By Nick Reiher

A Friday, just before 10 a.m. The sky is a beautiful blue, and the temperature is comfortable, with a nice southerly breeze.

The traffic at Larkin and Jefferson, once the busiest intersection in Joliet, is fairly tame at this hour. My Kiwanis Club colleagues already have been shilling peanuts for a couple hours there, and at several other locations throughout the area.

They wear the bright orange, double-sided vests we tie on to allow people to know we are collecting donations for our biggest fundraiser of the year … and to please not hit those of us working the intersections.

I suit up, and our “Mr. Peanut,” David Gardner, shares the boxes containing the familiar foil packets of nuts. I stuff the pockets in my vest and take my position.

That position for the past couple years has been the 4-foot strip that splits the single left turn lane onto westbound Jefferson and the right two northbound lanes of Larkin.

For the next two hours, I will walk up and down that strip, holding high a couple bags of peanuts. I’m looking for open windows from which hands are holding a bill or two, or a handful of change. Some apologize for the latter, but anything is appreciated.

It’s slow to start, and I enjoy the beautiful day. Before long, my smart watch is telling me “Good Job” for walking 10 consecutive minutes. It knows we usually have a low bar.

Now, the traffic is picking up. Semis and vehicles of all sizes are starting to line up in the two northbound lanes and in the left-turn lane. I hold my bags high and begin walking the strip.

Again, it starts slowly. But then there are a few windows and arms holding cash of varying amounts; some taking the nuts, others just wanting to donate.

The traffic picks up even more, and so do the donations. I am getting my steps in. Trucks and the other vehicles go whizzing by on both sides of the strip, on the green lights, yellow lights and very dark yellow lights. I do not want to be a witness to an accident, with my colleagues and me in it or not.

I continue walking the strip as it gets busier, alternating between humming Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and silently chanting Psalm 23:4.

Some observations: the louder the music, the less chance of a donation. Those who donate smile, wish me well. They thank me for the peanuts. I see a window going down five or six cars down. I thank God for my Hokas – and the stent I didn’t know I needed back in March.

I carefully walk across the northbound lanes to the lot where my car is parked. I stuff my peanut packs in my pockets, take a swig from the bottle of water in my car and head back out to the valley of the shadows.

But wait! Drivers in line to turn right onto eastbound Jefferson are stopping me to donate! This is cool!

Walking on the shady relatively safe sidewalk, I troll that line for a while, then head back to the strip. It’s getting a little toasty now as the sun moves more overhead. I should have worn sunscreen (Don’t tell my dermatologist!) I should have worn a hat.

I make an early dash to the car to fetch one of my newest hats: from Naniboujou Lodge near Grand Marais, Minn, great food and a great history, with great friends, Barb and Andy.

That’s better. More Green Day, more Psalm 23:4. My smart watch believes someone has stolen it and threatens to call 9-1-1.

Just kidding. It lets me know I have hit 11,000 steps, nearly 5 miles. Seeing that makes me tired. Actually, no, I feel a lot better than I have while doing this in the past. Thank you, Dr. Iqbal and the cardio-pulmonary therapists at St. Joe’s!

As the smart watch nears 12, I see David in the parking lot talking to a new arrival. I head over there to shed my vest, leftover packets of nuts and my plastic bucket, which carries a decent amount of donations. I feel good.

I tell David I wish I could do more than a two-hour shift, but he says he appreciates my volunteering.

He’s a good guy. And Kiwanis is a great group. Soon, it will be time for bell-ringing.

I can’t wait.

Thank all of you for your donations.

Nick Reiher is editor of Farmers Weekly Review.