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The Daily Bark: March 2006

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March 31, 2006
It occured to me that one thing the stars of today do not have are music themes. In the golden days of hollywood and radio, so many personalities hade "theme songs". When they would appear on stage, radio, movies and tv, you would hear their theme and it would identify them as quickly as the James Bond Theme makes you think of 007. Bob Hope had "Thanks for the Memories". Jack Benny had "Love In Bloom". Judy Garland had "Over the Rainbow". Ethel Merman had "Everything's Coming Up Roses". Laurel and Hardy had "The Cuckoo Song". Sometimes the song came from a big hit. Other times it was just a song associated with them. Even the Big Bands like Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller had songs "associated" with them. When the song began, no matter where you might hear it, you thought of the star. I bet when most people here "White Christmas" they think of Bing Crosby before they think of its equally famous composer, Irving Berlin. I cannot think of too many stars these days that have a strong association. Oh, a group or singer might have a best seller. But that is different than a song association. Do not know why this popped into my head. Perhaps it is due to me watching some old films of late. Particularly Three Stooges and Laurel Hardy, both of whose themes are instantly recognized. Wait a minute. Maybe there is one. Celine Dion and "My Heart Goes On" could be such a link.

March 30, 2006
Everything I know, I learned from STAR TREK. Unfortunately, it was the wrong generation. I came to this conclusion the other day when handling some business stuff. Having grown up with the original crew (Capt Kirk et al), it was a time when individuals made decisions and stuck to them. It was a time when one acted on experience and knowledge. It was a time when you stood up for what was right. It was a time when you got respect for doing a good job. Such lessons did me well in my early career, during the 1980s and 90s. However, that is not the business world of today. Today it is the world of "The Next Generation". It is a world where folks deeply discuss every issue and only guess at conclusions. It is a world where there is more talk than action. It is a world where the right thing might not be the right thing in someone's else's eye, so it is really the wrong thing. It is a world that doing a good job is not always rewarded... but can actually be questioned. I'll take the world of the first season. Though I do enjoy STAR TREK: TNG. In fact, it is the only "other" series of the franchise I enjoy.

March 29, 2006
In rare form tonight... am actually speechless. Shoveling snow, keeping track of studio business from home and other things have just left my mind a bit unfocused.

March 28, 2006
A rainy day. A rainier night. Still looking for spring.

March 27, 2006
A lady of note recently died in the world of Great Danes. As is often the case when a notable death occurs, a memorial ad for publication is put together by taking up a collection. This time, two groups are taking up collections. The first collection was begun in typical fashion. Shortly thereafter a second one was started for those who did not want to "associate" with the one who started the first. Pretty petty. Rachel wrote a note stating that at a time like this, folks should put aside such differences and come together to honor the person. As is standard with internet forums, her note got compliments and complaints. My favorite complaint was the one who wrote that "newbies" just did not understand the background enough to make such comments. Understand the background? That is the pettiest, most intolerant thing I have heard on a dog forum. That lack of perspective is the same mentality that has kept intolerance, hate wars and racism active to this date. Those who argue we cannot have peace because of how or why something happened years ago, decades ago, centuries ago, etc are the ones who make real peace impossible. After 9-11, countires who supported and opposed U.S. policies, came together. If countries and religions can unite, even if for a moment, it is a sad state that the dog world cannot. The lady who passed was a great lady who was key to the breed. Those who cannot put aside petty differences (and at times like this, all differences are petty) are showing their real pedigree - mutts.

March 26, 2006
One trend I am sorry to see returning to TV, and even getting bigger is what I call "sad tv". In the 1950s and early 60s there was a "game show" called QUEEN FOR A DAY. The set-up was that several ladies would get up and tell their sad story. It might be a single mom needing toys, a lady with a broken washing machine, or a newlywed with no money for furniture. After they told their stories, a panel of guest judges would pick one to be "Queen for a Day" and she would recieve her toys, washer, furniture, whatever. It was one of the creepiest, saddest shows on TV. It was, fortunately, the only show like it at the time. But today, we are flooded with shows that seem to enjoy showcasing sorrow. They call them "reality programming". On shows like AMERICAN IDOL I hear folks say how they only watch the early episodes to see the "really terrible acts". How sad is that? Entertainment based on others suffering, being made fools of, etc. Last night I sat through an episode of the AMERICAN INVENTOR. The judges looked at many inventions. Interestingly, the inventors who simply came in and presented their product were shown in quick clips getting "yes" or "no" votes. But let someone come in to say how they had sold their house, or quite their job, or were now living in cars to work on their inventions, the camera lingered on the teary faces... lingered on the judges squirming... lingered on the pleas for acceptance, and (frequently) on the final vote... usually negative. Unlike so many who find such things dramatic, interesting, or "funny". It seems more akin to throwing Christians to lions than entertainment. I just find it sad.

