Well, the Local Legends column is certainly entertaining, that much is for sure. You learn a lot about some of the businesses in the area, many of which you've never visited.

Gail's Grooming, for example, was opened in 2005. The owner came from a family of dog breeders and has a passion for animals. She'll even groom cats. You squint at the image of Gail with her toy poodles tucked under her arms, wondering if she has any war wounds from trying to submerge her feline victims in water.

There are an entire year's worth of articles in the folder, and you don't really have time—or interest, to be honest—in reading them all, but you thumb through them and pick out the highlights. There are articles on the Cut Above Salon, the Dansville Junction gas station, Miller's Pharmacy—which has been a fixture in the small community for 100 years—and a feature on Croft and Ansel's Funeral Home. As you flip through the articles, skimming Ivy's stories and examining the photos, you begin to get a feel for the questions she asked.

Easy. This is going to be easy. Just meet the owner, ask some stupid questions, fluff it up with details about the place, put in some feel-good nonsense about supporting local businesses, and then get out of there so you can focus on your real work.

It'll take, like, four hours tops. Let's get this over with already.

[[Go to Chapter 6.]]