Misc. observations

Candle Man (and yes, I'm assuming it's a man) has not cleaned up the mess or responded to my note, but it's possible that he hasn't been by lately. There are the same number of cans/candles/tin foils. they seem to have been moved, but we've had a few days of heavy wind and rain that could have done that. Will keep monitoring.

The lake water level is quite high, and most of the ice is gone. Note picture of one hard-core (pun intended) corner of the lake. The Lullwater still has a lot of ice, but the boathouse pond is quite clear.

Got a fairly nice shot of the egret, and of two cygnets posing in their heart position. I'm working on trying to take clearer pictures of the extreme zoom shots. It's not quite as easy to hold my hands very still. We saw an eagle flying overhead. Beautiful, but as yet unphotographable.

There are still a few patches of snow left on the Nethermead, and a bunch of very happy dogs playing in a large puddle created by the melting snow. We were 3 adults and 2 dogs today. When we got to the Nethermead, B and I split up for our usual circular walk around the edge. N went into the middle with Chewy, who is more sociable and likes to play with the other little dogs. Poor JJ was very confused with this 3-way split! But she eventually did her running back and forth, desperately trying to gather her unruly herd.

If it weren't for the weather...

We'd have nothing to talk about. I thought this was a quote from somewhere, but I have googled it in many permutations, but couldn't find the source. So think I'll take credit for writing this profound thought. Heck, why not. So, yesterday it got up to 60o. Spring was in the air, the ice and snow still on the sidewalks was melting like crazy. JJ and I even broke into running several times! So nice - I've been hobbling around like a non-spry nonagenarian for the last month, at least, terrified of slipping on the ice, breaking something, etc. Very reassuring to know I'm not there yet. Today, of course, it's back in the 20's. The melting snow has re-frozen, and I'm back to my cautious hobbling.

The ice on the grass near the lake has thawed a lot, and we finally got close to the lakeside for pictures of the Swan family and all the other waterfowl. The cygnets are about 75% white-feathered, and there are some mallards with gorgeous, shiny purple heads/necks in addition to the teal ones.

Something curious: The fields covered with Astroturf are only about half-covered with snow now, while the fields still covered in actual grass are still 100% snow covered. I'm sure there's some thermal/physical explanation, but I'd love to know.

Making Winter jam

In gloriously shining sun, we bravely set forth to ice-covered Prospect Park this morning. The ROADS have been de-iced and cleared (well, of course cars come first), but the paths are all ice-covered and a bit scary. Vast tracts of shiny, plastic-looking snow, and a remarkable number of footprints on the frozen lake. The open water is even smaller, and there are more birds, including some boldly-striped shovelers, a type of duck with a beak that looks like a shovel. Black and brown and white reminiscent of Paris couture c. 1961. One poor little dead gull encased in ice (bottom photo). Could not get in for a close picture of the birds for fear of sliding right into the lake. Oh, what happened to that fearless girl of yesteryear?

The only well-shoveled path we saw was by Vanderbilt Playground where, by a STRANGE coincidence, Greg Mocker of WPIX 11 did a piece on the unshoveled walks. Greg, you need to come back and do similar great pieces on the 100's of other unshoveled paths - don't worry, they're not going anywhere.

The only snow not icy was in the Nethermead, where the park is preparing for the WinterJam festival this weekend. A huge machine (first photo) has compacted and combed the snow into beautiful hard powder for skiing, etc., and they're busy putting up mini-slopes for skiing or snowboarding, a sort of 1/10 pipe (too small to be a 1/2 pipe). Also, tent areas, looks like all kinds of things for kids. Hope it works, since there is no ice skating this year (old rink closed, new rink nowhere near open), and kids need something to enjoy winter.

Saw Anne and Ed, whom we haven't seen in a while. Anne says the birdwatchers and counters are no longer counting geese - don't want to give the Parks Dept. any info they might use to massacre them this year. There don't seem to be a huge number of them.

Maybe you can't have too much snow, but.......

What about too much rain, freezing rain, sleet, and ice? Clearly I tempted fate yesterday, when I declared my allegiance to my new-found philosophy of never too much snow. Today, it's ice and freezing rain. Not too terrible, actually, as long as you've got on decent headgear and gloves. And walk ever sooo carefully, I'm a little terrified to cross streets - visions of slipping in the middle of them, and falling under buses. So glad we live in a city with decent public transportation. All right, IT's NOT PERFECT!!! Still pretty good. And sooooo glad to have new warm boots - see photo. Probably a bit too cute for my age cohort - a bit fake UGG, a bit fake Ed Hardy, but really warm and, even better, only $20 at Century 21. Chooka's, supposedly reduced from $140 ( checked the internet - IT"S TRUE!)Deliciously warm, that's the main thing. And funny.

Speaking of my age cohort - I was amused to read on Facebook that a friend of my daughter's who's currently working temp in an office and likes to wear vintage stuff, was going in as the perfect 50's secretary today, but couldn't brew a decent cu of coffee. I had to laugh. The 50's, my childhood...No one brewed a decent cup of coffee in the 50's. It was perked, usually badly. Ran the gamut from dishwater to mud. Instant was preferred. Not very good, but at least consistent. Only in the 60's did brewed coffee arrive - drip, and the incredible Mr. Coffee. (Oh, Joe Dimaggio, the nation owes it's gourmet coffee heart to you!!) Coffee so good that it actually mattered what you put into the pot. Anyway, I told her that her badly-brewed coffee was, in fact, the true spirit of 50's coffee.

What does any of this have to do with Prospect Park Days? Hmmmmm.