week thirteen

Signs of mud season:

The fruit stand across the canal has re-opened. It's convenient, but not always reliable. This is where they hid moldy strawberries under my nice ones. And, I try not to think about all the pollution landing on these as they sit next to passing cars with no emission standards.


See our playground? Mud. See the naval academy behind the fence? Snow. The only reason we have mud is that snow was trucked away (for the first time since I've been here).

And, the drinking outside my window has increased tremendously. You can't park your car, open the door, and extract your six-year-old without a group of young drinkers peering in and breathing down.

The group pictured got started early. This is early afternoon. They're watching chunks of ice float past.

And, below are more pictures of the ice floating by in the canal. No, they're not the prettiest shots. Yes, I did get put out with the passersby who stared at us (as if we were in the zoo...or on tv...or were blind) in the window.

Knowing big chunks of ice in the canal is photo-worthy (from yesterday's photographing of the group above) Lexi came skittering into the kitchen shouting, "Mama! Come SEE!" Good eye, little one.



This might be ice coming down from Ladoga (I'd have to see the Neva to know for sure.). If so, that's a SURE sign that mud season is upon us.