Wha'choo lookin' at?

As I relaxed to Charlie Haden’s Quartet West on the stereo last night, I thought how much I enjoyed my view when sitting in my main listening position, and I got curious about what others’ eyes came to rest on when listening. My system is in the living room. Much of the front wall is a big picture window. If I want to, I can pull shades down and draw curtains to cover just the first reflection points behind the speakers and not cover up the center part of the window. The main attraction between the speakers, however, is a large floor-to-ceiling plant stand made of oak. (Equipment rack and TV are off to the sides.) It’s a very open affair – no large, solid surfaces -- and on it are a couple of large geranium varieties, an aloe and some other succulents, a cast-iron plant, and assorted other greenery. It’s a very restful composition for my eyes to look absently at and get lost in as I listen. Passive but full of depth, interesting shapes and subtle colors. I swear it enhances my listening experience, and I like it lots better than closing my eyes. I’m gonna call it a tweak. Have not, however, experimented with varying the mix and positioning of plants on the plant stand ;-) .