Human Nature

       During the night, at around 4 a.m., I was awakened by the sound of a small motor putt-putting away. 

       I drifted off for a moment when it seemed to be fading. But then I woke again when it grew louder, and seemed to be moving closer. But then the sound moved away again. And then it moved closer... And I fell asleep again.

       This morning, when I walked Olympia, the weedy patch had been mowed.  

       I realized it had been a lawn mower that I had heard through our open window. And whoever had been operating it had been either sloppy or unable to see in the darkness. Random patches and the areas close to trees remained un-mowed; the cut vegetation had not been picked up and was scattered across the area. 

       But why would it have been done in darkness, in the middle of the night? 

       Had the owners of the property awakened during the night with the sudden realization that their property had gone to seed... and felt they simply had to take care of it immediately? Had the city perhaps warned the owners that an inspection and/or fine was coming the next day? Or were the owners annoyed that an unknown neighbor had reported them, and figured they'd get a little middle-of-the-night revenge by waking anyone trying to sleep?

       Whatever the explanation, the weeds are mostly gone. 

       And I, despite losing a few minutes of sleep, feel a bit better about the nature outside. 

       But I feel a bit worse about human nature.