I kept walking down the stairs to the basement which had a window just at ground level. There were 2 twin beds in the basement, the window between them. Outside the window I could see chickens. 3 of them. When I got my camera the click scared them. I scared them. They started running and the shudder jammed up and I missed the shot. I was upset, it had been a wonderful shot. I could see the still photograph. I snapped again. The shudder stuck again. The rooster flapped his wings and ran and ran. It was another good shot. Then I saw the cats. 3 of them together in the sun. Yellow striped cats. The were happy in the sun lounging. To the left of them were 4 cats. Big yellow striped cats playing the was kittens play but they were grown cats. I tried to take a picture. The cats ran into the chickens. They were all running every which way. I thought of Linda and how she'd understand how much I missed the chickens. The pictures of the chickens I would have had if the camera was working. Then in the spot where the cats and chickens had been were children selling earrings they had made. They didn't know me. I wanted to love them. I loved them but I did not know them. 2 girls and a boy. The boy was an Iranian little boy who'd just lost his front teeth. He had made very intricate earrings to sell with glass beads and buttons. I said, "Did you drill these holes yourself?" and he said yes. "That's a lot of work," I said. "You did a good job. My name's Merri, too, so you just have to remember one name," I said. The other girl was Merri Lindley. She never said anything. The Iranian boy's father came up. He wanted the little boy to operate his little tiny earring stand like a hard-core NY street vendor. He) was very business like. He had a beard and the other Merri thought he was showing the first signs of Parkinson's disease. So was the little boy. She said it was genetic--there was little hope.