We live in the city of Pittsburgh. Contrary to what true East Coast people think, Pittsburgh is a real city with sky scrapers and lots of traffic. Still there is a quaintness about it.
Three rivers
converge here, which means that we have a lot of bridges. There was a
huge steel industry here, which resulted in a lot of beautiful homes and a rich
history of philanthropy. It's the city of bridges and beauty. It is also
full of surprises.
Nature surrounds you in Pittsburgh
One of the
things that has surprised me about Pittsburgh is the nature that exists
throughout the city. When I lived on the East Side in Point Breeze when I first
moved to town I saw a deer on the lawn when I returned from a party. I thought
I was hallucinating until I saw several deer in the cemetery in Garfield one
day. In the fall, on my way to work I routinely see wild turkeys near my office
in Oakland, not the kind that you buy in the Wine and Spirits store, but the
kind that run in front of your car!
Now that
Spring has finally arrived in Pittsburgh I have been marveling at the beauty of
the city. The trees are green and lush. The smells of Spring have filled the
air. The flowering trees have blossomed. There are magnolias, dogwoods, and by
Shadyside hospital there are even cherry blossom trees!
We truly enjoy Pittsburgh in the Spring
Andre, the
toddler and I have been enjoying our city now that Andre has completed the seemingly
never ending bathroom project... We have taken long walks, gone running and taken our toddler to the park and
allowed her to snack on popcorn and ices that we buy from
Gus and Yia Yia’s cart.
She has enjoyed the playground and the sunshine. She has also enjoyed the
animals.
The funny
thing is, I am not an animal lover. I don’t even like them. My daughter
on the other hand is like her father. I swear, they may be related to Dr. Doolittle!
If she sees an animal she tries to
befriend it. She enjoys feeding the ducks at the pond in the park. She falls in
love with the dogs she sees being walked. And tonight, she chased the bunny
rabbits that she saw hopping through the park. It was a sight to behold. I was
beyond grateful that she didn’t actually catch one. When she got down on all
fours and declared that she was hopping like the bunny, I was worried about the
dirt, but amused. Seeing how much fun she had enjoying nature was a real treat.
Times like
this remind me that the joy of parenting is in the simple moments.
Toddler playing on a sculpture
The toddler climbing a tree
Toddler chasing fireflies
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