Free Space

This challenge was pretty much a non-starter on this travel day, and try as I might, I couldn't think of a twist or a spin to make it work. So I'll take a mulligan and offer in my defense how I embraced earlier challenges. For example, once back at home, I nurtured my plants. I also noticed new things on the now familiar 400-mile journey from Buffalo, like all those cops in Pennsylvania. And I sang, too, holding that note in Lovely Day almost every time. All in all? It was a pretty active day, even if it was spent sitting on my butt. Oh, and I will definitely go to bed in good time.

Grow, Babies, Grow!

We have been watching the weather all week to find the best day to do the outside chores Heidi's mom requested, and when the sun returned today, and after a cold morning, we enjoyed a mild afternoon, so today was the day. We made quick work of hanging the swing, rolling out the grill, and placing the picnic table in its summer spot. Then, after we connected the garden hose and cut some forsythia branches for an early spring arrangement, it seemed like a natural next step to head over to the garden center. Their selection was still a bit sparse, but we came back with some thyme for the garden here, and a few little tomato plants, some leeks, and snap peas for our garden at home. 

They have been freshly watered and gently packed, ready to make the trip south tomorrow. I can't wait to get them in the ground!

April Flowers, Not So Much

The day was frigid and blustery. Snow flurries and ice pellets fell from the iron sky, but the dogs still needed walking, so we bundled up and headed out. 

Here in Buffalo, we are 4 degrees further north than DC, which translates to a much later spring. At home, the lilacs are blooming; the daffodils and red bud are nearly done, and the trees are leafy. Not so here. Only the earliest daffodils and sprays of forsythia lent color to the leaden day. This far north, the hours of sunlight are impressive, though, and spring will be here in glorious blossom before too long. They have so much to look forward to, if only they can last another cold week or three. 

But of course they can! It’s Buffalo. 

What's that Song Called?

Recently, after I drop Heidi off at work, I can't bear to listen to the morning news on the radio as I make the short drive home, so I've taken to tuning into the Morning Mashup on Sirius XM Hits 1. The show is kind of a throwback to the chatty DJs of the past, but with music from the present. And that's how I've found myself in a position of familiarity with today's pop charts. Rosé, Teddy Swims, Alex Warren, SZA, and many of their peers have incredibly catchy, sing-along songs out right now. 

When a Pennsylvania State Trooper pulled me over the other day for going 73 in a 55 and asked me for my license, registration, and insurance, he seemed a little surprised when I unplugged my phone to get the GEICO info and Morgan Wallen and Post Malone blared out of the speaker. "Nice tunes," he said appreciatively as he took my documents back to his cruiser. Admittedly, I didn't feel much like singing along right then, even though I knew the words to "I Had Some Help." But I'd like to think I did have some help, because he only cited me for 5 miles over the speed limit, allowing me to maintain my pointless driving record.

Falling Water

As today was predicted to be the mildest of our visit to Buffalo, we loaded the dogs in the car and headed up to the falls. Niagara Falls, that is. The state park on the US side of the river was more bustling than we expected, despite the fact that the observation area overlooking Horseshoe Falls was closed due to the eight inches of ice and snow still covering it. We walked the path that loops Goat Island, taking in the American Falls and being awed by all the ice chunks still floating down the Niagara River; it was a full 10 degrees cooler down by the water. 

Over in Canada, people strolled the well-manicured formal gardens that make up their river walk, and as usual, it seemed so strange to peer into another country, perhaps even more so these days. Our fellow tourists were also an international bunch: we heard many languages spoken as we shared the views with them, and I wondered what the border experience was like these days. 

Of course, the falls themselves remain as amazing and transcendent as ever, unmoved by our human struggles. Watching millions of gallons of aquamarine water plunge over the precipice is somehow both humbling and elevating. As Charles Dickens wrote in 1842, "It would be hard for a man to stand nearer to God than he does there." 

Good Day, Good Night

I woke this morning in Arlington, VA, and I'm going to bed in Buffalo, NY. As road trips go, today's was fine: light traffic, fair weather, and daylight all the way. Sadly? I did not close my rings, so my perfect month is kaput. I'm still a little tired from travel, though, and so I go to bed in good time.

In Progress

Lots of folks asked me about retirement in the two days I spent at school last week. And not surprisingly, those teachers still stuck in the grind of PTG+ (planning, teaching, grading, PLUS the countless hours spent meeting and completing paperwork) could not believe me when I told them that there were more than enough hours in the day for me to get the things done I wanted to and still be at loose ends. "You can only walk the dog so far and do so many puzzles," I confided several times. 

Likewise, there was a lot of movement possibilities today as we prepare for our roadtrip up to Buffalo tomorrow. Picking up, organizing, and packing were top of list, as well as last minute errands, including car snacks and choosing an audio book. But all is ready, and even after the dog and I walked 4 miles or so, I still had plenty of time to sit and do those puzzles.