Miss-cellaneous Cont...

I think the thing I will miss the most is Davis, the city I live in. Darling Wife and I have liked Davis since we first visited it four years ago. We've often wished that we could pick it up and transport it to the east coast... but of course, that would ruin much of its distinctive flair.

Davis used to be a farm town, and it still retains some fairly conservative roots. But it's also home to one of the largest universities in the UC system, fostering a general atmosphere of liberalism and tolerance that is refreshing. It is not uncommon for me to hear three or four languages spoken on any given day. Everyone recycles, and most people support sustainable living practices while promoting a focus on family, friends, and community. There are over 67,000 people living in Davis, meaning it's large enough to boast a decent array of restaurants and shops, but it's still small enough to have a small-town feel. Everyone seems to know everyone, and you always see the same faces at community activities and downtown venues.

I've mentioned that Davis has a thriving farmer's market. It also has a successful art center where children and adults can take a class in making pottery or attend a play by local troupes. There is a great library, as well as many parks and greenways, bike paths that surround the city and run throughout it, numerous art galleries, a bakery, a train station, and a great bus system. You can get anywhere in town or travel out of town without a car. The city discourages and controls suburban sprawl, preferring to encourage in-filling and preservation of the surrounding farmland. Consequently, it's pretty dense and pedestrian/bicycle friendly.

And there is always something to do. You can drop into the Raptor Center for a Hawk Walk or attend a performance of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra at the Mondavi Center. This weekend, Darling Wife and I passed an afternoon at the Whole Earth Festival after the successful completion of our yardsale and enjoyed perusing the vendor's stalls while listening to some great music on the main campus quad. As we walked to the event along a path lined with olive and citrus trees, we passed a small strip mall with two department stores and a Starbucks, St. Martin's Episcopal Church, the Chinese Christian Church, the Islamic Center of Davis, and several frat houses. You gotta love that kind of diversity.

Plus, the university has a world-class arboretum; its own butcher where two days each week you can purchase low priced, quality beef, lamb, pork, or chicken, raised at the university's many farms; and some pretty good sports teams.

And sometimes... when the wind is right and the springtime jasmine has stopped blooming... the air smells like rosemary and sage.