Ellie B and I wound around these Syracuse pines today.
Three days ’til spring.
I can’t tell who’s getting more antsy for winter to leave, Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle or this guy on the holding end of the leash.
With the temperature creeping up — I can’t believe weather sites say it’s 31 degrees right now in Syracuse, N.Y., because it feels at least 10 degrees warmer — and the sun out in full, the dog and the dad took a slightly longer route through the streets of our city neighborhood.
We have a hundred combinations of streets and short-cuts, at least. Each delivers its own unique good vibrations.
Today’s journey took us on a service road behind an apartment complex.
We both like the line of impressive pine trees that flank one side of the path, as you can see above.
And what, you might ask, sat just above the tree line, tantalizingly too high for me to get the depth and breadth of the stately pines and the shining orb in the same photo?
Take a good and satisfying look below.
Shine on, you crazy diamond.
Thank you, our power source above, for delivering us your sun on this pre-spring day.
Thank you, Ellie B, for understanding that dad’s got to stop and shoot as much as you’ve got to stop and sniff.
Thank you, Pink Floyd, the Beach Boys and the Beatles for inspiring my caption below, line of text within and headline above.
Do you have favorite walking paths where you live?
Mark Bialczak 
My favorite walking path in Liverpool, NY was at Onondaga Lake Park. Here: it’s thru a little park near where we live. Very peaceful.
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May we both always be able to find our path of peace, Judy, no matter where we are.
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Definitely love when you brave the elements for Dogamous Pyle. I know because I brave the elements twice a day ( I am commanded too) rain, hail or shine but I think I may have waivered in my bidaily wander if it is as cold here as you have it there.
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We are fortunate in the sense that if it’s really blustering, I can simply open the back porch door and allow Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle out into our fenced backyard to do what dogs must do. I hope your impended winter down there doesn’t wallop you in any way, Irene.
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Mark, our winter will give us a bitterly cold 10 degrees Celsius minimum overnight and a slightly less cold day of between 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. I think we’ll survive whilst you probably go to those sweltering temperatures we hear NY has in summer. Hopefully Syracuse is a little milder.
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We only swelter somewhat in Syracuse, Irene, and we will have the AC ready.
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I sometimes wonder how we survived before air con – particularly in the car.
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Reblogged this on Marthakeimstlouis’s Blog and commented:
another near Syracuse said hooray for sun. Today, Fri. is snowing
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Aw. Love this. Bailey and I walk a lot faster in those winter months . . . now it’s a sniff every few feet:). Doggie nirvana.
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Yes, isn’t easier to tolerate the explorative sniffs come spring, Kay? Thanks for the kind words.
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I can see, you had a nice walk today with Ellie B, I’m sure, that she enjoyed too.
I use to love the walk in a big valley in the morning, I have close to my house. It takes around one hour + to walk this trip. I don’t know, who are enjoying mostly here, the dog or me.
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That sounds wonderful, a walk in the big valley, Irene. I’m glad you and the dog got to enjoy it.
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Hey Mark, let me explain to you what this is. It’s referred to as the sun. Sun meet Mark, Ellie, and Karen. I just know you guys are gonna hit it off! Enjoy!
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I hope it is the beginning of a hot affair that lasts until December, Sandra, we three and the sun!
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You all are long overdue! Guess what? We have rain in the forecast! Now if we can just figure out that pesky world peace debate…we’ll be back in good form!
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It’s nice having a variety of routes to choose from. Aside from some parental supervision and guidance, I am sure you allow Ellie B./Doggy P. to choose some routes as well.
The sun being out was a reassuring touch today. I allowed myself to go for a drive later in the afternoon, because I had to drop my editing off. I found myself taking a longer road trip to and from Liverpool. The nice weather, the diminished snow piles, and the tunes created a great feeling to put life on pause for a moment.
Thanks again for the SNT shout-out earlier, Mark.
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Mostly I pick the route, but Ellie B knows how to make her preference known, to, with stops and starts.
I’m glad you had the chance to wheel around the town and enjoy the sun, Chris.
And I was glad to give you the fellow SNT blogger shout-out. (You did fix my typo in my comment, I hope, since you were wearing your editing hat today …)
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The sun came out today, and temps climbed to 60. Everybody I’ve seen is coughing from ticklish throats that haven’t decided whether to trust the weather or start building up for another cold blast. I’m so glad Ellie B got in her walk today. She really needed that.
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I did a seven plus mile “hike” on our bike trail on Saturday. It was about 35 to 40 out. But to me it felt gloriously 75 or 80. And today when it hit 50 I had my windows down! 🙂
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That’s the way to embrace the turn, Colleen!
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😀 I like that imagery…embracing the turn. I just hope there isn’t another turn soon….going back again…..
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Very nice! Sunshine!
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It made us happy, PJ!
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We enjoyed it to the max, PJ.
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I like how you take us along on your walks with Ellie! This could be a book like one written but with a sad ending, “Marley.” Anyway, I like to walk downtown during Farmer’s Market days 3 seasons a year. I cannot wait until it gets warmer! I also like Mingo Park, which used to be the site of where the Mingo tribe chose to be along a tributary of the Olentangy River. Last but not least, my grandkids love the ‘creek’ at Blue Limestone Park, it is about a mile walk from my apt. There was a blue limestone quarry there, years ago… The train trestle is tall and they like the decorative graffiti on it, while they wade in the creek. (We fish in the quarry.) Smiles, Robin
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Those sound like excellent paths, Robin.
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It feels like years since it’s been clear. One of my favorites! We have no trails to take any more because (contrary to the national economy) we are in a huge building boom–houses, apts, shopping centers everywhere. So where we once could walk is now blocked off by bulldozers and orange cones and just now–some guys welding an iron fence a few feet from our former forested dog walkery. Glad you can get sun on your face today.
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I am sorry to hear that what some folks would call progress in repressing your quality of life down there, Kerbey. Forested dog walkeries ought be protected from iron fences, cordoned off my iron fences.
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You just reminded me to get off the damn computer and walk my dog! *sigh* sun on my shoulders…..one if the best feelings ever.
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If there’s one word that describes my relationship with the sun best, Beth, it is this: Bask. Enjoy it on your shoulders!
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Ah, the Sun King. Very nice, Mark.
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Thanks, Mer. Can’t beat the Fabulous inspiration.
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beautiful mark, and i love to walk everyday, except when there’s ice and arctic temps. my favs are walking downtown and around and back and also in a beautiful park by the river, in the middle of the city, feels like you are somewhere else, the arboretum.
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Your routes sound fabulous, Beth. Especially the arboretum. Hurrah to Ann Arbor.
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Just going to find my George Harrison CD (oh yes way behind in the technology here) to listen to that fab song.
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I am a member of CD World, too, Rachel! And, shhhh, I have vinyl, too!
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I won’t tell.
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Not immediately around us, but there are some very large parks in the city and around the river that we like to get to in the spring. Actual spring, I mean, not calendar spring.
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I couldn’t wait today, Sheena. We had to get out and do our thing.
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