A snowy spring hiccup

That is not the sight I wanted to wake up to on April 16 in Syracuse, N.Y. Not when just a day ago when I took a good, long look at this garden in our city neighborhood of Eastwood front yard, I was noting the yellow flowers of this forsythia that’s the cornerstone of the…

First color in our yard beats the return of snow

It’s been awhile coming this spring. With the winter we’ve had here in our Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood, it’s seemed like forever. Flower power arrived yesterday. We received the first burst of color. It came from the plant above, the one that we thought was from a tulip bulb that Karen missed when she…

Now that’s a front moving through

When my dear wife Karen and I pulled out of our driveway to drive an hour west to the Waterloo Premium Outlets early this afternoon, the car dashboard thermometer read 80 degrees. We enjoyed the last hour of the spring warmup, strolling the outdoor quad of stores in shirt sleeves. I wore shorts. But while…

So close

Almost. We’re one day from April, and the snow here in our Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood is waving its last bye-bye, what with a high of 57 forecast for tomorrow. At least I hope its one final wave. You never know around here. A common comment: Remember the year we woke up to inches…

Renegade bulbs shoot us some green

My dear wife Karen remembers digging up the tulip bulbs at this particular corner of a front garden last fall. They didn’t get along well with the juniper-come-lately as it grew. And they’d been there coming up on 10 years. Karen says they’ve been looking more and more scraggly each year. A couple little buggers…

Forecaster says one more snow, but I look for spring anyway

The Syracuse TV station weather guy said Wednesday morning shall bring one last snow. He called it the last gasp of winter, as a matter of fact. I hope so. As I walked with Ellie B, aka Dogamous Pyle, this afternoon prior to the last snowy hurrah, I kept my eyes open for any signs…

As a garden shows life in Eastwood, a junk TV sits in the weeds

The sun shines brightly on our sweet, little yard in Eastwood. I look over my dear wife Karen’s happy little garden oval out front. Every year, we put love into the ground. Little by little, the garden has widened. It shouldered a big change last year after winter winds toppled the centerpiece olive tree. Karen…