Street cleaning

The disappearance of the snow has been followed by the arrival - at least for this morning - of rain. It started raining during the night - the first time in months we've heard that sound, and Mr A had to get out of bed to close the window as it makes a considerable racket (and I had to put earplugs in). We awoke to a grey day, and it seemed set to stay that way, although when we both went out for (separate) wanders around noon, it was already starting to lift a little, and it generally improved as the afternoon went on.

One advantage of the rain was that it reduced the amount of dust in the air. As a result of the amount of grit that has gone on the streets and pavements over the last few months, there is a significant air quality problem at this time of the year - noted in news reports which we see on buses and trams. The streets are gradually being cleaned - as you can see here just outside our building. But it all takes time, and there is still a lot to be removed. Meanwhile, it continues to get everywhere, including your eyes if you aren't careful. I'm struck that quite a lot of the grit isn't being brushed or sucked up by street cleaning machines, but (power)washed into the drains.