March 25, 2006 (9 months till Christmas!)
One often hears about how today's kids are graduating from school unable to read. From what I can see in the business world, this issue began decades ago. I constantly hear of executives who seem unable to read anything. Or at least never seem to have time for it. There are the presidents and vice presidents who never seem to read any of emails, memos or reports sent to them. One can send these folks a report indicating the date something is due, and almost immediately receive a request from the same exec asking what the delivery date is. There are the development execs who claim not to have the time to read the dozen proposals they receive each week. These proposals run around 5 pages. There are even producers and story editors crying for new story talent who cannot find the time to read a few premises - which run around 2-3 sentences. Yet the production management side is expected to weekly read several scripts, numerous storyboards, budget requests, network reports, and more. Believe me, I would LOVE a job in which the requirement was to read 20-50 pages per week. Maybe they should insitute speed reading as a required course for executives.

March 24, 2006
"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have." - Roger Rabbit.
I am not one to laugh outloud a lot. An associate once stated I had an "editor's laugh", in that I would look at something and comment that it was "funny", rather than laugh at it. He stated I analyzed humor as an editor would. I do laugh out loud at times. The stooges, Abbott & Costello, Family Guy, Bob Hope, Woody Allen and others can get me to chuckle audibly. Luckily, so can my wife. Though she does not think of herself as a "funny person", she has a natural comic sensibility. She generally does not do "jokes", or "zingers", or "stinging comebacks". Instead she makes keen, comic observations. Like a Will Rogers, she has the knack to see things a bit off-kilter. For example, the other day a commercial for a Gubernatorial candidate aired. It was a democrat prepping for a run against "Ah-nold". At the end of the ad, the tagline was "a different kind of candidate for governor". Rachel immediately responded, "Yes, a non-famous kind." I laughed. Then there was the time I was perusing news items on the net. One headline stated "Storm hits coast, 10 dead." Without a beat she said, "8 was nervous, 11 is relieved." I paused. Then it hit me and I laughed. Such devious wordplay is worthy of Burns & Allen or a Benchley. I would agree that she is not what most would call a "funny person". Her art can certainly be comical in its expressions. But just as important, her mind has a sharpness that can cut through and into the most common statement to find the absurdity or flip side. Most professional comedians will tell you that is a true comic skill.

March 23, 2006
Taking things too seriously... or not. As I grew up, I enjoyed the Road movies with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby as well as other films offering a freewheeling lifestyle. They never took anything seriously, and things just turned out right... or at least funny. I enjoyed dabbling in all sorts of things for the fun of it. Comic collecting, animation art, writing, costume performance and such. In each of these, I often found those who were "serious" about the subject. There were comic dealers in the 1960s who "knew" someday there would be money to be made in comic collecting. Ditto those who knew "someday" you could make a living dealing in animation art. I saw these folks as fanatics and just wandered from one thing to another having fun. Now, as an "older and wiser" individual, I see many of those fanatics were right. They did turn such odd activities into careers. The same is true in many businesses. Those who are single (closed) minded or fanatical often get to their goal. Some state that is why the Republic party has been more successful than democrats: The Republicans have few goals and fight hard for them, the Democrats have a wide range of goals and cannot keep focused. It made me think that perhaps the meek shall not inherit the earth, but the wild-eyed fanatics. Not a pleasant thought. Neither is the fact that these days, I seem to think less and less of the songs and jokes about living free in the Road pictures. Instead, I keep seeing the scene from the first film, ROAD TO SINGAPORE, where Crosby's "dad" is trying to get Bing to "give up" the free life and be an executive in the family business. Bing asks why he can't just be "a regular guy". His "dad" replies, "The poor house is full of 'regular' guys." Not a funny ending.

