More Spring

I guess I've never seen a robin before. Do we have them in San Diego? Here's one with his big red chest.

This massive puddle from yesterday's rain is almost dry today. It's amazing how well the ground absorbs the water.

Perhaps it's a little hard to see, but there's a Red Sox flag flying above a tower near Fenway Park. The Red Sox season opener was postponed from yesterday at 2pm to today at 4pm because of the rain. I'm so glad, because if it had started at 2pm, it would be pretty much over by the time I walked home from work. Today, a little before 4pm, jets flew overhead, and now that I'm home, I can hear the cheering crowds, the announcer, and the music, all from my apartment. It may get old (the season is six months long), but for now I enjoy the sounds.

Finland Pictures

I went to Helsinki, Finland, March 19-25 to visit my dear friend Anna, her husband Matti, and their 9-month old daughter Leila. It was a fantastic trip - thanks Anna! If I did this correctly, you should be able to click this link to view the 93 photos. (That's the abridged version.)
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=genoa76&target=ALBUM&id=5319885685011278865&authkey=Gv1sRgCIfv_Lya2fG82gE&invite=CPzIk6oP&feat=email

Spring Takes a Little While, But It's Happening

The Finland pictures are coming. There are so many; I have to organize them all.

I guess people were planting bulbs when I wasn't looking. They're just starting to pop up. And the birds - they're everywhere. I hear them singing and see them tending to their nests.

The apartment building owners hire people to maintain the properties. They cleared fallen leaves in the autumn, plowed the sidewalks of snow in the winter, and now they're putting down mulch in the gardens. They also just steam cleaned the carpets in my building's stairwell and halls. I guess they know there won't be much more salt, sand, or gravel on people's boots. The city's street sweeping resumed on April 1. By the way, in reference to my apartment building, my management company wanted to know by February if I was going to renew my lease September 1. I'm sure many of you are settled into your homes, and know you'll be living their next year, and the year after. But as a single renter, my life is in more of a state of flux. I was able to get some wiggle room out of them, thankfully. I don't know if I'll want to move out of this apartment five months from now - geez.

My parents have a huge avocado tree in their backyard, and my mom sent me eight beauties. I took some to work and made guacamole for my co-workers (who loved it), but also kept some for myself.

Billy loves getting in the tub - even if it still has water in it.

Above, can you see that those guys are playing frisbee on the Quad? Below, the Red Sox opening night at Fenway Park is Monday. I'm looking forward to hearing the excitement again from my apartment windows.

Magnolia blossoms are on their way.
The worms have started coming out.

Susan's Flowers

My old roommate Susan recently went to Glorietta Canyon to see the blooming desert flowers. This photo, of Phacelia crenulata, desert phacelia, is so stunning, I just had to share it.
And check out these ones, too:
Ghost flower above and Beavertail Cactus below.And look at this Eremalche rotundiflora, desert five-spot. I don't get homesick for Southern California very often, but ooh, there's nothing like these flowers in New England. Thanks, Susan, for sharing your wonderful photos.

Spring is Trying

Many of the trees have fuzzy buds, getting ready to pop for spring. Most of the snow has melted, again. It was a beautiful morning today. I think I'll enjoy the struggle as winter hangs on, but I'm now also looking forward to everything turning green again.
The geese really are everywhere. Here are two geese on a traffic island in the middle of a busy thoroughfare. These geese are wise to the streets. They cross using the cross walks. This is the second time - I swear it's true - that I've seen geese cross a street using the cross walk. They even go when their light is green.

The goose was taking too long to cross (his buddy was still on the island munching away), so the cars slowly approached, honking their horns. Geese understand honking, so this guy promptly crossed the street.

I'm sure there's a "Why did the goose cross the road?" joke in there, but I'm not touching it. You silly goose.

Winter Isn't Gone Yet

I was so worried that it was done snowing. Last Saturday, there wasn't any snow left on the ground. Then last Sunday, it snowed when Greg and I went to Revere Beach, and then a lot (I think about six inches) Sunday night. These first pictures were taken this past Monday morning on my way to work. Yay for more snow. This bike has extra cargo.

You know how when you make cookies, you start with sugar, brown sugar, and butter, and you mash it all together until it's creamy? I think snow looks like that when people walk on it for awhile. See below.
The storm last weekend was really windy. The wind blew snow onto this car, almost covering it. The sidewalk plows didn't help, either.

Here's the same car from behind. It looks like it crashed into a snow bank.

This car looks like a Lamborghini because the wind blew the snow over the car, like in a car commercial demonstrating aerodynamics.

This car's snow drift is more like a big bump than a Lamborghini.

And this car just had a snow tail added to it by the wind.

This truck, like the bike, is carrying extra cargo. Many pickup trucks have bed covers to keep the snow from piling up inside. (Did I already tell you this in a previous post?) The problem is that it severely decreases your gas mileage. The up side is that it can stabilize you if you lose control on an icy turn.

Can you see the snow drift piled up and hanging off the roof? (Apologies for the slush on the screen.)

Snow outside my kitchen window.

Can you see the tracks in the photo below? Guess what they are.
Does this second picture give it away?
They're geese prints! I'm sure it was tiring for the geese, trudging through the thick snow like that, but there must have been tasty morsels under the snow. Below, Mike the Bike went out again today. This time, we went 16 miles. Mike had his first experience with slush and ice (I think he liked it; he was a champ). Unlike last weekend, today was very pleasant, temperature-wise. By 10am, it was already in the mid-50s.
It hasn't snowed since early Monday morning, but we might get some snow tonight. It's 61 degrees now, but Monday's high is expected to only be 38 degrees. I guess, just like the tumultuous transition between autumn and winter, we're now having a battle between winter and spring. It will snow, then it will be warm and melt, then it will snow again. I hear it's called Mud Season. Below is Greg on our run/ride this morning. There's snow, a puddle, and you may be able to see the spray coming off Greg's shoe (not an easy shot on a bike, let me tell you).

As a totally random aside: There are more revolving doors here than in San Diego - to keep the weather out. Lots of places have two sets of doors, or have a curtain inside the front door - all ways to keep the frigid winter air out - or to keep the frigid air conditioning in during the summer.

The Snowy Beach

At the end of the Blue Line (The T, the subway) is Wonderland (Just call me Alice). Revere Beach is there, and I'd wanted to see the beach with snow. There was snow in the forecast, so off we went. There really are sea gulls everywhere.
Icy sand or sandy ice?