Simultaneity...

From Randi Art Although separated by a very big pond, Randi and I seemed to have experienced the seasonal changes together yesterday. New England has emerged from a very snowy and long winter -- reported as a record breaker for snow and by far the most challenging since we moved to Beverly in 1997 (of course, I was only present for a couple of the storms). Randi's excitement at the coming of spring has been evident in her recent fixation on flowers and capturing the blossoming and greening with her phone cam (see here and here and here).... Northern Ireland is also in mid seasonal change, although it isn't as dramatic here. Although trees go bare during the "winter", the grass remains green throughout. So-called "snow" is a rare occurrence, and while the temperature range is nothing to write home about it typically stays above the freezing mark and might creep above 40°F every so often. Here the coming of spring is evident by the slow blossoming process and the trees regaining their leaves. But the real sign of spring is when folks shed their jackets and bring out the BBQ grills. Yesterday, in what counts for an exceptionally warm day here in Belfast (temperatures in the high 50s Fahrenheit range), I received a visit from Niaz and friends who set up the cooking equipment on the lawn at my apartment complex. This was just a "dry run" for a bigger cookout Niaz is organizing for next week in celebration of his pending completion of a Ph.D. in law. We're hoping the fickle weather gods are smiling on him for that event....