March 22, 2006
Though there are some who don't enjoy my political posts (hi, honey), sometimes it gets too hard to resist. I have many issues with the current administration, but recently the President really topped himself. Bush has tried to identify himself as many things, from "education president" to "wartime president". Well, his recent remarks crown him the "pass the buck president". I believe it was Truman who had the sign on his desk that stated "The Buck Stops Here". It was his way of stating that he had the responsibility for the actions of his administration. The other day, Bush had the gall to state that the fate of US soldiers in Iraq would fall upon "future" presidents. With that one statement the president has washed his hands of the entire Iraq issue. He says we "can win" so he will keep the troops there. How we will... when we will win... what we will win are now somebody else's problems. Add that to a laundry list that includes "worry about it tommorrow" issues from skyrocketing deficits to plummeting funding for services. What a dowry for the next administration!

March 21, 2006
Disney's newest animated feature is THE WILD. It has a storyline and character choice very similar to Dreamworks' MADAGASCAR. It seems common in today's film world for competing properties to clash in the marketplace. In the golden days of Hollywood, such battles were avoided. Despite the fierce competition between studios, they realized that competing directly was not a financially sensible action. When Disney was at work on their Gremlins feature, they discovered Warner Bros was doing a cartoon featuring the fictional characters. After a discussion, Warners retitled their "Gremlins from the Kremlin" cartoon to RUSSIAN RHAPSODY. (The Disney film was never completed, and one can still hear the lyric, "We are Gremlins from the Kremlin" in the WB short.) When Warners began working on their classic ROBIN HOOD to star Errol Flynn, they found that MGM was working on an operetta version. Again, after a meeting, the MGM project was cancelled. Even as late as the 1970s, studios found a way to work together. One studio bought the rights to a topselling novel about a fire in a high rise building called "The Tower". Another studio bought the rights to a topselling novel about a fire in a rise building called "Inferno". Rather than race each other to box office, they teamed and THE TOWERING INFERNO was born. Today, though studios prefer that race to the box office. The end result is both films suffer at the boxoffice, and often have to put up with unfair comparisons from reviewers. There seems little regard from the studios to the cost of these battle to the actual films.

March 20, 2006
Here it is the first day of spring, and we are getting 1-2 inches of snow every hour. ugh. Plus, feel I have attracted a bug and feel punk. Rachel also is under the weather. And for those counting, our gas prices jumped 9 cents since Friday. As Garfield might say, "Must be Monday."

March 19, 2006
Very long day. Spent the morning digging out the vehicle so we could go to the birthday party. It was for the kids and we had representatives from all the litters. All had a grand time of running, playing and even some passing cgc (canine good citizen) tests. Rachel's 6stardanes.com will have pix up no doubt. Nice to see the kids having fun and getting along so well. Back home tonight, the snow started again! By bedtime we've had almost another foot! Getting real tired of this.

March 18, 2006
A studio executive is always right. Last year a key exec stated the network needed new branding and he had found it in a brilliant Australian cgi studio that did amazing work. The network was going to dump all the old hand animated comedy bumpers that featured the various stars doing gags. Instead, the network would install new cgi ones that featured all the network's characters living in the same world and doing standard things. The change was going to be expensive, but worth it. He also said the problem with the network was that it all looked alike and they would spend more time and money branding individual time slots for pre-school, girls and such. Heads of the network thought the exec was nothing but brilliant. Ratings have been poor at the network ever since. This year, the same exec, announced the network needed new branding. A key problem was a poorly chosen Australian cgi studio had done nothing but boring bumpers featuring all the series characters doing standard things. Now the network was going to create bumpers in standard animation that featured the series characters doing funny gags. It was going to be expensive, but worth it. The exec also said the network had lost its direction with too much branding of individual time slots for pre-school, girls and such. Instead, more time and money would be spent making all the network time slots look more alike. Heads of the network think the exec is nothing but brilliant. As they say in the army, "about, face!"

March 17, 2006
Super tired. No bark.

