Last Saturday I woke up to the sight of dozens of bubbles through my back window, clear bubbles floating in the air. The closer I looked, the more bubbles I saw. More and more of them actually coming over the back fence and lingering in my yard, like little airborne gifts. All different sizes, wrapped in shiny round coats, with no particular destination in mind. Many, many lighter-than-air balls just wafting over my wooden fence for no reason.

This was truly a once in a lifetime event for me. I’d seen bubbles at weddings, bubbles in a laundry room, bubbles at a child’s party but never in my empty backyard on a Saturday morning. Never uncalled for, unsummoned or unexpected as these were.

It seemed pretty quiet outside. No loud yelling or laughing. No sounds of a birthday party or such happening on the other side of the fence. If I stood still for a time, I thought I could hear a small giggle now and then, but otherwise nothing.

There seemed to be no obvious occasion over there, on the other side, beyond my view, for any bubble making. And yet bubbles were there, pouring over the wooden divider of our yards.

How curious this was! How strange! The more I wondered, the more I imagined. My mind started to fill in where facts were absent. I began to picture all sorts of reasons why bubbles would be dancing in my yard.

Maybe a family of fairies was having a gathering next door and being so small, would be difficult to see or hear. But they were having so much fun that their laughter became louder and could be heard only if a human stood very still and quiet, as I did.

And maybe the fairy children were putting on a small (well, what else would it be?) talent show for the whole family, proudly sharing all their skills and talents with their loved ones. As the tiniest fairies danced, sang, gave readings, and shared drawings, the elders clapped, whooped and cheered.

And maybe, just maybe when a fairy claps, a magical thing happens. The clap does not make a noise . . . . . . it makes a bubble! And maybe the more a fairy claps, the more bubbles he makes. And maybe if a lot of fairies are clapping a lot, say for a talent show by the little fairies, well then, maybe a lot of bubbles will rise up. So many, in fact, they will flow over the fence into the neighbor’s yard.

And if that neighbor, who sadly has no fairies, seems to enjoy the bubbles, the fairies continue to clap just to make bubbles for her.

So maybe the bubbles were little gifts from the fairies next door after all. Maybe if I hadn’t gone out to enjoy them, they would have ended almost immediately. Maybe I would have thought nothing about a few bubbles and gone on with my day. Maybe I would have had an ordinary Saturday.

As it turned out, my over-the-fence neighbor was testing a bubble machine in his back yard to take to a party that night. He claims he has never seen fairies in his yard – ever!

I’m not sure. I think the fairies have just moved. I hope they are still in the neighborhood. I much prefer extraordinary Saturdays!