Greening

Where the hell have I been? Here. But not, I guess. How is it possible that a week can fly by so quickly and that it's almost May?

But here we are. The "greening" is going on outside. The woods behind our house are starting to change from shades of brown and gray to brown and green and blossom-y colors. And turkey. We had a lone turkey rummaging around near the daffodils this morning.

And, lest I forget to mention the other birds livening up the place. The cardinals, and bluebirds, and goldfinches, and robins.

It smells so good out there. Especially now, since it's been raining. Yesterday I walked past the Alpaca Farm, and even the farm smells were refreshing; organic and earthy.

I used to live in New York City and the smells of spring included what we to refered to as "Eau du Subway Stairs" - the public toilets of the homeless. And lets not forget the piles of trash heating up in the sun. Mmmmm.

In spite of that, Spring was always my favorite time of year in New York.

It's always a trade-off, isn't it? The grass is always greener where you used to be or where you've never been. The air here doesn't smell like diesel and wild animals thrive here. It's a great place for a boy with a stick who wants to dig a hole and fill it with water. Or plant corn. Or fish. Or ride his bike down the driveway like a madman. On the flip side, there is no wonderful ethnic food, no easy access to culture or books - the closest decent bookstore is Amazon.com. No public transportation. No sidewalk cafes. No sidewalks to speak of. Oh, and no bagels that were not made in a supermarket. That's just wrong.

Packaged lox and supermarket bagels. The sum of sub-suburban living.

I wouldn't trade it. Besides, Zabar's may make it out here. Eventually.