Beware of Cat: And Other Encounters of a Letter Carrier

One sunny day on his postal route, Vincent Wyckoff crosses the path of an elderly gentleman whistling for his lost parakeet. The old man is upset, and Wyckoff moves down the block slowly, looking high and low, hoping to spot the little bird. He reaches the man's house and offers sympathy to his wife, who smiles sadly and says, "We haven't had that bird for twenty-five years."Letter carriers like Wyckoff walk through the same neighborhood each day, observing the lives and routines of its res...