This column reflects the opinion of the writer. Learn about the differences between a news story and an opinion column.
The Slice: Maybe we really can share the road
About 100 days ago, I expressed a fear that riding my bike to work this summer might sour me on Spokane because of inevitable encounters with careless or hostile drivers.
Well, here’s my report: That hasn’t happened. Almost all the motorists I’ve been near have been sane and considerate.
Of course, now I’ve probably jinxed myself.
•A tomato plant grows in Spokane: It sprouted from a crack in the pavement right where a gutter meets a curb in downtown. On a busy street, no less.
Though not especially tall, it is going strong and has produced clusters of still-green tomatoes.
Kay Stoltz brought it to my attention a few weeks ago. I now check it every weekday, on my way home.
We agreed that it wouldn’t be a good idea to publicize its exact location.
But Stoltz theorized that someone must be watering it. So today I want to salute that mystery person.
And to everyone who has seen fit to leave this rugged survivor alone, I say, “Well done.”
•Reasons certain geniuses around here don’t get their pets fixed: “Some people think it is cool to ‘get a litter’ out of their female dog,” wrote Sandy Graf, who noted that the number of puppies for sale in the want ads suggests we really don’t need all these new canines.
“Or they may want their children to ‘witness the miracle of birth.’ Please. Let them watch that process on the Internet and then take them on a field trip to the pound so they can see where many of those miracles end up.
“And I know for a fact that some men think it will affect their own masculinity if they get their male dog neutered.”
She’s not alone in believing that some guys think this is all about them.
“I had a vet tell my mother this when she had a male cat neutered,” wrote Liz Bourdon. “My father, who was raised on a farm, was aghast at this. He disliked cats but this really got a rise out of him. He carried on like he was going under the knife.”
Too bad more guys aren’t squeamish about thousands of unwanted cats and dogs getting euthanized locally every year.
•Sounds of summer, continued: “When I was a kid, my parents used to summon us home by ringing a cow bell,” wrote Nancy Kiehn. “The neighbors behind us used a metal triangle, and the ones to the side just hollered.”
•Today’s Slice question: Have you ever said something to a stranger, referring to his or her T-shirt, and soon realized that you knew much more about the subject graphically addressed on the shirt than did the wearer?