photos

Not too many people in California grow tulips. In Western New York, they're everywhere, and one of my favorite parts of spring. These are tulips in my own garden. Happy gardening!

For the first time this spring, Billie and I were able to sit on our back deck, and of course, I had my camera with me, at the ready, when this squirrel stopped by for a visit.

Late yesterday afternoon, I took a drive out through Elba, Oakfield and the Town of Batavia. Here's four photos from the drive.

Above, a horse at Macomber and Townline roads, Batavia.

A tree on Pekin Road, Elba.

I suspect this is an old outhouse, but I'm not sure. On Pekin Road, Elba.

Flowers by a pond on Slusser Road, Batavia.

All of the photos from this weekend are now available for purchase of prints.  Click here.

The photos include the clean up at Genesee County Park, the tree planting in Austin Park, the track meet at Van Detta Stadium and Saturday at the Carnival.

Again, prints can be purchased by clicking here.

Also, the first weekend in April was also a busy weekend and I never let anybody know the pictures were available for purchase.

That weekend included Eco-Fest, GCC women's softball and men's baseball, the Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner, the fundraiser for Brooklyn Sputore, the Le Roy Fire Department dinner, the Easter Bunny at Oliver's, and I also included the Easter egg hunt at Centennial Park.

To purchase prints of those pictures, click here.

Remember, we offer prices on prints well below the suggested retail price.

I drove around the city this afternoon looking for a picture of forsythia. One of the first things I learned about growing roses in Western New York was that it's time to prune your roses when the forsythia blooms. I actually pruned my roses three weeks ago, but I still take the forsythia bloom as nature's official notice that spring has finally arrived.

Below is the yellow bloom of a tree -- I don't know the kind of tree -- in Austin Park.

Meet Toby. Toby was in Centennial Park late this afternoon playing ball with his owner, Cheri Pitcher, of Batavia.

As soon as I walked up, Toby hustled over, dropped his ball at my feet and said, "OK, your turn to throw it."

A scene along South Main Road, at about 6:45 p.m., shortly after our cloudburst.  Recent rains have the Tonawanda Creek running high, from bank-to-bank.

While radar shows the storm seems to have passed, a tornado watch remains in effect until 10 p.m.

There is a flash flood watch in effect from 10 p.m. until tomorrow morning.

City crews were on Main Street, Batavia, this morning, mulching the flower beds.

The top two pictures were taken from almost the same spot on Bethany Center Road, Bethany. The bottom photo was taken on Mayne Road.

A view of Tonawanda Creek at about 3 p.m., Today.

Yesterday, the weather forecast for this morning sounded promising for photography, so my morning plan was to get out early and see what pictures I could take. There weren't many clouds nor much low-lying fog, but once out, might as well snap a few frames.

Above, the sunrise from Roanoke Road, Pavilion. Below, a field on Transit Road, Bethany and the back side of the Flemming barn (which I've featured before) in Bethany.

Early evening yesterday, the light was wonderful, the clouds fabulous and I had to go to a meeting at GCEDC. I would rather, honestly, preferred to have headed out into the county and hunted for pictures. On the other hand, I've always loved the view heading into the parking lot of the Upstate MedTech Center, especially with the gnarled old trees along the driveway. As I pulled in, I couldn't resist -- I stopped and snapped a few pictures to see what I could capture.

Tice's Rangers, a Revolutionary-era reenactment group was at the Oakfield Historical Museum, 7 Maple Ave., today for the museum's spring reopening.

Above, from left, are Bob Smith, of Batavia, John Dellapenna, of Batavia, Erick Michealsen, of Lockport, Paul Winnie, of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, Derek Lindquist, of Williamsville, Mark Houseman, of Medina, Joe Bucolo, of Lockport, Steve Kruppenbacher and Jeff Harding, of Newfane.

More pictures after the jump:

Along Maltby Road, Elba.

Bliss Road, Oakfield.

Gorton Road, Alabama.

Driving back from a meeting in Alabama this afternoon, I took a turn down Malby Road and wound up passing this barn in Elba. I've passed it before, but the snow on the shingles seemed like a nice touch.

I've driven down Munson Street in Le Roy a couple of times. Somehow, I never before noticed these falls right by the BOCES campus.

On Cole Road.

Route 5 near Nelesville Nilesville Road, Stafford.

Morganville Road, Stafford.

So I hear, a lot of people were slowing down and taking a second look at a house on Morganville Road in Stafford today, wondering why all of the homeowner's Christmas blow-up decorations were out. Apparently, it's an annual spring rite -- drying out the inflatable lawn ornaments.

Good times once again in Downtown Batavia for St. Patrick's Day. I stopped by Center Street Smoke House -- where McMahon Dance School students performed traditional Irish dances -- and O'Lacy's, and then one more quick stop at Center Street on the way back to the office.

Prints of these pictures available for purchase by clicking here.

More pictures after the jump:

Here are four pictures from an evening drive in Alabama.

Above, an old farm wagon and rundown car on Roberts Road.

Combine on Roberts Road.

I took this picture on Sour Springs Road. If my online sleuthing is correct, this reed, which I see in Genesee County a lot, is commonly called a Burma Reed (Neyraudia reynaudiana) and is non-native in North America and highly invasive.

Telephone poles as the sun sets along Maple Street Road.

Nothing says spring more than baseball.

Today, in Oakfield, I came across Ryan Byrnes and Joe Colon, both originally from Elba, having a first catch of the season.

They said nothing felt better after a long winter than tossing a ball around.