Here we are, almost at the end of September. The Halloween candy is on the shelf at the stores and the Halloween displays are bigger and better than last year. In some stores the Christmas displays are beginning to appear. I’ve barely had a chance to put my summer clothes away.
Now is the time to buy that barbeque grill that you wanted and get one that is already put together. The same goes for lawn furniture. Since my last “In My Travels,” I’ve seen one thing that I found very interesting “Goats at Work.”
Perhaps you saw the story on the news. I was coming up Bates Street from Second Avenue and happened to look over to my left and I saw the sign and the fence. The sign said Goats at Work. The goats actually clear the weeds. They can even eat Poison Ivy.
Reportedly, the goats will be there for a few days or until they clear away the designated area of weeds. It appears the goats are used in areas that it is hard to bring in equipment like a steep hillside or the narrow street I saw them on in Oakland. There were two fences around the goats, one was electric. There are warning signs and people are asked not to bring their dogs to the area. I guess the goats work out well. I’m sure they don’t complain or want breaks; they just eat and keep it moving.
There seems like there is so much construction going on around the city. Road work and buildings going up everywhere, especially in East Liberty on Baum Blvd. There are new apartments and hotels. I try to look at the construction crew as I drive by and I rarely see a Black person working. Some things never change.
I’m looking forward to the opening of Hotel Indigo on Highland Avenue. I hope the décor will be as exciting as Hotel Monaco in Downtown Pittsburgh. If you haven’t been to Hotel Monaco, go in and check it out. You don’t have to stay there, you can stop in for a drink or lunch or dinner. It is beautiful and unique.
A few other places in the city that I truly love are Nicky’s Thai Restaurant on the North Side of Pittsburgh and Rumfish Grill in Bridgeville. Both have outdoor spaces that are quite inviting. If the weather is just right I love to eat outside. The patio at Nicky’s reminds me of being in a tropical paradise. The only thing that I don’t like about it is the birds. They have become so tame they almost come right up to your plate. Much of this comes from people throwing food to the birds. Please don’t feed them and they won’t come so close. That goes for the pesky deer population as well. Don’t feed the deer. I keep hoping they too will be like the goats and eat my weeds instead of my flowers. But no such luck.
(Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com)
