there goes the neighborhood

Many of you have asked for Bear sightings. They have been few—he appears to be living in the woods as he often does in summer. And who could blame him? Despite natural air, the house across the street looks to be pretty hot in the summer. The two vehicles are his old rides, but at least the Nissan is out of my yard, and he's off-loaded the restored two-tone Chevy pickup. He's driving some kind of old maroon car now.
    He won't speak to me. He said, "I told you when I give back your keys—I'm done."
    All or nothing with Bear. Either over for dinner every day or MIA.
    The rest of the neighborhood is pretty vacant as well. The house next door to Bear's was razed a few years ago. The Shady Lane church has been on the market for a couple. The cafe across the street shut down in October. The beer store is long gone. My next door neighbors have moved a few houses away. They are some of the few people with kids here.
   Rural America is emptying out, folks, except for the second back-to-the-land movement.