March 16, 2006
Got another case of the 'blog blues' today. They come when I read horribly innacurate postings in people's blogs. Blogs allow folks to send their falsehoods to millions of folks, with little chance of ever posting corrections. Blogs allow me to say things like, "I was the real author of Gone With The Wind". And some readers might believe it. And worse, a search engine will pick it up so that at some time in the future people searching for the author of Gone With The Wind will find my post and possibly give me the credit. The newest fad in animation is for creators to have their own blogs and journals. Most of them simply post art from their projects. But, sadly, some also post misinformation. Today I found two. One was from a studio that is working on a series for Cartoon Network. They keep posting art from a "lost episode" that was "pulled" and never seen. The "pulled" episode aired around a year ago... and airs around every few months. My TV remote is more "lost". Then another blog allowed a creator to make a variety of amazing claims including that he is responsible for animated series on cable, and flash animation on the internet. Not surprisingly, this fellow worked for another creator who claimed in the 1970s to have invented rotoscoping for animation. (Rotoscoping was used as far back as the 1920s.) I have a friend who always tells me that I should write these sites and correct them. I did for awhile. One actually did post a correction. The others had already moved on to new information. Oh well. I need to get back to work on HOODWINKED, the first animated feature. Once I finish that, I will record all the dialogue for TOY STORY. Of course, I really don't need to work at all thanks to those Gone With The Wind royalties.

March 15, 2006
Is Pixar going "Hollywood?" As the old saying goes, the other shoes are dropping at Pixar now that it is headed towards Disney's land. News has come that they have changed the director for their upcoming RATATOUILLE. The new director is Brad Bird. Several have noted that though The Evil Disney is notorious for switching directors aroung, Pixar has always kept true to the original directors vision. Of course others point out that Pixar did have this happen once before on TOY STORY II when studio head Lasseter took over. Of course, counting all Pixar films, this means they have pulled the switch on one fourth of their films. Disney's percentage would be around 50%. And in some ways, transfering power from newcomers to the established regime is not anything new... for Disney. The Pixar Pixies are dancing around the issue saying nothing has changed in the dream studio. (In the 80s, the Bluthies were all agog at Don until ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN debuted.) Receiving less notice is the doubling of salary for Ed Catmull to $1 million! The rationale was that he will soon be responsible for two studios - Disney and Pixar. Of course it could be that Pixar now has a lot of cash thanks to Disney's deep pockets. As Pixar alone, they were holding tight to their money as a hedge against fully funding their own features and distribution. Now that Disney will be doing the funding and distribution, that money can go someplace else. Not surprisingly, there has been no annoucements of major boosts in animator salaries. Reminds me of the salary bumps and bonuses for the execs at Disney... but Pixar wouldn't do that.

March 14, 2006
The Hallmark Channel has gotten back to the first season of M.A.S.H. I am one of those who think the show was "better" when it was more about humor and less about the horrors of war. In some ways, the series went the way of Woody Allen movies - from comedies with some melodrama to melodramas with some comedy. However while watching the last run through, from first to last season, something else struck me. How "White" the series became. In the first season, regulars included a Black character (Spearchucker, seen in the original film), several Korean characters, and even an Australian. By the end of the second season, it seems these characters were gone leaving an all White cast. Yes, characters of all races, religions and persuasions came through the unit. And they all made for some interesting, if sometimes heavy handed morality, stories. But they were mostly just one-shot characters. On a show that was so much about civil rights (with stories on racial, religous and sexual preference bigotries), it seems odd the cast went away from diversity. Usually shows will add extra characters to add more balance. Here was a case of a series starting out balanced and going askew. Odd.

March 13, 2006
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Folks seem to love them, hate them, or sadly have little memory of them (the quickest growing group). Of all the classic comedy teams, and perhaps even the classic sound comics, they have the largest feature output - over 30! Recently I have been going through the four dvd sets from Universal. I am gaining a new appreciation of them as comics and actors. So many folks remember the team for their classic vaudeville routines - "Who's On First", "The Mustard Routine", "Susquhana [sp] Hat", "Dice" and more. And it is obvious these guys were at their peak in performing such classic banter. But too often their features get dismissed for silly stories, lame romantic subplots, and roughly inserted musical numbers. While many of the films do contain these elements, I think cinema critics are being a bit too rough. Since the first few films are so strong, folks forget that many of the later films are just typical of the standard "B-movie" in writing and direction. However, if one watches Bud and Lou in these films you can see that either of these could have had a long career as solos. Each had impecible timing, and a breezy style on the screen. Bud, a great straight man, perhaps the best ever, has a wise-ass, weasely personality that would have easily fallen into second rate detectives, newspaper reporters, or salesman roles. Lou obviously could have starred as comic relief in mysteries, horror films and adventure films. Of course, together, they are often a perfect match. But even in their weaker films, without the classic vaudeville patter, the two come across as accomplished screen stars. They are able to make even the silliest stories come to life. Something many larger name stars today are not able to do. As they might argue, "You don't like Abbott & Costello? Give me a reason. You too big a man to like Abbott & Costello? Every day thousands and thousands of people laugh at their films. And becuase you don't like them, are we supposed to tell those people they can't watch them anymore?" Luckily with the help of dvd, they'll always be around.

