Spring has sprung

If the weather forecasters are to be believed, we will see almost 70 degrees here in Boston today and for most of this week.

It looks like we have dodged Old Man Winter this year and can look forward to the return of warmer weather. After the winter we had last year, it is a relief not to have to go through another one this year.

Gas prices are still inching up and that will curtail many people from traveling far this Spring and well into the Summer. The POLS are trying to paint a rosy picture of recovery but it still is not evident to those who pay attention on the local level. My mechanic has seen business falling off and his parts store echoed that when they did work on my truck this past week. Both said that even though people are holding on to the vehicles longer, people don't have the money to bring the cars in for regular maintenance either.

Right now, we will see "more of the same" from the POLS until the election in November. There isn't much that will be accomplished politically as no one in office wants to give the opposition any leverage.

For now, I say let's focus on the nicer weather, the return of baseball and all the things that will return to growing. The other items will not change much and are not as engaging right now. I am hopeful for a good season of growing and enjoying time on the patio with the pups. They are looking forward to getting back outside too.

I got nothing....Winter Doldrums

Spent some time this morning looking for the issue of the day to comment on.....and I got nothin'.

Yes, Obama's budget is out (more overspending with money we don't have), Whitney Houston died tragically ( and predictably based on her issues), the world is still making a mess of things and we are approaching an election cycle more divided than ever.

So what could I comment on ?? There is too much bad news and not enough news that makes it worthy to make note of.....Guess this is part of the winter doldrums. We see things through a wintry lense and have trouble being optimistic until Spring makes it entrance.

SPRING is on the way. That is the best thing I can offer today. About a month from now we will be well into mid-March. Can't come soon enough.

The girl's got a point.....

Aloha Friday Observations....

I have spent time in Hawaii and in the islands, every Friday is " Aloha Friday "...There they look to live the " Aloha Spirit " and embrace the idea that "Aloha" is a way of living life with care and concern for others, along with enjoying life as it is a gift....I did this while overseas and wore my Aloha Shirt around Afghanistan on Fridays.....it made me stand out that was for sure and I had one Marine ask me, " What the hell do you do here? " in a tone that was uncharacteristic of most Marines (they are very polite when addressing civilians)....when I told him I was part of the company that supplies his life-support services, he eased up...it was a funny encounter as I would have likely wondered what the guy in the Aloha shirt was doing in Helmand Province if I were in his shoes too.....

Fridays also spur retrospective observations....You try to sum up the week's efforts and prepare yourself for some well earned weekend activity....so I'll take a bash at sharing some observations from my AOR (area of responsibility - Military speak for your present location)

• We are entering Spring but the weather here seems to not want to move away from winter....we had snow here twice this week and thankfully, it didn't add up to much...gone within hours once the temps rose back to the low 40s
• .
• The Herring are "running", which means returning to the rivers here in Southeastern Massachusetts as they do each Spring....you can tell because there is a large flock of Seagulls squawking and following them as they make their way up the river....and of course, leaving behind the calling cards that only seagulls can.....ewww
• "March Madness" is in full swing.....whatever. Too much attention is paid to the NCAA and it has turned March into a month dominated by college Basketball.....sorry, not interested. Spring Training for the Red Sox....more please.....Roundball just isn't that exciting, in my humble opinion.
• Two Oldest came by last night and we shared dinner and some early birthday cake along with the Mrs., daughter and daughter-in-law.....it was a good evening of humor, sibling rivalry and a game of Wii Golf....I actually won the round despite predictions that Dad would peter out on the tougher holes....I enjoy these evenings as the Number 1 and Number 2 sons have grown to be honorable men....I am proud of their efforts and it is very enjoyable to spend time in their company. The company of family in these tough times is something everyone needs more and less have the ability to enjoy....
• The political posturing for the 2012 Elections is already rearing it's ugly head and the field could not be more full of empty-headed fools who look in the mirror and see themselves as the next Thomas Jefferson....."Let me be clear about this"....the country is in serious need of leadership and we got nobody.......zero, zilch, nada.....no one.....not a single person has appeared on the horizon who the country can get behind and feel confident on the outcome.....Romney, Gingrich, Palin, Bachman, Trump, Barbour, Pawlenty, etc, etc. - All are woefully over matched and none of them has anything we want or need....they are all a bunch of self-centered fools......the "Empty Suit" who occupies the office is an abject lesson in what we should NOT do...elect some feckless idjit promising " hope & change " - We need to " Hope" we can "Change" him outta there as he is a blight upon the world stage and an embarrassment .....feckless, incompetent and lacking the sense God gave a dog.....really....and who will be the replacement???
• Meanwhile, we have Japan (prayers for them), Libya, Middle East unrest, Oil spiking, Deficit issues, etc, etc......did I miss anything ??
• I think this may be why we all are eager for Spring to come along....to allow us to enjoy the great outdoors and for a moment, leave the issues behind......especially on an ALOHA FRIDAY.

