Neighbors on our little street would speak kindly about each other, unless discussing the grumpy neighbor. Sometimes her name would come up, and eyeballs would roll, and descriptive words would come up that were less than kind. My first encounter with the much maligned neighbor happened when I walked past her front window, and she quickly hobbled out calling after me. I feared a scolding, but instead she grabbed my dog Zuni’s head and kissed her, exclaiming her deep affection for golden...