Nature in the city

There is this small parcel of vacant space next to the pocket park down the street from where I live. It's owned by the city of Boston and people use it to exercise their dogs and sometimes to dump things they don't want to properly dispose of. Sometimes the kids get in there and play soccer (good for them!).

The other night I was walking home from the local pizza place with dinner talking with a friend on the phone. I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye and what did I see? A skunk. When they are sufficiently far away, skunks are kind of cute. They lumber as they walk. I wouldn't want to get close to one, not out of fear of getting sprayed, but because they have claws and could theoretically take my face off. Especially if it was a female and she had her young nearby. I didn't see any young'uns, but I wasn't about to get any closer than I already was.

Still, it is neat to see nature in the city like this. As you can see from the map below, this is a pretty urban area. Who knows where this creature lives, but I hope it manages to do well here in Eastie.

Spring is here

Signs of spring in East Boston:

1. People are out wearing less than 10 lbs worth of clothing.
2. You realize that there are a lot of people with large dogs in the neighborhood (where do they keep them all winter?)
3. Children are playing in the plaza in front of the Church.
4. There is allergy medication in every other cart at the supermarket.
5. People are more talkative during the morning commute.
6. The street sweeper, accompanied by the meter maid, are out in force.
7. Cars are getting washed more often because the birds are back.
8. People are sitting on the park benches just people-watching.
9. The teenagers are just slightly more obnoxious at the T station.
10. Even the free newspaper hawkers are in a sunnier mood.