As I make my way up the back steps to street level I am sure to have Scrappy on his leash. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday are Special days in the 'hood. There is a particularlly uncooperative judgemental combative resident who is here on those three days- arriving at 4 am in the morming to hang around in a garage across the street.

Scrappy doesn't like that guy, that guy doesn't care for anybody. I do not want my precious shin shark becoming a pawn in the local neighborhood politics.

I look both ways. Don's garage door is open, which means he is skulking around in there, pissing in a coffee can and doing whatever else he does to pass the time.

He is secretive about his agenda- but his actions give him away. You know- like a dog; Scrappy is a perfect example, guarding treasure by hiding it- then lays around nearby to lunge and growl at anything or anybody that comes near. Even things or bodies having no interest in the buried treasure!

Don has secrets revealed in this very manner. In the time I've lived here he has had fistfights with most every adult man on the block. His irrational rage brought several court orders to stay away from one or another resident. He inspects the recycling bins on garbage night up and down the block to see what and how much drinking is going on. He pours gasoline on tomato plants over the fence for spite, he cuts phone lines, punctures tires, super glue in locks, crank phone calls- the list of harrassments is shocking.

We know he really lives somewhere else. This Roberts Avenue property in question has been in his care for 25+ years and he has sublet to 2-3 various youngish guys reserving access to the hillbilly moonshine shack garage soley for himself.

The real owner actually "Quit claimed" the deed to him about 5 years ago- for 0$- a miraculous thing in the Marin "Un-real" estate market.

I have stayed as neutral as the Swiss, choosing not to take sides or make him the enemy. Don's mood of the moment, his volatile nature, and that damn defensive judgemental controlling streak do shape my daily choices. I avoid contact every time I can.

Checking again to be sure the leash is on Scrap, and Don is not in the street (which would indicate using the front gate facing Glen Avenue and not the back gate facing Roberts) I step onto the street and head up up up the hill for the morning walk.