Wobbly Weather

I've left the kitchen window open a bit throughout the winter. The radiator stays on in the kitchen and bathroom, and is controllable in the bedroom/living room only. I usually only open the radiator (to allow steam to pass through the pipes) in the bedroom for short intervals. Perhaps it's because I'm on the 4th floor that my apartment doesn't get very cold. Still, I've left the bedroom and bathroom windows closed all winter, until tonight. It's raining and I opened the window. I love the sound of the rain, and Billy loves to sit by the open window, even if there aren't birds on the fire escapes outside. A friend of mine told me today that the unofficial first day of spring is when you can go outside without a jacket. We went out to lunch today and I wore only a thin turtle neck and a fleece. Hey, don't laugh - that's a big improvement; today it was almost 60 degrees. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the low 40s and Sunday it's supposed to snow and be in the 30s. March is supposed to be really windy. At the beginning of winter (and before that), I was so enamored with the snow. I still am, but I see now that if it's cold but dry, I won't like it as much. Just like in San Diego, when it was cloudy for several days but it didn't rain, I would feel cheated. We haven't even had a really severe storm or a blizzard. Please, THINK SNOW.

Dancing Billy

Sunshine captured Billy perfectly.

Manchester, Vermont

Vermont, vert mont - French for Green Mountains; not very green in February.

My first escapade on a frozen lake. Apparently, only 10 inches of ice is enough to support people, snowmobiles, even full-size trucks.

I found a slick curve of slippery ice, a track leftover from a snowmobile. Great for mini-ice skating.

I guess cracks are okay.

The Barnstead Inn
Every Inn needs a sugar shack, right? They're big on their maple products in Vermont - maple syrup, maple candy, maple latte.

The Hungry Hiker breakfast

Icicles in the creek

San Diego is Stealing Our Weather

It hasn't snowed in Boston for two weeks, but San Diego has had lots of rain. Give us back the weather! All of our snow is melting, but my friends assure me winter isn't over. I guess it's fairly common to have a spring teaser, then, ka-blam-o! Big snow again. I hope they're right. I'm not done with winter yet.

+ My friend Cynthia and her husband bought a house last month. To get there, I take the Worcester train. No, no, that's "Whoostah." + I've been seeing lots of wreaths still on people's windows and doors. They even have the red bows on them. In February! I guess they're "winter wreaths," but they look like Christmas wreaths to me. + Working back at the San Diego Natural History Museum, I was around many democrats. Boy, oh boy, is New England Blue. I love it. It feels so good to be around so many Obama lovers and liberal-minded folks.

+ The two main area codes in San Diego are 858 and 619. In Boston, they're 857 and 617. It was really confusing when I first moved here. + Even though the snow is melting, it was just a couple weeks ago I saw a lamp pole with snow caked on one side where the wind had blown it. I realized that flocking on Christmas trees imitates what happens naturally in snowy places. + Okay, enough of this snow melt and 50 degree days. Think Snow!

The New England Aquarium

Above, a barracuda swimming across the top of the main fish tank.

Everyone likes a little wine. Or is that a beer bottle?

I love the apparent personality of this hermit crab.

These schooling fish were too quick for my camera setting.

This isn't how kids watch the harbor seals in San Diego. And this day was 20-30 degrees warmer than it's been.

Along the Water, Winter and Summer

Along the water yesterday, the air was more mild than it's been, but it was still pretty cold.

There's still snow on the ground, and I was glad I had a scarf and hat.

It seems so long ago that I was wearing a tank top and flip-flops, and still sweating at 6pm.

Cleaning House

These photos have been at the bottom of my blog since I started it last June. I'm putting them into a normal post so that they can get filed away like the others, and so that the bottom of my blog is tidier. It is neat to look back, though, at my perspective from eight months ago.

Talk about your juxtaposition of old and new!

Boston Old State House and John Hancock Tower, above

The State Building, above. Go Celtics!

Boston Firehouse, above
If you look closely (above), you may be able to see the sun reflecting off buildings and cars across the street. It was raining and sunny at the same time!

Okay, I admit it: it's stinkin' hot here, and muggy! At least it finally turns into a quenching, satisfying rain.

Snow Emergencies! I know I have a ways to wait, but I'm looking forward to Winter.

Commonwealth Avenue Mall, above

Brownstones with oxidized copper and a Dogwood Tree, above

Along the Charles River, above

The houses here (above) are enormous. Some of them may have been divided into separate units inside, or possibly have many roommates living there, but some of them are single family homes.

View from my apartment on Mass Ave (summer sublet)