The Groundhog's Prediction

Punxsutawney Phil's Canadian counterpart Wiarton Willie is also predicting an early end to this year’s erratic winter after it failed to see its shadow this morning. And we all know this hairy creature's prognoses are always true...

We went to see what the this rodent is talking about and look what I found:

After the fog was gone, Groundhog Day turned out to be a lovely day with temperatures well over 10C (> 50F).

Besides my usual bird watching activities, I had the rare opportunity to capture a harbour seal that was as curious about watching us.

I was tempted to get out the scooter for a quick ride around the block but it didn't happen thanks to a pinched nerve in my back which was bothering me for the last two days. So I walked, and it simply felt good to be outside.

 No problem with Spring coming early this year!

Tage wie Dieser!

Da möchte man doch lautstark mit den Toten Hosen singen: 

An Tagen wie diesen, wünscht man sich Unendlichkeit 

An Tagen wie diesen, haben wir noch ewig Zeit 

Wünsch ich mir Unendlichkeit

Nach dem Nebel kam die Sonne und brachte uns einen herrlichen Nachmittag mit zweistelligen Plusgraden.

Das Wasser war glasklar, und wir glaubten uns mit all den Seesternen, Muscheln, Korallen, Fischen und Seehunden in einem Aquarium. Nur, dass wir für die natürliche Pracht keinen Eintritt zahlen mussten.

 Harbour Seal

 Links: normaler Seestern - Rechts: Sunflower Starfish

Der wie ein Alien anmaßende gelb-orangene Sonnenblumen-Seestern kommt laut Wiki nur in unseren Gefilden, den Pazifischen Gewässern von Kalifornien bis Alaska, vor. Diese Sorte kann Spannweiten bis zu einem Meter aufweisen und bewegt sich mit seinen bis zu 24 Armen recht flink (einen Meter pro Minute) von der Stelle.

War es herrlich, einfach in der Sonne zu stehen, und dem Treiben in und auf dem Wasser zu zu sehen. Das fanden offensichtlich auch die Möwen, hier John, Paul und Ringo. George war gerade auf'm Klo.

Wir entdeckten die ersten Knospen und konnten es kaum glauben. Auch der Wald schien sich aus seinem Winterschlaf befreien zu wollen.

Die Sonne kämpfte noch mit den restlichen Nebelschwaden und brachte uns ein Schauspiel für die Augen.

Auf unserem Spaziergang begegneten uns Gleichgesinnte, die, wie wir, bei dem herrlichen Sonnenschein ebenso strahlende Gesichter hatten. Immer wieder gab es ein fröhliches "Hallo!" und "Ist das Wetter nicht wundervoll?" auf unserem Weg.

A Pop Icon and a Vespa

Well, there I admit it, I am a kid of the 80's. That was back then when the music really sucked.

I mentally survived this decade of acustic failure by listening to more "exotic" stuff like Ska, Synth or New Wave (That was before they called it Indie). Bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode or The Police helped me keeping my sanity. And there was this Krautrock called Neue Deutsche Welle (The New German Wave), Kraftwerk anyone?

Nowadays I listen to music that is so far away from mainstream that it usually doesn't make MTV (does this actually still exist???) and is only randomly found on YouTube. Exception is probably the occasional Emo song, which we called Dark Wave back in the days, but I degress.

Anyway, for reasons unbeknownst to me (I don't have kids that I need to impress or to protect from bad lyrics) I occasionally keep up with the contemporary music scene, so I happen to know about Our Madonna of the new Millenium a.k.a. Lady Gaga.

So, there was a recent dialogue between yours truly and some little monster (a.k.a. prepubescent kid) that went like this:
(Seven year old girl jumping about listening to her iPod, her pigtails in sync with the base drums, singing) I want your ugly, I want your disease I want your everything as long as it's free I want your love Love, love, love, I want your love.

ME: HEY! (I had to shout...) Excuse me? (In normal tone).

(Kid removing one earplug, music now blaring out of the plug for sharing.)
KID: HUH? (not yet adjusted to her indoor voice).

ME: Pretty cool music (Thinking, is saying 'cool' still cool? I am not used to having conversations with kids.). But it's a little loud. Would you mind turning down your Lady Gaga song a little?
KID: (Big eyes, her mind trying to compute that middle aged woman identified contemporary pop culture). It's my favourite. It's got to be loud.
ME (nodding): I understand. How about you finish your song on your terms (Thinking: and don't start from the beginning, and I'll strangle you if you dare looping it.), and turn it down after. What's the next song on your playlist?

KID: Kesha! Die Young!
ME (almost ready to throw up, forcing myself to smile): You know what this song's about?
(With iPhone at the ready I google up the lyrics and come across these poetic lines: It's pretty obvious that you've got a crush (you know) That magic in your pants, it's making me blush (for sure)
KID: Noooo, don't care. (KID re-plugging her ear and dancing away)
ME (shouting after her): Better don't get caught singing the lyrics. Otherwise Mom's got some 'splaining to do...

Point of the story: The Lady of Gaga is known to work product placement as props into her spacy videos (something's got to pay for the otherworldly outfits), and in one of them she was doing ot on a VESPA, I mean the singing and the dancing of course.

Suddenly methinks, the 80's weren't so bad after all.