Spring thaw

View from my balcony
Originally uploaded by Theresa K.

Why is it that some calendar dates seem written in stone, from the top down?

Today is March 19. In California, where I grew up, it is the day that the swallows are supposed to instinctively return to Capistrano, a Southern California town with a 300+ years old Spanish Mission. It is one of the time-tested harbingers of Spring. Not unlike the groundhog who predicts how much more Winter is ahead by whether or not he sees his shadow.

I've been house and cat-sitting this week in a house right on Lake Erie. When I arrived here on Monday, the 14th, the lake was frozen solid. It looked like the Moon's landscape -- the waves and current had frozen in place. Snow had been falling on the frozen lake for months and it, too was frozen, casting a brilliant white on white sea of texture.

Luckily, I took photos of it daily and at different times of the day. That frozen lake was a sight I do not soon want to forget.

I did, however, want to take photos of a couple bands with the lake in the background. That won't be happening now unless they cleverly want to superimpose themselves on my lake-scapes.

One still wonders if there will be a late winter/early spring freak snowstorm.