Birds that I am newly fond of

Because they keep me company as I run around the lake that's right by work*:

1. The Purple Martin
2. The Tree Swallow
3. Canadian goslings (although if they were born here, I guess they maybe qualify for American citizenship?)
4. The Redwing Blackbird

Significantly nicer to look at and listen to than the stuff in my new window-free climate-controlled office. Feh. Meanwhile, Erma, I bet you didn't think about shoes for maybe 10 seconds when reading this post, huh? Such a good friend I am...



*I don't mean that I'm like a Disney Cinderella, with bluebirds fluttering about my blonde tresses and fetching my cloak. Just that they're all over.

Sprung

I think I've already mentioned that one of the better aspects of Spookytown living is the weather. Not as nice as California, for sure, but the spring sure does come earlier than some other places I've lived. And HippyDippyville, it turns out, is also known as "Azalea City" -- I'm assuming for just the reasons you might expect. The bushes that I had not been paying the slightest bit of attention to for the last 8 months recently transformed into a glorious profusion of pink blooms. This is what it looks like as I come out my front door (you can see the Pimpmobile waiting for me at the bottom of the steps, gold hubcaps actually outshone at the moment).
And this is what it looks like as I walk back up to the front door.
The blooms are particularly sweet just after the rain, when they're all dewy and radiant (like a sweaty bride, perhaps?).
The tree that was budding earlier also has turned out to be remarkably attractive. I don't know what it is, but I know I like it:
It looks a tiny bit like a magnolia, but is entirely fragrance free.
Even so, standing underneath it is a real pleasure.
Hooray for nature!

Civic branding

So I was driving to work the other day (god, I hate that I can write those words) and found myself stuck in traffic for a while behind this ambulance.
I was sitting there fiddling with the radio and kind of staring idly into space when I suddenly became aware of what was written on the back, which seemed so striking that I whipped out my cell phone and took a photo. (Obviously I should be carrying around my camera at all times in this town.) The photo isn't the best quality, so in case you can't read it the ambulance says " PGFD" in red official-looking letters, and then in a friendly blue script, "Keepin' it safe..."

The fire department for the county that I work in needs a motto to sell people on the fact that it's a good idea to have emergency services? "Ohhh, the fire department is keepin' it safe, well, I guess I will support them." ????? Now if only aggressive Spookytown drivers would learn to actually let ambulances get by them during rush hour traffic (perhaps they can't hear the sirens or see the flashing lights?), they too could take some credit for keepin' it safe.