No, the doves are drowned out by the sound of the trash trucks making their weekly rounds--garbage (black can), greenery trimmings (green can), recyclables (blue can). Every Friday the refuse gets picked up, preceded by the trash pickers and sorters, looking for bottles and other recyclables. Also the scavenger cruisers, out looking for household items. It's a veritable parade; all, except for the trucks, illegal.

I'm not quite sure why it's illegal to scavenge. The scavengers are very careful not to make much noise or leave a mess. They are not street people, either--the couple that comes down my street drives a late model F-150 and both of them look well fed and well dressed.

Why should not people be able to pick up and use (or sell) what has been discarded?

Maybe it's because the city sells recyclables to private contractors? Maybe they're worried about encouraging vagrancy? Or maybe it's just the good old Puritan ethic at work (you should be working for a living, not picking trash).

You know, real work, like leveraging capital ventures with failing companies. Or gambling on the stock market. Productive work for which one will be paid megabucks.

The sound of the cash register is heard in our land. Happy Equinox.