looking for spring

A big storm is coming later today, supposedly dumping a few more inches of snow.  Jubilee and I took advantage of the morning sun to walk our favorite trail at the park.  So far, we have seen nothing but winter there. 

 We checked by the stream for signs of swamp cabbage.  Nothing.

 Ice. Water. Leaves. Branches.

 

But if you look closely at the branches, there are buds!  (near the thorns to protect them from the birds?)

It's nice to have a clear, dry road to walk on.  For today.

men in the trees

The view from our window finally shows some action for Jubilee, who keeps watch most of the day ...

There is some sun today, but it still feels very cold.  From our morning walk:

I'm beginning to think that what I thought was swamp cabbage isn't really swamp cabbage at all, just some stagnant green sticking up from the ground.  It has shown no growth or any sign of life these last 3 weeks, and there is no other swamp cabbage coming up anywhere.

 

It is still very much winter around here.

last week

These are some photos from last week when the sun came out and the ice melted, then it snowed and everything froze again.  Repeat.  Today, every hour, the weather switches from sunshine to snow.  John and I both were sick last week with coughs, fever, sinus problems etc. - we even went to the doctor together!  We seem to be on the mend now.

 This is the view of Pittsburgh from a top floor of the UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Mercy Hospital) parking lot.

 Budding on the ornamental trees of our apartment complex are coming along ...

 ... even though there is always a dusting of snow on our balcony.

 

Jubilee is learning to enjoy herself even though she can't see well and bumps into things, like trees and branches!

winter cold

 Even though the temperatures were in the high teens today, it felt like the coldest day of winter to me.   There is not a lot of snow, just enough to be a bit icy.  I bundled up with 2 sweaters under my coat, and I still had to hurry Jubilee along on our walk because I was anxious to get back to the warm car.  Then I went swimming over at the local YMCA and sat for awhile in the sauna and steam rooms.  That warmed me up!

Brown

Other than some moss growing here and there, Western Pennsylvania is very brown this time of year.  No sign of growth or budding, this is still the dead of winter.  Even though it is above freezing during the day, it feels very cold to me.  There is a wind ...

Perhaps fitting for the day before Ash Wednesday.

The hawk and the thermometer

 The hawk that hangs out on the tree outside our window, and the thermometer in John's car showing outside temp (1 degree F) ...

 Love that winter sky!

 That's -16 degrees C!

down by the canal

Somewhat cooler than usual in Florida, it's a good time for walks down by the canal.

This is the heron that hangs out on the back of the decoy.

An unusual looking bird on the other side of the lake (hard to see because he was so far away) ...

... and neighbor Linda's lovely fence flowers ...

It's all a far cry from the snow and below freezing temperatures that John will face when he heads back North next week.  If all goes well, Jubilee and I should be up there in February, before the winter ends.

another thaw

After we made the snowman, things warmed up considerably - it was almost 60 degrees the next day - so that almost all of that snow was gone in a couple days.

 Really tricky walking across this.  Even slush is slippery.

 This is the last of the snowman.

a good day for a snowman

 34 degrees now, snow is melting but perfect for building a snowman.  He won't last long ...

My job was to find rocks.