Jasmine? Jacaranda?

I got back to L.A. (from LA) last night, and all of a sudden for some weird reason it's spring.  Sometimes my trips are like that.  Now, since I've been a kid people have been telling me I'm not the center of the universe.  But if I'm not, what possible explanation could there be for a change in the weather between when I leave and when I return somewhere?

In any case, there's a particular smell in my neighborhood (Los Feliz) at night in spring.  I love the smell, but every year I wonder whether it's the smell of jasmine or jacaranda.  I've heard different people ascribe the same smell to both flowers.  Maybe until I find out I'll start calling it "jasmaranda."  Though that sounds like a genie's name.

The other thing that I love about spring (and summer) evenings in Los Angeles is that, because it's warm at night, people leave their windows open.  Stepping outside into my back yard becomes the auditory equivalent of the scenes in Rear Window where Stewart is staring into the windows of all the people across from him, watching them go about their daily business.  Last night, as I was bundling laundry, I could hear five or six different conversations, all set to "Picture This" off of Blondie's Parallel Lines.

It's good to be home.