A community comes together to help a kind man

Friends come from many places in life, if you’re fortunate. My dear wife Karen and I met Dave and Pauline Togni when they joined the group of folks we take cruises with on the big ships. They know people who know people who we know. For several of these happy vacations, Dave and Pauline were…

Eclectic Corner: Splash of Color

This month’s edition of Eclectic Corner features the theme “Splash of Colour.” Justine has done herself proud once again, you’ll see if you click that link above, with a wonderful photograph, quote and haiku of her own to get our juices stirring to follow her lead. All we have to do is post a picture,…

Big piles persist, and that’s no joke

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…

At last, I spot my first bulb sprout of spring

The words I have waited so long this March to type: I have spotted the first green sprouting from a bulb in the gardens of the Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood. It’s in the very corner of the front garden, where a good-sized pile of snow still lurks a half-dozen feet…

The Bracket World knocks on Syracuse’s door

There was a little warmup for in Syracuse for our quarter slice of the Sweet Sixteen pie. I took a walk up to the Syracuse University hill because the NCAA opened the Carrier Dome for free to watch the practices for the four squads who’d reached the East Regional portion of the Sweet Sixteen. By…

A reflective walk and a legacy shot

After our working lunch at Clark’s Ale House to discuss and take pictures for the Photo 101 lesson glass, squaredTuesday, by longtime friend Jim McKeever and I walked along South Salina Street toward his place of business, talking about this and that, like two guys on the far end of their 50s who’ve known each…

The little tease, and a B&W challenge answer

It’s going to get nice here in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood eventually. It’s spring, after all. Saturday afternoon, I noticed more green in the backyard my dear wife Karen and I’s cherished Little Bitty. The grill has been liberated from its mound of covering snow. The shed is completely free from the white…

First full day of spring meant it was Mom’s birthday

In our house when I was a kid, March 21 was the first day of spring. None of this starting the season to savor the coming of the great warm to come around dinner time on the 20th like people talk about now. Nope. March 21st meant it was spring. And Dolores’ birthday. My mother…