Like a Good Neighbor

I have a very good friend whose neighbor is on vacation.  Because of beaucoup snow, he has been putting tire tracks in the neighbor's driveway so the house appears occupied from the road. Due to the current heavy snow conditions, this morning, after he cleared his own driveway, my friend took his snowblower next door and did that one, too, on his own initiative and without being asked.

This has multiple benefits of establishing continual goodwill, and also in keeping his neighborhood protected by removing a telltale sign that could attract burglars. While my friend is also active in national and state-level matters -- and in a good way or he wouldn't be my friend -- this is getting involved locally and personally, something we also can't overlook.

And sure, it would have been a lot easier to ignore things, with plenty of excuses to justify non-involvement. My friend is not the type who considers his sole contribution to be having an opinion.

I'm certain there would be no shortage of private jetsetter-funded environmentalcases who would condemn my starting-to-get-up-there-in-age friend for using a gas-powered Briggs & Stratton assaultblower, and would prefer he increase his heart attack risks by doing things the Gaia-friendly way (hey, do we have to show respect and spell that G--a?). Besides, he's one of those evil gun owners, and we could all do with fewer of those selfish haters, right?