Citizen Action Against Rat Runners

Ul. Trombity develops by sprouting spurs off to either side, new houses spring up, next to tumble-down old farm buildings. The spurs tend to follow farm tracks and footpaths. What happens next is that the the tracks get explored by lone four-wheel-drivers, and when they become convinced that this is a potential short-cut that can save them 45 valuable seconds waiting for the lights at Ludwinowska, they start using it on a daily basis.

Except the track is entirely unsuited for motorised traffic. But the Roald Amundsen spirit in our four-wheel-drivers, with their Piaseczno or Pruszków plates, is quite indomitable. There's only one way to stop them: Szlaban. A word not entirely translatable into English (neither 'barrier' or 'gate' do szlaban justice - after all, there's bariera and brama/bramka). It's a loan-word from German Schlagbaum (lit. 'shock-tree'), which means 'turnpike'.

Above: the path that links ul. Trombity to ul. Nawłocka and Karczunkowska beyond, from the Trombity end. A solid piece of work, leaving the 250m of path walkable for local residents and maintaining its semi-rural charm.

Left: "Dogs begin to bark, hounds begin to howl/Watch out strange cat people, little red rooster's on the prowl..." [Little Red Rooster, Willie Dixon]. A corner of rural Oklahoma that's forever Jeziorki? The same path, looking towards ul. Trombity.

Weather today (and at the weekend which I spent mostly in bed) continues to be abysmal; the worst that winter can deliver to the human psyche. Temperatures just above freezing, snow that falls as rain, slush, dampness and general bleahh. This morning, having no lessons, I indulged in the luxury of working from home, setting off for town after the rush hour had completely subsided.

Below: W-wa Jeziorki, not a soul in sight. The train that came (on time, it must be said) was only three carriages long and packed to the gunwales. And around 50 cars parked higgledy-piggledy in the muddy verges around the station. If there were more space, properly organised, and more trains to town, maybe the road chaos between Jeziorki and the city centre would be more bearable during the working week.

This time last year:
Moni at 18 (and 18 months)

This time two years ago:
Building the S79 - Sasanki-Węzeł Lotnisko, midwinter

This time three years ago:
My return to skiing after an eight-year break

This time four years ago:
Moni's 15th birthday

Which reminds me - today is the fifth anniversary of the death (in 2007) of Ryszard Kapuścinski, Poland's greatest journalist. If you've not read any of his works (in Polish or in English) - do so.