As I write this morning, the sun is streaming through my office windows, accompanied by the intermittent lilt of birdsong, but to this quiet suburban landscape, one must add the occasional belching bruit of massive flatbed trucks. This spring has seen an unprecedented number of the beasts, carrying top soil, mulch, lumber and sundry building supplies down the narrow streets of my quiet neighbourhood, no doubt for the betterment of nearby yards, and I am reminded of the promise of spring as a time of improvement. Continue reading →