Taking one last long lunchtime March walk Tuesday with Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle through our Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood, we couldn’t help but notice how no matter how high the angle of the sun has become, those 119 inches that fell on our city since October have been just too much. And even though we’ve delighted in a few days in the 50s and 40s, the temperatures have dropped below freezing too many times, too.
Down on the corner, out in the street …
The plow guys had nowhere to push it since, oh, New Year’s Day. The corner of our street and the cross block was as good a place as any.
Play ball?
I don’t think this city worker in his parked truck is taking a lunch break from getting this softball/baseball field ready for the spring Little League seasons. Good luck with getting those started.
More like football season.
Come late August, the Eastwood Bears will be back out to being the Youth Football season. By then, this football field may be dried out.
Walk this way.
King of the Hill would make Ellie B quite happy, but I was not to be pulled up that slippery slope.
After completing the big loop and soaking up all the sights we could, though, I’d still have to give game, set and match to my next door neighbor.
America’s snowbank.
He decided to stake claim to the snowbank at the end of his driveway by planting an American flag. How proud we all are on our street. And we’re happy that forecasts call for highs of 61º and 56º F on Thursday and Friday.
What eyesores might you spy on walks around your neighborhood? Are the fields of play where you live seem to be in use by young people already? What clever moves have you seen in your neighbors’ yards?
‚
Mark Bialczak 
I love your street! Especially looking down that hill in the road where the flag is. 🙂
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That blue house is the Little Bitty, Rachel. 🙂
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AY, we have a lot of those ugly dirty snow banks here too. Muy feo! 😦 My Mr. B did spot some Spring buds in our garden though, finally! There is hope for all of us. 🙂 That Ellie B looks quite royal there. 🙂
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Yay for buds at your place, Mrs. B! Show this Ellie B photo to your Mr. B in your quest for un perro. 🙂
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Now I don’t know what I want more. A doggie or an iPhone 6…
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You can use your new iPhone 6 to take photos of the rescue pup you and your Mr. B fall in love with at a local shelter, Mrs. B! Both!!
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i love your neighbor’s flag statement and ellie looks proud and like she’s posing on her snowbank. no kids on the fields yet, but my class is sure loving the milder weather at recess, yesterday we took our coats off and everyone was ecstatic!
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I can imagine the feeling of freedom for kinders to shed the jacket for the first time at recess. In fact, I can remember it, still, Beth, through my years of school. 🙂
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It looks about the same here too Mark. I’m looking forward to the warm temps tomorrow. ha! The city truck parked in the corner reminds me of an old joke we used to tell when I was trucking. What’s back and yellow and sleeps two? A Newfoundland Department of Highways plow.
Ellie looks like she is having a good time. Whenever I see a dog narrow it’s eyes like that, I’m sure they are reading the smells on the wind.
Fun post Mark. Thank you
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should read “black and yellow”
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I like your joke, Paul. These city truck drivers have no place to hide with iPhoners like me. 🙂 Yes, Ellie B is a sniffing away on our walks. She loves it.
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119 inches? Whoa. Will you have problems with flooding when it all melts? Enjoy the warmer temps!
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So much has melted already, Liz, that I think we’ve avoided the flood dilemma. Knock on wood. It’s all off our roof, and it did not come down into our inside walls. Yay!
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No snowbanks around here… in fact, after a brutal February, I’m not sure we had much if any snow in March. It was almost 80 today, but I never say never to snow until mid April…
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Wow, that 80 must feel nice, Bill. Tomorrow is supposed to be 63 here, and I am going to wear shorts for the first time this spring.
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I always laugh when I see everyone start dressing like it’s summer the first reasonably warm day of Spring. It usually takes me until June just to shed my hoodie…
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I don’t go the whole route. I’ll go with a hoodie and shorts, Bill.
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Now that’s how to compromise!
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You know, I often come upon writing prompts that ask you to write about things you see in your neighborhood on a daily basis, eyesores or no. I never found anything particularly unusual except for a spot where someone carved ‘drugs are great’ into the wet cement in the area behind my apartment building. I’ve often tried to write a blog about it but then it sounds like I’m either advocating drug use of saying ‘Okay kids, drugs are bad, m’kay?’
