winter
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Snow
My hometown got namechecked on ABC News the other day because of the weeklong snowstorm we’ve been experiencing. Not much happens in this burg, but we do have a history of national news outlets reporting on our blizzards. I guess it’s better than being one of those cities that only get news coverage for persistently Continue reading
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First Day Hike: 2026
In recent years, my family and I have followed a tradition of taking a New Year’s Day nature hike. These organized “First Day” hikes are sponsored by parks throughout New York State, so we had various options to choose from this year. There was an intriguing one at Fort Ontario in nearby Oswego that was Continue reading
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House Arrest
“I’m alright now, but last week I was in rough shape.” ~ Rodney Dangerfield Take Dangerfield’s quote above, swap out the word “week” for “month,” and it would serve as a good summation of my February. Last month was tough. Mostly, it was tough because of the weather. This area is currently recovering from the Continue reading
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Old Man Winter
I could tell you in this post that it’s been frigid and snowy in my part of the world. Or I could just tell you that it’s a typical January in Central New York and the weather part would go without saying. This “typical” January has come after several much milder-than-normal winters. It’s been a Continue reading
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Goose Egg
The thermometer just hit zero degrees Fahrenheit. There’s not much to say about that, but it is a temperature that, when experienced firsthand, is pretty much impossible to refrain from acknowledging. Around here in December, twenty degrees doesn’t even warrant a shrug. Anything in the teens might inspire an exaggerated “brrrrr” sound, or some remark Continue reading
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New Year’s Hike
I started 2024 off with a hike at Beaver Lake Nature Center. I can’t say it’s a full-blown tradition, but it’s something I’ve done on a few past New Year’s Days and will continue in the future as weather permits. A nature hike seems as good a way as any to celebrate the new year, Continue reading
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Year-End Wind-Down
There is a period in the Central New York seasonal cycle between when the last of the fall foliage drops from the trees and when the first serious snow accumulation arrives. It’s a time of dreary landscapes filled with bare tree limbs silhouetted against drab skies, dampened by cold drizzle and fog. Generally, that is Continue reading
About Me
Researcher. Marketer. Teacher. Father of adult children and dogs. 20th Century holdover. Central New York native. Long-suffering Buffalo Bills fan. History nerd. Traveler. Vintage advertising enthusiast. Hat wearer.
a.k.a. V.J. 