Day Eighty-Six: Old Man Winter

Old Man Winter must be feeling pretty stubborn these days. March has marched in, spring has officially sprung, and temperatures have reached the 80s...and yet today when I left work and hurried through the parking lot (under threat of snow) I found a fresh sheet of ice painted on the driver's side of my car.

Kansas has its fair share of ice storms. I have gone to bed with a soft rain falling outside and woken up the next morning to find nearly an inch of ice caked on anything and everything in sight, leaving the city as still and silent as the peaceful precipitation the night before. Some of these freezing rainfalls have shut down the city of Lawrence for days.

Today's teasing layer of thin ice was more of a gentle reminder that, while the winter months may have flipped by on the calendar, more winter weather is only a cold front away.

It did provide an interesting photo opportunity: can you make out the object seen here through my crystallized car window?


I've tried on a few occasions to photograph the neon Jayhawk that hangs in the window of the business across the street from my house. Before now I was never satisfied with the resulting images.

Today's shot seems fitting, though, as the Jayhawk basketball team is playing tonight in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament.

People in Lawrence are very supportive of their hometown 'Hawks and will cheer them on as long as they are on the court. But they also know that the boys from KU are facing a tough match-up tonight, and the predicitions for the game and the rest of the tournament are a little unclear....like today's picture.

Here's hoping that tomorrow morning brings a warmer sun and a brighter light to shine on KU fans and the city of Lawrence!