Beyond the South End

Ode to Spring

Spring is here according to the calendar, although the folks up north might not agree. Here in Georgia the dogwood and flowering peach trees are out. The other hardwood trees across my parking lot are budding out. If you look at the bright white of the dogwood tree it’s almost like they are covered with snow. Not as cold though, thankfully.

 

My Ode to Spring has to include homage to the basketball gods who bring us March Madness every year. I spent all day yesterday in front of the TV watching the girls play. I will do the same today (Sunday), probably as soon as I get this blog written and make some lunch.

I don’t get to see the girls play much except for this time of year because of the inane practice of TV stations who try to charge you for that privilege. My budget doesn’t allow for such expenses. Therefore I have to wait for the powers that be, who set all these games up on TV, to throw we women basketball lovers a bone, but only after the boys are through playing. Meanwhile we get only one channel and have to do with back and forth coverage between all the games. Is that right I ask you?

I didn’t make out the brackets this year. I made such a mess of things last year that I decided to just try to guess who would win each game I was watching and root for that team. So far I’ve done pretty well. I did pick UConn to win last year and they did; and I think they will threepeat this year for sure. After that blowout with St. Francis Brooklyn last night, I think it’s a sure thing. I hope Geno gets his ten championships to tie with John Wooden of UCLA.

The President was in attendance at the women’s Princeton game yesterday to watch Michelle’s niece, Leslie Robinson, play on that team. As for his final four picks for the women: Princeton, UConn, South Carolina, and Notre Dame, those teams are still alive; but I don’t think Princeton is going to get past Maryland. Sorry, Prez. We’ll see. I predict that UConn will win it all again anyway.

Think Good Thoughts

For you folks up north who are still dealing with piles of snow which block your view of the road coming out of your driveways and the slushy stuff that makes a salt ring around your boots, think good thoughts. True Maineiacs tend to forget the snow under a bright blue summer sky. I think that will be kind of hard this summer. So, while you are dealing with the snow as in the picture below which I found on the Facebook page “Journey on the backroads of Maine” and the next picture which I found on “Born and Raised in Maine” remember to look forward to warmer scenes. In other words, “daydream.”

 

 

 

This picture of the skiffs comes from Scott Patterson. Check out his other beautiful Maine pictures at  www.spattersonphotos.com.

Instead picture this dam in Skowhegan, also found on the Back Roads site.



 

 

Maine in Winter isn’t all bad

Also remember that Maine people get to enjoy their state in winter mostly without the sometimes demanding summer people. There is plenty to enjoy if you are an outdoorsman: such as snowmobiling, ice fishing, sledding and skiing. I would personally like to take a horse and sleigh ride with my friend, Robin Robinson, and her Clydes up Dover Foxcroft way. You also have ice statue and molded snow statue contests as part of the many Winter Festivals that abound.

Soak it all in

So this spring and summer while you are soaking it all in, try to forget the winter scenes above for a while.  Before the mosquitoes arrive in the evening, sit back and enjoy a Maine sunset such as this one I found on “Simply Maine.”

 

 

 

Rejoice with this boy as he stands on Knife Edge on Mount Katahdin, also from “Simply Maine.”

 

 

Here’s to Spring!  Lunchtime and March Madness in that order. Go UConn!

Thanks for listening.