Looking out my Backdoor: Ring my bell!

I’d been out of bed five minutes when I heard the clang-rang of my gate bell.

We respect each other’s boundaries. When neighbors visited, they stood out by the gate and yelled, “Sondra, are you home?”

I’d lived here a year when I figured there must be a better early-warning system. At the tianguis in town I bought a goat bell. I had a welder make an arch and attach it to the gate so the bell would hang free.

When I hear the bell, I go out to the gate and open it for my guests.

But this morning I’m not dressed. It’s too early for visitors. I hope nobody is in trouble. N...