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Interesting, Marissa. OK, here’s my altered prompt for you. Write a fiction story of 500 words of how that three-word phrase got carved in the wet cement and the reaction of the first person who saw it dried there. Ready, set, create …
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I will definitely try to do that and thank you. I think taking it from the reaction of someone seeing it who never saw it before definitely gives it an interesting perspective. I have to tell you though, can’t promise it won’t be a poem. I have a very hard time writing anything that is not in rhyme form!
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I didn’t restrict my prompt in any way, did I? Never to you would I say “No poem,” Marissa. ❤
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That is true!!
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Enjoyed the walk, Zak. Such fond memories of that snow melting smell…it’s called spring! Right now I’m staring at a Walgreens going up near our subdivision entry. Grr…
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We had that happen in our city neighborhood of Eastwood about three or four years ago, right at the start of James Street in the heart of things, about five blocks up from our street, Aud. The people on the closest streets really were angry. But I don’t think it hurt the traffic flow or the cosmetics of the area, too much, and I like Walgreens as far as big boxes go. I hope it’s not too bad for you down there.
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“…Willy and the Poorboys are playin’, Bring a nickel; tap your feet.” A nickel? What on earth can a nickel buy?? BTW, our neighborhood pools opens today–which would have been great last year when we only had 75 houses in our subdivision. They just finally built a pool after 8 yrs–but they also built 100 more houses this past fall. And the pool is the size of a garden tub. SO THERE IS NO ROOM FOR ANYONE!! Oh, well. At least there’s no slushy grey snow. 🙂
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First-world problems, Kerbey. 🙂 Small pool and gray snow in April.
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Snow is so pretty when it’s white but yuk when it turns grey – Spring must arrive soon! Love the way your neighbour has placed a flag.
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My neighbor is a bright one, he is, Rachel. 🙂
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Mark – something for you and Karen over on my blog … and no april fool joke 🙂
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That’s amazing, Rachel. You made Karen and I very happy with that drawing, my friend. 🙂 Thank you.
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haha if you can’t beat it, own it? I love your neighbour’s attitude Mark! Thanks for showing me around the ‘hood and here’s hoping the sun will melt all that snow real soon. ❤
Diana xo
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I think we need rickshaws in Syracuse, Diana, after taking the tour of Alberta with you at your place today!
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I will let the rickshaw people know Mark!
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If they had to pedal here from Alberta province, we’d get them by summer, Diana! 😉
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Albertan rickshawers can do better than that Mark. Calgary to Syracuse = 3660 KM. If they ride 100km/day. They should be there in 37 days. So look for them on your street on May 8. 😀
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This city would love them, Diana. 🙂
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yay… we are between 70 and 80 degrees
happy new month, my friend & happy april fools day 🙂
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Hot Texas, lucky Leyla! 😉
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I remember hating the “dirty snow banks” growing up in Scotia, N.Y. Going to be in the 80’s here in Tulsa. Really enjoy your writing….. Shults
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Hey, Shultsie. Enjoy the warm spring in Tulsa. It’s like it used to be in our Sno’ville days this spring here in Syracuse, dirty snow piles and all. 😦
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Waiting for spring here too, Mark. Good luck.
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I saw some dad’s and kids practicing some ball throwing and catching at the park at the end of our street on my way home from work last night. It looked so nice. And snow free!
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I’m glad the cycle of life has started in Ohio! I love those sounds of spring, MBC. Love it.
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I love the sounds. Have to be honest though MBM, spring is NOT my favorite time of year. I am terrified of spring storms. 😦
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Yes, you have told me of that fear, MBC. I hope they hopscotch over you completely this spring.
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I’m hoping. I wish it didn’t scare me because I love the idea of watching the storms….it’s the destruction and all that gets me….
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Wishing you an early spring!
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Thanks, Kimi. That will have to be next year! 🙂
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