on living "in town"

One of the benefits of living in town is that we can commute by bike.  And one of the (many) benefits of biking to work, is that you have a slow view of what's going on in your neighborhood.  It's entertaining:  you make up stories about the families you pass, see their remodeling projects and garden expansions.  You learn what dog belongs to which house, know who uses a lawn service and who has a push mower; who advertises their political leanings.  It's kind of small-town busybody-ness, limited to the route you take every day. And often these stories are not told by watching the people themselves, it's their yard, their toys, and their TRASH.

This also leads, of course, to acquisition:

pardon the messy garage...lumber is for the greenhouse base!

We spotted this screen door propped up on the side of a garage a week or so ago, and wondered if it was headed for the trash.  Today's my day off--and trash day!-- and I got a call from my husband "they put it out on the curb".  So, I headed out with the hatchback and picked it up.

I've taken the leap and ordered a hoop house--and this may just work for the door! 


Another benefit of living in this particular town, is that oftentimes it doesn't seem like a city at all. 



These guys live in the park down the street, and once a year or so they decide to take a walk up the block.  On our morning ride we also regularly see herons, deer, lots of hawks, owls, and have spotted the occasional fox and mink.  It's a pretty awesome commute, really.