Monkey Shines...

  

    ...Well, so much for little pots of green herbs for the time being!  It looks like Buckeye Chuck was right in his prediction.  We seem to be making up for the warm, snowless temperatures here in the Akron area.  Chinese New Year brought us snow and bitter cold temperatures.  This is the year of the red monkey.  Maybe Chuck isn't responsible for our snow and cold, maybe it's the monkey's fault.  So, the snow shoveling Olympics won't be cancelled after all.  A few weeks ago I noticed a sign indicating that Copley's winter festival was cancelled.  Sorry guys, lousy timing on that one!  On the other hand, the Medina Ice Festival got the needed cold weather just in time to keep their sculptures in tact.  At least things are brighter with all the reflected light from the snow.  It would seem I am not the only cold weather enthusiast around.  Attending the Ice Festival proved to be a busy and crowded time in Medina Square.  Lots of families trudged around the square to view the many frigid and highly imaginative sculptures.  Many people stopped for photo ops with the sculptures that had windows for placing one's face within the icy creation.  It was interesting to see how far some people had travelled to attend the event.  Some came from Ontario to view our U.S. ice.  As I walked around the festival grounds I heard many languages being spoken as families commented on each sculpture.  One amusing aside, as the saying goes, if I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say, "Okay, I've had enough, let's go home," I would be a wealthy woman.  Personally, I stayed at the festival for about two hours.  How could anyone leave sooner? It took me that long to see and photography all the sculptures.  The kettle corn vendors had a cute idea to show off their wares.  Having sponsored a basket ice sculpture, they filled it with kettle corn.  At least they had the warmth from their fires while they produced their kettle corn.  I'll bet they have interesting thoughts about the frozen day as they swelter during the summer festivals.  The local Chinese restaurant sponsored a sculpture that had a red monkey on it.  Nice!  Gung hey fot choy, guys!  I will admit I wish I had been braver and attended the actual competitions on Saturday.  The temperatures were sub-zero, though, and that is where I draw the line on my outdoor activities...that, and blizzard conditions which explains why I hadn't attended the festival on Friday night.  I would like to have seen the carvers in action as they worked in completion on their ice creations.  there were so many people around on the largest pieces that I never did get a photo of it.  I missed getting to see the tower of ice with its fires inside, too.  Fortunately Sunday was a milder day by comparison, most of the sculptures being completed for all to view.  Judges for all the ice could be seen sporting their clipboards all around the square.  As I finished up my time at the festival I overheard one man say, "Well, that was actually fun!"  I couldn't agree more...
        Without feeling guilty, I can now return to my winter musings about spring projects.  Several art projects are occupying my thoughts as I attempt to get them finished for March show deadlines.  visions of fish creations continue to swim through my imagination.  Must be because of that Pisces time of year.  So far I don't have any red monkey ideas, but I have the rest of the year to muse on that theme.  My new downstairs neighbor has proven to be a really nice guy, so it looks as though my container gardening plans for our shared deck will be well received. He has immediately picked up on shoveling snow and dragging the trash can back from the curb.  Believe, any help is help, and much appreciated.
         And so it would seem that for now it is the time to gather appropriate containers for my herbs and flowers for this spring.  So here I am, still dreaming about those pots of little green hers as I watch it snowing.  My snow shoveling efforts are part of the "so what" category as I begin again to clean of the walkway.  But if that is the only way to get out and "play" in the snow, I'll take it.  The air is clean and smell that special smell of winter.  The reflected light keeps one from feeling down from the grey skies, and all I do is remember all the fun I had as a kid playing in the snow.  Good times!  Who knows there may even be a snow, or monkey in my future yet....


Swordfish

Sea Monster