New Fish Bowl - Twice Over

Remember those posts from a few years ago where I would reflect on the entertaining things happening outside my living room window in the Biggest Little City?  Well they're back, but from two new locations, my office window and the new living room window, neither of which are in the Biggest Little City or Big Sky for that matter. 

My fish bowl view has shrunk, but oddly enough offers more entertainment and head shaking opportunities. The office fish bowl looks out over the local fire department lot and has proven to be a consistent source of entertainment for me. Example: 

Firemen playing with their hoses - no its not what you're thinking - they were running equipment tests where they hook up the hoses and then water the lawn with them. In between watering sessions they proceeded to sun themselves (if only they'd remove their shirts for this part). These events have become routine for Thursday afternoons and on Thursday evenings. Right around quitting time for the working Joes the firemen roll their chairs out to front of the station which located along the main drag in busting Hillsborough and waive good evening to the passerbys - it is great fun for them and entertaining for the rest of us. 

The at home viewing options are a bit more limited to views of the neighborhood dogs taking themselves for a walk up and down the road and amazing lightning storms. Watching the lighting through the front window is better than television sometimes, especially when the strikes are close to the house. 

We'll see what adventures will pass by the fish bowls and if they are noteworthy, you'll find them here.

The Sidewalk

Today was one of those days where Spring flirts with you. She uses the blue skies and warmer temperatures to lure you outside and enjoy the idea of a new season. It was also an day for escaping the afternoon office grind by walking to the local coffee shop to enjoy a beverage and a book for the lunch time break.

As I sat outside reading the pages of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, the sun warmed my back and sounds of the streetscape and sidewalk life got me thinking about all the sounds that we drown out during the day and the sounds that are no longer common in our communities.

Take for instance the sound of bells, the resonant, crisp, clear ring or dong of a bell is rarely if ever heard in our community. Granted this is a community with two clock towers, one at the county courthouse and one at the university, but their bells are silent, excluding the automated chiming of the time. The sound I refer to is the ringing of bells for events like weddings or other special occasions. Think Quasimodo in the tower ring the actual domed structure of a bell ringing. Even the sound of wind chimes is absent.

For all the noise that we encounter on a daily basis, the communal sounds of people in the streets, bells, dogs, vendors, etc, we live in a pretty quite environment. I suppose today was one of those days that permitted a pause in the day to day routine of work that allowed me to think and be outside. Take note of the sounds you hear and don't hear and see what you find and what is missing.

Return

Back from the land of Zion and I have a mission (get it?). Can you guess what it is?

Thesis Completion.

I made a promise that I have to keep and this promise is keeping me up at night, writing and thinking. I am in a serious pinch, sort on time and stressing, but yet strangely calm.

Strange post for strange times.

New Geographic Location

It's true I am in a new geographic location: Big Sky Country. Don't know where that is? Well the Big Sky is also known as Montana. Yep I am back in the Rocky Mountain West and it feels good to be home.

Employment brought me to my new home (at least for the next year, have to see if it all works out). I will be working for the county and city of Missoula doing what I went to school to learn all about: planning. I am working up close and personal with John Q Public and it is great. Different questions all day long, new things to learn (like how little regulation there is in this town), and plenty of new watering holes to quench the after work thirst!



But Montana isn't the only new geographic location that I have traveled to this summer. I finally made it off the mainland and to the islands: Kauai, Hawaii. What an amazing place! Great sun, great landscape, canyons, waterfalls, beaches, mountains, oh my! Oh and really good local beer and seafood. I can't wait to return to this amazing place. Where else can you pretty much be homeless and live off the land comfortably? (No the answer isn't Alaska--remember it gets cold there)

Over the next couple of days or weeks I should be updating with thoughts and reactions to the transition from hot Reno to cool Montana.

Welcome Back!

Looking In...

Alright so you can only see my back if you are looking in, but that is because I am sitting at the kitchen table typing out the last sections of chapter two. That's right, chapter two of five in the thesis. It is coming along, but I think my butt is officially shaped like the chair--ouch, er uh, ewww!

Get it? Ewe? Har har har.....

Looking In....

A quick note: If you were looking in my fish bowl you would see me on the couch actually writing! Yes that is correct, I am actually writing my thesis now. Chapter one is nearing completion (or my view of it; we'll have to see what the committee members say).

I have one week to finish another chapter: PUDs as regional development tools for Reno. Then I have to write up the fun stuff: Winnemucca Ranch: The City and Developer, Public or Not: Citizens and Collaborative Planning, and last Introduction.

Happy Writing!

Fishbowl: Sort of....

What exactly do I mean? Well let me explain. This weekend while taking a snowy break at Diamond Peak ($40 for an all day college pass isn't bad when there is 2 feet of powder!) in the upper lodge (looks sort of like a fishbowl,) I over heard the conversation between two 10-12 year olds and one of their dads. Here's how it all went down:

Son: "Dad, what is Oregon's thing? You know like California has CA..."
Dad: "OR, that is Oregon's state abbreviation." Goes back to drinking his beer.
Son's Friend: "Is there a Portland, Oregon?"
Dad: "Yes, Port-land."
Son's Friend: "See I told you. P-o-i-r-t-l-u-n-d."

What did I learn?
A. To not laugh while the people are still in the room.
B. There are serious flaws in the youth's geographic education these days. Not to mention their spelling abilities.

I clearly remember being that same age and know the abbreviations for the states and their capitals. We learned this in the 5th grade and again from the lovely cartoon, Animaniacs:
Here is the video: (note the line and where Wakko places it? Delineation of the East and West?)


And for yet another interesting bit here are the countries of the world:


Who says you can't learn anything from television?

Warner Brothers I think has to be one of the most geographic cartoon networks. Consistently they have presented geography as an element in all of their productions from Bug Bunny to Tiny Toons. Music, culture (remember Bugs and Elmer cross dressing--culture), languages, religion? If I ever become a teacher you can be sure that I will be using this kind of material to make simple and complex points!

Life Viewed from Inside the Fish Bowl

Let me explain:

In my living room there is a large front window, what I like to call the fish bowl. It is one of those windows that puts its occupants on display for the neighborhood. It is the sort of window that has to be opened to let light in, but also big enough to be cost prohibitive, for a renter to "redress."

This being said it does provide the opportunity for fascinating observations to be made. With this in mind, this section of the blog is going to be devoted to what this fish sees outside her bowl.

Recent sighting:
Yesterday afternoon after arriving home from a brief but excellent bike ride to the grocery store, I came into the living room to turn on the radio when I spied this older woman (think of your G-ma) walking down the street pushing what looked like one of those walkers with a seat. Upon closer examination, all while trying not to look like I was staring out at her, I saw that the walker was in fact a dog stroller.

Hmmm, perhaps her dog is as old as she is. Maybe she just likes taking the dog for a walk. Oh the fun stuff you see when looking out from the inside.