#vignette

#Spotted While Roaming in Aotearoa New Zealand: A couple (80s?) are sitting across from each other, sharing a big slice of chocolate cake. Sipping tea. Having an entire conversation through raised eyebrows, half smiles, widened eyes and head nods. Absolute comfort. Two tiny fluffy dogs (Scottish Terriers cross Chaos Beasts?) are pulling a small human (3?) all over an empty park. Small Human is roaring for them to "BEHAVE" while Chaos Dogs are weaving here... sniffing there... Gran reading a book nearby, looking up every now and then with an amused smile. During a lunchtime cafe rush, the owner (50s?) stops by a table of a regular (70s?) and checks in over how he's faring after a recent cancer diagnosis and making sure he's getting enough to eat in the evenings. Community and caring. A man (30s?) is hunched over a sunny cafe table. Pen in hand as he scrawls in a notebook. Is he writing poetry? A diary entry? A novel? A server asks and he laughs and says: "It's my shopping list! If I don't write it down I'll forget everything." A woman (60s?) radiating bubbly joy hugs another woman (70s?). With a wide grin she says: "Ya got enough goin' on hun. Stop watching the news. Stay in a bubble for a while eh. It'll do you good. Take care of yourself." Her friend gives her a big hug back. (Continued Below)