Spring Nap Time

My Skepticism was Unfounded

It really does seem to be Spring -- this is the first year since records have been kept (the 1800's) that we have had ZERO snow in March

The Skunk Cabbage are emerging

and of course...

                      .... croci

Signs of Spring

Maybe the groundhog was right -- and the six more weeks of winter are now over...the Canada Geese have returned (birds never let me get a good photo of them...they're always trying to get away from me...)

...and the first Snowdrop has emerged in my yard

This is probably ridiculous talk -- winter can't be over -- we can't even plant for another 11 weeks (Memorial Day)...

Red Barn with Blue Hose and Blue Barn with Red Door

Carrying a camera definitely makes me more observant (and thus a bit slower) on my daily walk.

Although I walk past them frequently I hadn't noticed before today that both of these barns have cobblestone foundations -- or that the red one has a name: Nestledale Farm.

Tree Shadow

Bright Sunshine + White Snow = a shadow as pretty as the tree

Sunbeams in the Fog

I just returned from a lovely trip to the coast -- Mendocino, California.
Spring was springing in Mendocino -- it was a bit disappointing to return home to a foot and a half of unplowed snow in my driveway!

The combination of the fog and the sunlight made these sunbeams look so tangible -- as if I could reach out and grab something substantial.

Gotta love college towns

Took a little trip to watch the Syracuse-UConn men's basketball game

Otto the Orange

The Middle-Eastern restaurant is in the Valentine's Day spirit

? not sure what this place is...

The games are played in the Carrier Dome -- essentially a giant balloon (not helium -- it stays grounded).
Hold on to your hat -- when exiting The Dome the pressurized air literally pushes you out the door -- makes for a bad hair day -- but certainly clears out the crowd quickly!  This photo was taken from our hotel room window.

Sixteen five-foot diameter fans located in mechanical rooms on the north and south sides of the building are used to keep the Carrier Dome’s 220-ton roof inflated. Each fan has the capacity to generate 95,000 cubic feet of air movement per minute, giving the total operation a capacity of moving well over one million cubic feet of air per minute.
http://suathletics.syr.edu/sports/2009/2/3/GEN_0203090820.aspx