Settling down in Decatur

After our Florida tour, we settled right down to quiet life in our little Decatur. We brought the great weather with us. With the exception of a few rainy hours, it has been continuously delightful here. Days are getting longer and brighter, the air is warmer and nicely scented with flowers, and with all the bird songs from the trees around our house - who needs Atlanta Symphony? (Although we have been to the Symphony too: the great Wynton Marsalis and his band made even Zofia kick for joy).

Right now it is almost 7pm, and I am sitting on our deck enjoying the end of day. The birds are chirping gently, and our crazy squirrels seem to have gone to bed. I am actually preparing a battle plan regarding the squirrels: last autumn one or two suckers took a habit of digging into my flower pots in search of some hidden treasure. Moth balls is one weapon I heard about. Still in search of other ideas, ideally not too bloody, although I did see red a few times when I saw what they have done to my cute little flower pots.
Decatur is quiet and peaceful, but by no means is it idle. The enthusiasm and creativity of Decaturians will never cease to fascinate me. Our local running store - Fleet Feet - organises runs and mini-marathons, and every Saturday morning there are groups of eager runners gathering around there, chatting and drinking vitamin waters and such. Dancing Goats coffee shop oozes creative energy from many of its patrons reading off paper or sleek monitors, drinking gallons of various coffee concoctions. I like to sit down with a paper and sip a small hot choc sans whipped cream. No, I am not that good with resisting other temptations (rice pudding being the latest craze). A new triathlon store opened recently, with all the possible equipment you might need, were you so inclined. Strange-looking bicycles are most impressive. There are some exciting new restaurants, and the Blue Elephant book shop has just celebrated its third birthday. Our local 'The Marlay' pub is getting ready for the St Patrick's Day celebration. There will be live music, of course, as usual - very decent Irish food, and tons of beer obviously.
People's gardens are receiving beauty treatments, and the sound of leaf blowers accompanies these not very tranquil therapies. Things are blooming, flowering, and certainly alive. Just yesterday, a group of volunteers was very busy clearing up a large green space bordering on the tiny creek behind our fence. They are setting up a nice little community garden there. What an exciting project.
Good place to live, Decatur.