Came home late last night after an exhausting day (two library gigs on opposite sides of the state; seven hours in the car, six hours talking to kids, no real food, three hours sleep and Red Bull to run on) to find that the bluegrass band who lives across the street from us had set up in the park and was belting out "I'll Fly Away" in four-part harmony, complete with banjo, doghouse bass, guitar and fiddle. It was beautiful and haunting and wonderful, and when the song petered out (as old-time songs tend to) they all hung around the park bench and tuned up their harmony, each voice joining in one after another: "I'll -- I'll -- I'll -- I'll fly away!"
Lovely. There are times when my neighborhood really pisses me off, but tonight was not one of them.