Shovel work

Go ahead, walk on it. I can keep up with the February snow and our path to the front door, and here’s the photo to prove it. Thank you, mail carrier and Amazon delivery people who’ve been trudging through this winter of we’ve-got-a-lot to complete their assignments.

Let it out

Coating. Here’s what happens when the furnace exhaust pipe sends out its steam into February zero temperatures and one of our front-yard bushes has branches ready to catch the water particles for the quick freeze. Pretty, yes.

If the shoe fits

Wrong paw. Lately, our cherished rescue mutt has taken an increased fondness to my winter Mocs. This is the closest I’ve seen her come to actually trying them on.

Zamboni squared

Twice the fun. Back in the day, hockey organizations would send out one trusty Zamboni to resurface the ice before the game and between periods. Lo and behold, I discovered at our visit to the Syracuse Crunch game at the War Memorial in downtown Syracuse that nowadays two of the pleasingly-named ice-smoothers circle the rink.…

I’ve missed a lot

Four officials! As I let the hockey game atmosphere roll over me this past weekend in downtown Syracuse, first off changes since our last visit sank in. The arena has a new name. This good, old building I’m so accustomed to calling The War Memorial now officially goes by Upstate Medical Arena at The Oncenter…

Looking good

Spruced up for a bit over 6,000. After we four trudged the two blocks from bar and grille Shaughnessy’s to our hockey arena in single-digit temperatures and easily found our seats in the second level, I happily looked around and anticipated the American Hockey League tussle between our Syracuse Crunch and the rival Rochester Americans…

A salute to Syracuse history

Indeed. My dear wife Karen, terrific daughter Elisabeth and fantastic George Three journeyed downtown for a bellyful at Shaughnessy’s before a hockey game with the Syracuse Crunch. Facing my spot at our table was a cool art piece noting the historic significance of the building we were in at present and the arena we’d be…

In a baseball mood

Not yet, I know. I should be thinking about the Super Bowl next weekend. Or the Daytona 500 the following weekend. But when February comes, I can’t help but think … … pitchers and catchers report to camps in a couple of weeks, full squads soon after. And I’ll get a few games on TV.

Happy February!

Cheers! Here’s hoping for a sweet month for all. I’m toasting with a Finger Lakes Cab Franc. May the cold spells be short and the snow falls be short. If you’re a skier or snowboarder, may your preferred mountains and hills have great snow-making equipment!

Behind the scenes

Just off a main street! After an annual visit to one of my docs this week, I decided to take a look behind their parking lot. I’d never ventured back there, but the snow and trees was calling my name. The houses below sure looked pretty in this cold January spell of ours.