Milton and Scooter Again!
Readers may recall that one of the first installments of this newsletter was a story about a pleasant older man named Milton and his dog Scooter. They were living in a nice SUV, parked on a side street near a park, under a stately cedar.
I regularly encountered them on my walks and bicycle rides and typically entered into conversations with Milton about the state of the world, his homelessness, his inability to find employment, Scooter, caregiving for my father, and the various treasures we discovered in street libraries.
From time to time the SUV would disappear for a few weeks and I figured Milton had moved on. But, at some point, I would again see the rig parked under the tree, Milton and Scooter inside, and would wave or chat. Milton always asked me how my dad was doing and I always asked how the search for a job fared.
The other day it was trying to snow as I walked to the assisted living center to see Dad. I took the long route through the park and saw Milton outside his rig, sorting through possessions in the trunk. He saw me and waved. I waved and walked over.
We caught up on recent history and he asked how Dad was doing. I said great. He then said he kept seeing my books in the street libraries. I laughed and said, “Get ready for a lot more. I have three books coming out soon.”
I made a mental note to hire Milton to help me distribute the book about the Old Crow Book Club around Portland. Give him a hundred bucks a day with a map and outline the neighborhoods I want him to hit. Why not?
Milton and Scooter have lived in that SUV under that tree fro well over two years now. During this time they braved 116-degree heat, a record ice storm and a record snowfall.
I simply cannot imagine their lives, despite seeing it unfold all the time. What does Milton do in there all day? At least he is dry and has heat in the winter. He walks Scooter all the time and everyone in the neighborhood knows him and the dog. He keeps the exterior of his vehicle spotless and the same goes for the area outside. I've often seen him in the SUV doing things on his phone, reading a book, or listening to a podcast or audio book.
It was time to go. We said our goodbyes and I walked away to meet Dad. The snow picked up a bit but wasn't sticking.
Dad and I had a great time and I filled him in on Milton and Scooter. On the way home, I saw Milton walking Scooter on the sidewalk. They were coming straight at me. Scooter had a bone in his mouth. Milton waved and I waved back. We stopped to chat. He told me the pet store gave Scooter the bone. The employees there all knew him.
Our chat didn't last long. I fished out a $20 bill and handed it to Milton. I told him to treat himself and Scooter. He said he would and thanked me.
A couple weeks later, The Old Crow Book Club was in my hands and I was distributing it in some street libraries on a walk to the assisted living center to see Dad. I saw Milton and Scooter walking toward me on a sidewalk. We met up in front of a library. I handed Milton the book and pitched the idea of having him stock copies around Portland. He was all for it. He said he couldn't wait to read it and I believed him because he'd read a couple other of my books I'd left behind in libraries and we had discussed them
Milton asked a few questions about the gig and I showed him the Free Little Library app on my phone. He had a phone and would download it. I would direct him to the neighborhoods I wanted to prioritize for distribution.
His wage would be $20 an hour, up front, and a handshake deal. We shook on it.
I then demonstrated how I wanted the book presented in the library. Milton nodded. I told him I would be around in a week or two with a box of books and then it was time to get this book out.
(If you want to support this unique distribution model for The Old Crow Book Club, please consider going to my website at nestuccaspitpress.com and buying the book and/or making a donation to fund the hiring of men and dogs like Milton and Scooter.)