March In April

On a cool and damp April 22nd,
right here in River City...

This sentiment, and others like it, would meet with objection.

Less than 20 minutes prior to the gathering, the crowd was quite sparse.

But the crowd rapidly filled in quite nicely,
at least in part because the nature of time is important to scientists.

Speakers spoke.

As billed, the "March for Science aimed to re-familiarize citizens with the importance of science in everyday life and in policymaking."  More pragmatically, it was aimed at decrying the potential reduction in funding for the sciences, and the trend toward discounting the value of science and conclusions drawn from data obtained by science.  

Some watched and listened with rapt attention.

Though not expressly political,
it was not hard to determine the leanings of most of the crowd.

Lab coats were popular attire.

Brain hats were also popular.
Shouldn't they be gray?

The event had the feel of a jovial family outing.  People were in good spirits, and there was a laid-back sense of camaraderie.  Even though a few boo-birds called out at the beginning of Republican State Senator Joe Robach's remarks, they were soon drowned out by the cheers at his environmental message.

And there were signs.  Signs of the times.  Signs of protest.  Signs of concern.  The signs did most of the talking, though there were occasional chants.  "Science Matters!"

All seemed to enjoy reading each other's signs and appreciating the clever messages.  

I'll let the signs speak for themselves.

Mr. Globehead's arms did not get tired.

I suppose the timing of the march to coincide with Earth Day
had something to do with the many environmental messages.

Not a very religious gathering, either.

You knew there'd be some of these, didn't you?

A broad spectrum of ages was represented.
I helped anchor the other end of said spectrum.

I love the sentiment on this shirt.

Only when we began to march did I realize how many people had joined in.
There would have been even more
if the control group had not been required to stay home.

The march made a 92.3 degree turn along the way.

There were chants as we marched.  

From the all purpose:
"What does democracy look like?"
"THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!"

To the science-specific:
"What do we want?"
"SCIENCE!"
"When do we want it?"
"AFTER A PEER-REVIEWED STUDY!"

What do you think the cornice man thought of the parade?

Skip this one if you don't remember the mathematical reference.

Note the molecule necklace on the young woman in the background.

A big crowd favorite.

And, of course, my own.

Rochester at the Genesee

I found myself in Rochester, NY one brisk morning in February.  It's an interesting place.  

Camera in hand, I heard the river call.

Looking south and upstream from the Broad Street Bridge.
The Genesee flows north, which is unusual for rivers in the northern hemisphere.

Nice brickwork on Rochester Gas and Electric Station #6.
Interesting how one can drive by a building 100 times and never notice it.

This is the Times Square Building.
I think Spiderman swung from the top.

Some call these top structures "The Wings of Progress,"
but the correct name is "Bunny Ears."

The parabola upstream is a bridge.

The dam floods the rapids upstream.
Not as interesting to look at, but much improved for the rowers during the warm months.

The Broad Street Bridge, formally the Erie Canal Aqueduct over the Genesee.
This will make a nice post card, don't you think?

Almost as nice as this one.
Same bridge, different day.

And here is Mercury,
looking speedy even though the mercury has contracted.

He's especially quick at changing light bulbs.

Three Days in December

In Rochester, New York, the saying is, "If you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes."

That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it is not far off.  Here is a quick trip through 3 consecutive days.

SNOW

The house, blanketed.

A fine setting as Christmas approached.
No need to dream.

As the sun began to set, the gray snow became orange.

The deer passed by earlier, in a hurry from the look of the tracks.

Long shadows on the snowy rolling contour.

Distant clouds illuminated by the unseen setting sun.

FOG

An unusually warm day melted the snow, giving rise to a static fog.

Which path would you follow?

The faraway trees fade to gray.
The fog deadens not only the light, but sound as well.
The eerie quiet can be unnerving to those who rely on audio.

So Mr. Newton, can you pick the perpetrator out of this lineup?

Little guy looks lonely.

ICE

Inverted temperature layers provide rain that falls into below-freezing air.

This instance was a thin and beautiful coating, with no wind to shatter the overweight branches.

Welcome to Crystal City.

A layer of ice coats everything.

Droplets freeze in place.

Each twig has a personal shroud.

The berries of the Burning Bush are not immune.

Redness refracted.

The Dwarf Japanese Maple's cacophony of branches highlighted.

Is the Burning Bush speaking?

I'm guessing the birds will wait for the thaw before munching.

A frozen bug?

Providing an impression of stopped time...

...the ice has captured not only the branches, but also the light.

Everything line is augmented, accented, sharpened.

Everything.