• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

HollyRobinson

Writer & Red Dirt Rambler

  • Home
  • Bio
  • Blog
  • My Books
    • Haven Lake
    • Chance Harbor
    • The Gerbil Farmer’s Daughter
    • Sleeping Tigers
    • The Wishing Hill
    • Beach Plum Island
    • Folly Cove
  • Ghostwriting

Stranger than Fiction: Men in Kilts and Firemen on My Lawn

Posted on 05.18.16 | Holly Robinson | 10 Comments

men-kilts-26416792

I live in a small town, in the sort of neighborhood with sidewalks and dog walkers and kids on bikes.  In other words: not much happens. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I looked out the window and saw men in kilts AND firemen on my lawn.

Could any woman ask for more?

Here’s what happened: I was working on my new novel in one of the upstairs bedrooms, at a desk in front of a window that overlooks our driveway. On the other side of that driveway is our neighbor’s driveway, with perhaps just enough room between them to park a car. On this particular day, a van pulled into the driveway with “Men in Kilts” emblazoned on the side of it. And, yes, men in kilts began climbing out of the van. At first I thought this was some new musical gig of my neighbor’s, since he’s got a band that practices on Tuesday nights in his carriage house.

It turns out that “Men in Kilts” is a national window washing service. (Their slogan is “No Peeking.”) I watched in amazement as the men began unloading ladders and then, kilts and all, started ascending them to wash the upstairs windows.

After a while, I settled back into my work and mostly forgot about the kilted men, until suddenly a siren blared beneath the window. I peered outside and realized a firetruck had pulled into my driveway. A second fire engine pulled into my neighbors.

“What the heck?” I muttered to my cat, who was eagerly watching everything from the same window. (Though I suppose to him, the firemen just look like big cardinals.) I leaned over the desk to get a better look, and realized my lawn was now populated not only by men in kilts, but by firemen, and that smoke was billowing up behind the carriage house.

I ran downstairs and found my neighbor, in a suit jacket and with a coffee mug in one hand, assuring the firemen that he had just been burning leaves and everything was under control. The firemen apparently didn’t believe him, because they began uncoiling their hoses and running them into his backyard, with the men in kilts now assisting them.

And there I stood, a writer standing in the middle of a scene I couldn’t possibly have written, realizing once again that life really is stranger than fiction. It’s the novelist’s job to keep up with the wonders of an ordinary day.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Email
  • Pocket
  • Print
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit

Categories: creativity, The Craft of Writing, Uncategorized Tags: brush burning, firemen, life in the suburbs, Men in kilts, stranger than fiction, window washers, window washing service

Holly Robinson's avatar

About the Author

Holly Robinson is a novelist, journalist and celebrity ghost writer. She and her husband have five children and a stubborn Pekingese. They currently divide their time between Massachusetts and Prince Edward Island, and are crazy enough to be fixing up old houses one shingle at a time in both places.

Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    10 Comments

  1. Susan Peterson says

    May 18, 2016 at 6:54 pm

    That’s hilarious! I need to get my windows washed!

    Reply
    • Holly Robinson says

      May 19, 2016 at 3:30 pm

      And I know just the right guys for the job!

      Reply
  2. Ferriss says

    May 18, 2016 at 7:37 pm

    Love your posts Holly!

    Reply
  3. Michelle James says

    May 18, 2016 at 10:23 pm

    Holly, that is hilarious! I wonder if the Men in Kilts are in the Cincinnati area. Oh, I checked, we do but it’s owned by a woman in a kilt. Huh?

    Reply
    • Holly Robinson says

      May 19, 2016 at 3:30 pm

      Oh, they’re everywhere–even in Canada. And why wouldn’t they be??? I think every woman should have men in kilts around the house.

      Reply
  4. Beverly Turner says

    May 19, 2016 at 12:03 am

    Holly…Just goes to prove sometimes truth is stranger than fiction! I say if there are Men in Kilts on ladders washing windows, someone needs to call in Women with Powerful Fans to set up directly under the ladders.

    Hey, if the wind blows the kilts up, you can’t be accused of peeking. Right?? 🙂

    Reply
    • Holly Robinson says

      May 19, 2016 at 3:29 pm

      Beverly, this is hysterical–you made me snort tea through my nose!

      Reply
      • Beverly Turner says

        May 19, 2016 at 3:31 pm

        Consider it payback. I was laughing so loud last night when I read your post, I scared my two cats. 🙂

        Reply
  5. Kathleen O says

    May 19, 2016 at 8:35 am

    Some girls have all the luck…I am hoping we read this scene in a future book!!!

    Reply
    • Holly Robinson says

      May 19, 2016 at 3:28 pm

      You can count on that! Thanks, Kathleen!

      Reply

sidebar

Blog Sidebar

Follow Me

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Follow me on BookBub

<span>Follow me on BookBub</span>

Click here to read my recent articles and essays

TwitterFacebookLinkedin

Copyright © 2020 Holly Robinson

Website by Bakerview Consulting