Snowmageddon - Snowpocalypse - Snow More...All I gotta say is Punxsutawney Phil better get it right....

We give....Old Man Winter wins.....All of New England gives....we are seeking terms for our surrender. Please.

We are dealing with a One-Two punch of the 7th Major Storm in the past 5 weeks and it shows no sign of letting up. Snowmageddon - Snowpocalypse - Snow More...

We are living the "Ground Hog Day" of winter weather, forced to live the same winter storm event over & over & over again.....aaaaarrrrrggggghhhh.

Wednesday is February 2nd and all I have to say is the damned rodent in Punxsutawney, PA better get this right.....please....we need a break.

Maybe Spring will be on the way as I saw a pair of Large Red Breasted Robins near my home Sunday and all I could think was " Either this is a good sign or those two are way off course." I hope for the former and dread the latter.


Here comes Groundhog Day
By Jack Pickell, Boston.com Staff

In the middle of a winter that thus far has featured a steady stream of snowstorms, it is somewhat appropriate that our current tempest enters its second day on Feb. 2, or Groundhog Day. That is, of course, the day when the small Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney gathers for an announcement about whether or not a particular groundhog saw his shadow -- with the remaining length of winter hanging in the balance.

However, the weather might have some New Englanders thinking of the 1993 comedy "Groundhog Day". In the film, Bill Murray portrays TV weatherman Phil Connors, assigned to cover the festivities in snowy Punxsutawney, Pa.

Connors begins living out the same day, again and again, with the exact same things happening around him. He actually memorizes all that's happening, and tries to use it to his advantage, particularly as he tries to win the love of his producer, played by actress Andie MacDowell.

Each day begins for Connors with the clock-radio going off, and Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" playing on the radio, and the day goes on -- exactly the same way -- from that point.

Weather-weary folks in the Boston area might feel a little like Phil Connors, trapped in a repetitive cycle from which there seems to be no escape. No sooner do they finally get their driveway clear of snow, or finish chopping all the ice on the walkways, then the local TV meteorologists make reference in their five-day forecasts to a "system we're keeping our eye on that has the potential to be a significant storm." And have these storms ever lived up to their potential.

Continuing the repetitive pattern, as the storm nears, newscasters warn us of a potentially miserable morning (and/or evening) commute. Again, pretty much on the money with most of those too.

Next come the parking bans, either in a robo-call from a city or town official, or in a text or e-mail alert. You're instructed that cars need to be off the streets, but you already know that. You knew it before the phone rang.

Next is the inevitable call from the schools, sometimes in the early morning hours, announcing another snow day for students. By now you can recite the announcement along with the recorded voice of the principal.

When the storm hits, you watch the extended coverage, or read the latest storm coverage online (shameless plug alert) like at Boston.com. And what do you know -- the snowfall totals are turning out to be on the upper end of the predicted range. Just like they were in the last storm... and the one before that.... and the one before that.

Finally it's time to shovel. And even if, back in December, you felt like a snow-moving novice, by now you consider yourself an expert, with successfully thought-out strategies on how and where to place the new snow with so much old snow all around you. It's not unlike Phil Connors, who, in an attempt to impress his music-loving producer, takes a quick piano lesson from the local music teacher. Then he takes another lesson, and another. Before long he's bringing down the house with an up-tempo blues piano solo, and on his way to getting the girl.

Eventually Phil Connors solved his problem. Folks in our region will too. It may seem like an endless cycle, but as hard as it might be to envision, the winter will end and spring will arrive -- even if Punxsutawney Phil does see his shadow

A video visit to Cape Cod.....Massachusetts' coastal jewel and a very special place...

Winter is in full swing here and the snow is flying.....but the beauty of it is that SPRING & SUMMER are only a few months away....Enclosed is a great video display that shows why we here in Massachusetts say that there in no place like Old Cape Cod.... If you have never visited, you should make a plan to come and see what Henry David Thoreau saw when he said,

"We do not associate the idea of antiquity with the ocean, nor wonder how it looked a thousand years ago, as we do of the land, for it was equally wild and unfathomable always. The Indians have left no traces on its surface, but it is the same to the civilized man and the savage. The aspect of the shore only has changed. "

Quote attributed to Henry David Thoreau; Cape Cod (1855-1865),