Day 162, June 11: Lonesome Trumpet

My Favorite

Neighborhoods

As I was starting the grill on a beautifully cool and calm June evening, the echoes of a lonesome trumpet echoed through the backyards of our neighborhood. It's about the third time I've heard it since we've lived here. It's nice. Here are the Top 10 memorable neighborhoods I've lived in or spent a lot of time in.
1. Page Street, Stoughton, Wis.: I lived here while in junior high school. More than a dozen kids romped the streets and yards. We ran through a truck that sprayed bugs, we played kick the can. It was a sweet, simple time.
2. Napier Street, Dubuque, Iowa: We raised our sons here and although the days of kids running the yards was pretty much over, I lived next to a wonderful old couple and close to some dear friends. I also fondly remember the ice cream trucks coming through. I never lived in one place longer than here.
3. East Street, Stoughton: I spent my early grade school days here and remember neighborhood moms - including mine - screaming our names each night to come home for supper. Nobody ever got abducted.
4. Regent Street, Madison, Wis.: I lived in the Regent Apartments as a junior in college. It was next to Camp Randall Stadium and the UW Field House. Unbelievable atmosphere on football Saturdays.
5. Hill Street, Dubuque: This is where Kris and I are living, and the lonesome trumpet sounds. We don't like everything about our old house, but we'll look back with fond memories some day down the road.
6. Snake River Parkway, Idaho Falls, Idaho: I didn't live here long, but it was memorable. I had one side of a duplex and you could see the beautiful Snake River and Mormon Temple from my house.
7. Almond Street, Dubuque: This is where Kris lived when I met her. I spent a lot of time there and got to know some of her neighbors, including a black man named Willie who liked to sit on his porch and listen to Al Green.
8. Williamson Street, Madison: As a sophomore, my friend Mark and I shared an upstairs of a home with two others. It was next door to a bar and the Hell's Angels local clubhouse. Memorable because I survived.
9. Gillette, Wyo, trailer court: A railroad man named, Joe, was looking for a roommate when I arrived in this town of transients. He and the neighbors were fine, and it was an experience I'll never forget.
10. Fulton, Mo., apartment complexes: I shared a 2-bedroom with a fellow reporter named Ed while spending almost as much time at another apt complex with my girlfriend Andrea. What neighbors!