Winter took a break today with temperatures finally climbing to the low 50's. But the bucktoothed rodent in Punxatauney, Pennsylvania reportedly saw his shadow as he crawled out of his burrow, meaning we're in for six more weeks of winter. Never mind, I hopped on my bike to enjoy the respite from the frigid cold as well as to see if I could find any hints of spring in nearby Prospect Park.
It was a beautiful day but the park flora was still sound asleep. I thought I might find some crocus shoots poking their heads above ground, but a frozen pond, some unmelted snow and lots of wet meadow and mud were all I could see. As for animal life, there were plenty of us humans who, like me, were out to enjoy the warmth and a remarkable scene on the pond -- thousands of birds sunning themselves on its frozen surface.
Prospect Park Pond - frozen on February 2nd. Home to thousands of birds.
Goose, Goose, Gull ... and many more on the frozen pond in Prospect Park.
Canadian Honking Geese - gingerly step out onto the ice of Prospect Park Pond.
Oh my! It's a goose parade. Early signs of spring? Not really - I searched throughout the Park on a 53 degree February 2nd, but to no avail: not one solitary shoot has appeared. Perhaps another week or so. But in our very own front yard bulb shoots have been coming up since December ... probably due not to forthcoming spring but rather to not having been buried deeply enough when planted last fall.
Bulb shoots in our front yard - but a sign of spring? Not.
4 comments:
Oh wow, someone finally listened to what I had to say! Yes! I love the pictures, Daddy.
Still looks like winter to me! You need to come South see the wonderful shoots one day and then their frozen broken stems the next! You just never know!!!!
O those pictures shoot in a park for sure, as special as your New York Prospect Park for all the birdie birds, thanks Matt, it is awesome "to catch" the beauty of life like you did, although it may seem to be gloomy outside, well done ... from my rainy rainy southern France days ... it was sunny and bright in Paris though ... I also long for spring and its warm golden light and also hope to figure beauty under this present rain... Micky
As you like to know about "origins" I will comment
on you "Goose Parade"...
Did you know that the "Goose Parade" was invented
by Brigham Gander in 1784?
Brigham got his neighbor Hiram to be the leader of a group of about 20 gooses waiting to cross a frozen pond. He told the others to form a line behind Brigham... so that if the ice gave way only the first would get wet and the others would be saved!
Gooses have practiced this ever since.
Murray
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