Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Riverbank Update

Last week was surreal. Some people turned up with trashcans and dismantled the makeshift dwelling of the homeless people on the riverbank. At the same time, a canvas teepee appeared in the neighboring vacant lot. By the end of the afternoon the people had removed everything but the nailed down tarp and carpeting on the pilings; these are all that remain of the shack.

The next afternoon, I finally got around to looking out on the watery landscape (it was a rainy day), and I saw that the teepee had also disappeared and the lot had been entirely cleaned up. I don't know where the dwellers went. I'm told someone in a suit turned up and persuaded them to go. Hard times, these. Hard weather too, even here in Northern California. It's started to rain again finally and it's cold. I can't help wondering where the homeless people are sleeping these days.