. She turned on the small radio next to the sloppily placed cash register.
“The storm last night almost rocked Winthrop Place off its foundation,” said the local newswoman. I listened to her most mornings but I could never remember her name. “The winds spread branches all over Applewood lane-“
“Hey isn’t that the street you walk down to get here?” Dani looked over at me.
“Ya, I didn’t see any fallen branches though.” I looked through one of the front windows. I could see the branches covering the street. Dani looked at her and laughed, this wasn't untypical behavior.
"But in bigger news, someone was murdered last night, on the edge of town"
Dani and I stared at each other with big eyes, so many questions.