March 12, 2006
Happy Birthday, Mom! Yes, it is my mom's birthday today. Quite a coincidence that my mom and dad were born only a few days apart, making them both pisces. Like my dad, my mom always kept family as a key aspect of her life. Living in a time when it was neither expected nor necessary to be a bread-winner, my mother did not have an outside job. She focused on the full time job of running a house. This meant the typical things like grocery shopping, taking us kids to school, cleaning the house and fixing meals. An industrious and artistic lady she also got involved with a variety of creative endeavors with friends. At different times she painted statues, did goldleaf, worked with decopage and more. She has one of the greatest color senses I have ever seen. Only Rachel comes close. Later mom got into shell collecting and created amazing mirrors, lamps and more from her many boxes of shells. She also was an avid reader and could finish the thickest books in a matter of days. But as I said, family was key. She made sure to find time to do things with me. When I was not in school, we would sit and watch 'crummy Charlie Chan' films and other nonsense found in the early days of TV. We did lots of things from playing golf, to playing tennis to sometimes just putting together a jigsaw puzzle. For awhile, we became the 'mother son construction company' and spent days and weeks building shelves and other additions to various houses we were in. She also helped dad when he went into business for himself, becoming his 'office manager'. One thing my mother has never accepted is boredom. She has always enjoyed life. She taught me through deeds that no matter the limits of time, money or location, one can have fun. And thanks to her, I usually can. Love you, mom.

March 11, 2006
Trapped. The storm has been worse than ever imagined. We have probably had over 3 feet of snow dropped on us since this morning. Some are reporting show levels of over 4 feet, with drifts over 10 feet. Shoveling is almost pointless as with an hour of shoveling, another several inches come down. Still, every hour we go out and try to put a dent into the deck or stairs. We have not had a plow since Friday night. That is because they are struggling to keep the main roads open. Currently, they are not allowing trucks or busses up the mountain. The highway patrol is recommending everyone stay home and off the roads. Unbelievable. It has created mixed feelings... of fear, of depression, of anger, and even of helplessness. Mother nature at her worst, again. At this time, seeing the drifts pile up over the window, I wonder if I will even be able to leave by Monday. I wonder if they will have plowed the small roads by then?

March 10, 2006
Well, Jet is hanging in at the house. Jet is our new chihuahua-mix. He has already gotten into the rhythm of household schedules. Jet is certainly a happy fellow. Talking, wiggling and "dancing" up a storm. He, Rooster and Eagle seem to enjoy each others company very much. Kele and Luca are still a bit suspicious of him. Star has accepted him as another charge who needs to be kept in line. The cats... well they are not sure what to make of this dog in a cat-size body. I'll just say that there is a lot of staring back and forth. No doubt all will eventually get used to each other. He is quite a character.

March 9, 2006
It is coming... another winter storm! Of course weather prediction is still a guessing game, but all the odds are that we will get white stuff this weekend. It might start tonight. It might start tomorrow night. We might get up to 8 inches of snow... or we might get up to 12 inches... or maybe up to 20. Either way, it will be an "at home" weekend. Time will be split between shoveling snow off the deck, so it doesn't get too high, and shoveling out the vehicles, which will be two against one - me against mother nature and the snow plows. It is hard to believe that we are nearing the first day of spring. As mentioned earlier, I blame it on that blasted gopher. Oh well... will hopefully find the inhome time productive. If nothing else, I have to produce my tax receipts. Joy.

