peacock blue

Let me explain. A few years ago a large skating rink was built on the Midway of the University of Chicago. The Law School where I worked was directly across the street. For six years just about every day during the winter I would eat my lunch overlooking the rink, intently watching the Zamboni circle the ice, over and over. And every season I'd say to myself, 'Now, there's a job I could do!' When I would attend hockey games, like the delicious aroma of popcorn in a theatre, the smell of the freshly smoothed ice and the faint propane exhaust were intoxicating. This past winter we would sit in on local high school hockey games and while the locals were smiling about the team, I was content to watch the Zamboni circle between periods. This might seem like a lame fixation, verging on the eccentric, but in actuality it is merely the freedom that appeals to me. Being menopausal, it would imply not only freedom, but a nice, quiet cool environment.
Today I was researching the Italian immigrant scene in my hometown of Pocatello, Idaho and the name Zamboni jumped out at me. I found out that the Zamboni was invented by one Frank J. Zamboni, Jr. who spent his childhood in, you guessed it, Lava Hot Springs, Idaho a few miles away from Pocatello. Who knew? Apparently I didn't. . .Nobody told me I'm assuming because ice hockey wasn't played anywhere in our state. Turns out his parents came from different parts of Italy than mine (his, the Tyrol and Piedmont regions; mine were Calabrese). Either way, I'm thrilled because even though Pocatello sits in potato country, Frank Zamboni's invention has given me even more bragging rights. Now you know why I like living in nonizamboni land.


Today my first Cosmos bloomed and even though white is my favorite, this little beauty made me so happy. This was taken after a big hail storm yesterday and rain all day today with sunshine finishing off the day.