During our snowy winters, corners of the strip shopping center become dirty mountains of snow, salt, and gravel. Quite sensibly, the snow removal equipment remains parked where it will soon be needed. And although we're about 100 miles from the ocean, the seagulls have found a home here, co-existing with the local pigeons and attracted by all the food scraps on the ground from surrounding restaurants and supermarkets. That's a Chi-Chi's Mexican restaurant in the back (now closed), and the white structure behind it is a huge monstrosity of a milk-processing plant that looms over one of the main roads through town. What we have here is development run amok because of lack of proper zoning. The shops along this stretch of road, which is near the intersection of two interstate highways, attract shoppers from more than 50 miles in each direction.

BTW, the next snowstorm is predicted for tomorrow night. Gentlemen, warm your engines!