March 8, 2006 - Happy Birthday, Dad!
Yes, it is my dad's birthday today. Suffice to say, he is older than I. There are so many things I could say about my dad. He was an aerial photographer during World War II. In fact, he was in one of the first planes to fly over Japan to photograph the damage from the atomic bombs. Photography has remained a hobby of his. He was a pioneer in the practice of selling appliances to major retailers so they could put their name on the products. Like the way Sears purchases things to put the "Kenmore" brand on. He was a master scout leader. He had the uncanny ability to remember people he had met years earlier. (Sadly, a trait I did not inherit.) But most of all, he was a dad who always put family first. When he had to go on business trips, he would often take us with him. He would work in the day while we visited tourist attractions, joining us at night to see the city. It was how I got to see such sights as the Alamo and New Orleans. He made sure to spend nights playing games, doing puzzles or just watching TV with us. He took an interest in all our hobbies and activities, even when he could not really understand them - like my comic book collection. The best compliment I can give him is that so many of my friends have often said they wished they had a dad like mine. Even Rachel commented that she knew I would remain handsome in my later years, because my dad had. Thanks, dad.

March 7, 2006
Another new species found! This time scientists located what amounts to a "furry lobster". It is white, around six inches long and has blond fur on its claws. Scientists state that while finding new forms of creatures under the sea is not new, finding a totally new species is. Just last month scientists located a new 'extinct' mammal that was considered half beaver and half otter. A "botter?" It was the largest sea mammal of its time. Again, finding a new prehistoric creature is not new, but scientists claim this one will cause a new timeline in the development of mammals. (And I seem to recall someone also found the world's smallest fish.) I can recall when putting a man in space or on the moon was but a dream. I remember when talk of finding the Titanic or the Monitor were topics of science fiction and fantasy stories. Such discoveries and events keep us aware that there are still positive surprises ahead. At times when things look bleak in various corners of the world, the nation, and even our neighborhoods, it is good to remember that.

March 6, 2006
We have a new addition to the house. Currently his name is Jet, formerly Waldo. He is a chihuaha mix, about the size of one of the cats. His role is to be the permanent puppy. He is bursting with energy and personality. Star was the first to meet him, and enjoyed is company. At home Eagle and Rooster have both shown a watchful eye towards him, like a younger brother. Luca and Kele are a bit more suspicious. The kitties... well, they seem to waver from amused to baffled. At this point, he seems to fit in fine. It does feel a bit odd to have a canine that can slip into the nooks previously reserved for kitties. It is also amusing to see the reactions of all involved. (Less amusing was the fact that gas shot up 10-cents a gallon from my trip to work to my trip home!)


March 5, 2006
Well, the Oscars are over. As predicted, WALLACE AND GROMIT: CURSE OF THE WERERABBIT won for Best Animated Feature. The Chicken Little animation was nice, with a pretty good gag, too. Thought Jon Stewart did a good job as host. He has an air of class around him that survives even when his jokes die. Not the greatest host, but a good one. CRASH as best picture was a bit surprising. Actually, have not seen any of the pictures up for best picture. But of hte ads, hype, reviews and such, I was surprised. Equally surprised by Rees Witherspoon winning the Best Actress. Of course in around 5-10 years most of the big winners this year will be forgotten. Instead folks will be discussing HARRY POTTER 3rd film, NARNIA's first, what went wrong with KING KONG and other films.

March 4, 2006
Got to hit Disneyland today. Though it was fun, I was reminded how really crowded the park can get. It becomes almost impossible to get through the crowds at time. One sees dozens of people in line for popcorn. Restrooms are jammed. Also made me think of July 4th, 1976. I worked that day as Eeyore. It became, at the time, the biggest attendance in Disneyland history. The crowd peaked at around 45,000. In those days, such a crowd would trigger the closing of the parking lot and even the admissions gate. Characters would be pulled off the streets to keep from creating traffic problems. The Main Street transportation ceased to allow folks to get up and down Main Street more easily. The crowds renewed discussion of opening a second "street" next to Main Street to allow for better flow. (This addition never was done.) Today, it is not unusual for Disneyland to have over 80,000 visitors. The only change in the park since I worked there is the addition of Toontown. Somehow I don't think that area holds 35,000 guests.

March 3, 2006
Computer problems. No bark.

March 2, 2006
March is in like a lion, and it is all Puxsutawney (aka Puxatawny) Phil's fault! We were having a great winter. Daytime temperatures in the 60s. Light breezes. Sunny days. Cool nights. VERY unusual... but also very pleasant. Winter could have ended right there very nicely. Then "he" saw his shadow. Six more weeks of winter, he says. And those additional weeks have brought feet of snow, plows, snow berms, pounding rain, rock slides, closed roads and more. We are still expecting constant "spots" of rain and/or snow for the next week or two. Ugh. Just have to hope it goes out like a lamb.

March 1, 2006
Late night. No bark.



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