Friends and business may not mix.

The mild weather is drawing more people outdoors. The Sun's light is melting the snow. It is wet, and slushy. Some drivers seem to take a perverse pleasure in aiming right for the water as they pass you.

In a city becoming infamous for its potholes, there are numerous opportunities to drench someone walking or waiting for the light. For your own protection, stay as far away from the curb as you can get, especially while waiting for the traffic lights to change. The flakes of snow I saw on my daily walk today, remind me that while Spring may officially have arrived, it's still on hold here.

The sidewalks are easier to navigate. There are icy patches here and there that require attention. Lift your eyes off the concrete and you may find yourself falling as your legs slide in different directions. Negotiating the slippery sidewalk and water filled potholes offer a challenge to my daily walking.

I enjoy my walks because I can stop into Dimitri's Court Street Café for a tea, peppermint and maybe a sandwich. Or, I drop by Orysi and chat with the owner, Irene. Irene is making glycerine and goat's milk soap for us, to help us raise funds and to draw customers into her shop. The money we raise will be contributed to the Hazelnut Urban Habitat Restoration Fund. The funds will be used to purchase and plant trees and shrubs in public green spaces. Our long-term goal is to be able to include fruit trees and berry bushes in the urban forest canopy.

Habitat restoration can be an integral part of both a rural and urban restoration program. Bringing the city and the country together to enhance both. Speaking of bringing towgther, getting the right people involved with your cooperative enterprise is your most important task. The people who work with you can make or break your dreams.

Friends may be fine to have supper with, check out a movie or go to the beach. The simple fact that you get along is not enough evidence that you can work together. Creating your own business is a major undertaking. Working with others can simplify the tasks by sharing the burden. It can also have the opposite impact. Some people just don't do the work. They don't read the reports, no matter what delivery system you use. Email can go unanswered or telephone calls ignored.

When you are considering a cooperative structure, put your friendships under close observation. Don't mistake the ability to laugh together, for a guarantee that you can work together; but, don't discard the laughter either. There will be days when that is what keeps you going.

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