The river of gold at the front of our house

View from across the road 1, originally uploaded by gideonstrauss.

It is September again, and Angela's plantings continue to enliven our front garden.

Back garden, June 29, 2008

Angela - garden - June 29. 014, originally uploaded by gideonstrauss.

Angela has once again brought our small garden to bloom. She writes: "Don't you want to come over immediately for a lingering conversation interspersed with drifting gazes to your left and right?" Many more pictures over at Flickr.

Angela in the front garden

Angela in the front garden, originally uploaded by gideonstrauss.

A new spring, and our first day back to the garden!

Art work by Heidi Petersen. Reproduced with permission.

Kitchen window by Tala

Kitchen window by Tala, originally uploaded by gideonstrauss.

Follow the link back to Flickr for more pictures ....

Ichironomics

Ever since reading Tom Peters's Liberation Management and Hermann Simon's Hidden Champions, years ago, I have been enamoured of what is called "mittelstand businesses" - small- to mid-sized companies that have a leadership position in a global niche market.

This week, I read a blog entry by Tom Peters arguing for a city economic policy that emphasizes mittelstand business - an approach dubbed "ichironomics" by Rich Karlgaard of Forbes magazine.

Now I'm wondering: What is the multi-generational economic development vision of our city of Hamilton? And, what (if any) mittelstand companies already make their home in this city?

"Make second-tier cities attractive"

Yup, that's the mission. (Quote from Richard Florida, via Penelope Trunk.)