Nothing quite like the sound of a snowmobile on a city night

Once, twice, three times my dear wife Karen and I heard the unmistakeable sound outside our living room window tonight. A snowmobile, going fast, with that trademark engine whine, around our Syracuse city neighborhood. We had almost a foot of snow today. The enthusiast who lives anonymously among us would not let the opportunity slide.…

Icing on the cake for fellow blogger’s birthday?

While commenting with my fellow Syracuse blogger Christopher S. Malone yesterday, the subject of snow came up. No surprise. I did mention Syracuse, right? In any case, Chris said it always snows here on March 12. And he would know that because … drum roll, please … it’s his birthday. Happy birthday, interesting fellow. If…

So be it, but I will say a quick hello to the green

When the morning newspaper puts a forecast for a foot of snow the next day on the top of the front page, I have to take notice. Especially on the second straight day when the temperatures in Syracuse have cracked 40 degrees, spurring a good melt and a measurable rise in my spirits. I’m about…

Snow Mountain, closed to skiers

This is getting old, this snowy winter. I promised Ellie B, aka Dogamous Pyle, a walk this Sunday morning. The theme came to me quickly as we got to the business end of our Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood. Where are they going to put it next? The four-day mini-melt of last week is long…

More signs of Syracuse’s significant snow

Some of you can’t seem to get enough of my snow pictures. And I live to make my WordPress friends in exotic climes happy. Mind you, compared to Syracuse, N.Y. that’s just about everywhere, but as of this cold February morning, I am talking about those experiencing summer in the Southern Hemisphere or somewhere else…

Don’t you know it’s cold out here this morning?

Funny thing about Ellie B, aka Dogamous Pyle. Every day, no matter the season, she wakes up with sunny-and-70 in her doggie brain. A trip out the back door and out the porch should always bring her greener pastures, right? Or at least, her grassy backyard in our Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood. Then she…

More snow. Repeat, more snow. Did I mention it was snowing …

OK, more snow in Syracuse is a no-news item. Even when it’s come down all day, since overnight. Even when I just got done clearing the driveway for the second time this Feb. 5. Yet I couldn’t help but snap this shot with my iPhone 4 after this most recent flurry of snow-throwing. The white…

A good neighbor at your side can make life easier

The next time I’m in a bit of a homeowner’s pickle, it will not surprise me one bit when my next door neighbor is ready to lend a word of advice or even more. In the decade that my dear wife Karen and I have lived in this Syracuse city neighborhood of Syracuse, Tim Garriques…

And it’s back to a green backyard — and holdout rose bush — in Syracuse

Syracuse was embraced by temperatures in the 50s Saturday. Unfortunately, the unseasonable warmth for Jan. 11 was accompanied most of the daylight hours by rain. No walking for me and Ellie B, aka Dogamous Pyle. Besides, we had to watch Syracuse dispatch North Carolina from the Carrier Dome on the flatscreen. The Orange remained undefeated…

The Palace Theatre reminds me why I like it in Syracuse

Sometimes when the thermometer is struggling to reach 0, the wind won’t stay below 20 and the ice seems to make every path in front of you glisten with menace, you wonder. Why, exactly, do I live here? My latest winter pass by my local Syracuse city neighborhood theater gave me a marquee reminder. We…