The bright lights of Mission Hill

I was in the Walgreen's at Brigham Circle on Thursday to buy a roll of cinnamon Mentos.  The guy in front of me in line struck up a conversation with the cashier, who is a friendly, chatty chap to begin with, just the kind of upbeat person you would want manning a cash register.

"It's been a while since I've been here last," the customer said.  "It looks a lot brighter.  You didn't change the fluorescent lights did you/"

"Yessir," the cashier answered, "The company changed all the bulbs about five weeks ago.  They came in and replaced all the fixtures.  The electricians told me they're using a new kind of bulb."

I thought so...I thought so," replied the customer, "It really looks good; brings the color out on the labels.  I noticed it as soon as I came in; the store seems so much brighter.  I was thinking that the last time I was here was a month and a half but you're probably right, it probably was only five weeks."

The cashier remarked that Walgreen's is always trying to improve the shopping experience while the man in front of me was counting out exact change for thirty-nine cents using the smallest denomination coins possible.  When the two of them had concluded the transaction, the customer left on his way telling the cashier, "Tell your manager I really appreciate the effort.  The lights look great."  The cashier said he would.

I don't visit this Walgreen's very often but I didn't notice anything except that the Valentine's Day merchandise had been replaced by beach-themed, summer toys.  The man in front of me must have been particularly attentive to his surroundings.  I noticed that he was wearing sunglasses indoors.  Perhaps he is photophobic.  That would explain his attention to ambient light, but not why he thinks brighter lights are better.

Three cheers for earthworms!

Worm casts are popping up all over Dorchester. It's a welcome, if not exactly pretty sign of spring. It is a sight that warms a gardener's heart however. The earthworms are active and busy turning the soil and keeping it productive. Worm casts are those little piles of granulated earth that you find all over the ground without every seeing why. The worms prefer to do their work when no one is watching.

It is dung is a sense, but it doesn't attract any beetles. The casts really don't bother anyone at all. Stepping in them is certainly better than stepping in what dogs leave behind. If only people would keep worms as pets and take them for walks. The sidewalks would be more pleasant and no one would complain about owners ignoring curbing laws. Are there laws in Dorchester demanding that one pick up after his or her dog? I know people do, but I also know there are people who don't. I'm not too fond of the people who don't.

So, in honor of the humble nightcrawler and his noble, unobtrusive work, a salute. Most species of worms have five hearts and it's no surprise. They give and they give and ask nothing for themselves. They make the world fit for flowers and fruits, vegetables and shady trees, wine, hops and medicinals. Three cheers for earthworms!

Giraffes in Franklin Park

If it is over 65 degrees Faranheit, the giraffes are outside in Franklin Park Zoo. If the weather is chillier, they are keeping warm in thier barn at another location and you can marvel at them there. On Sunday, it was warm enough for the giraffes to be out in the sun and they seemed to enjoy the weather. Children gawked and there were more than a five hundred strollers clogging the paths through the zoo. The strollers contained water bottles and discarded jackets. Children were everywhere underfoot.

Admission to Franklin Park Zoo costs $12 for adults and $7 for children between the ages of 2 and 12. It's not the Bronx, but for twelve bucks you get to see a tapir, a capybara, and ducks. You get to see other animals, most of them asleep and hiding. You get to see the giraffes who can't really hide. The giraffes stand in an open enclosure with a few zebras for contrast.

You have to be tolerant of children and baby-talking adults to enjoy any zoo. Today some kind of kidney reseach fundraiser was hosted by the Franklin Park Zoo. The excursion was worth the twelve dollar admission but I have to admit that Dorchester is not the Bronx. No point in fretting about that. A good time was had by all.