I'm finally back, and it's a balmy 69 degree spring day in Philadelphia. Birds are singing and daffodils are blooming. It's hard to believe that yesterday I was standing in freezing rain looking out over a frozen lake. Literally, from winter to spring in one day.

Some fresh snow (on old snow) on State Street in Ann Arbor a couple of days ago:

And my yard, a few minutes ago:

It's been such a severe winter and the spring has been so ferocious that today's Chicago Tribune weather column discussed a possible "chilly new record" of the number of days that pass between 70 degree readings.

In that spirit, the Tribune featured this editorial cartoon:

IN LIKE A LION...OUT LIKE AN ICED-AGE WOOLY MAMMOTH!

A few more odds and ends.

Here's a short video of the demonstration in Madison I posted about yesterday:

And on the UW campus earlier yesterday, as I tried to make a right hand turn there were so many students walking in the crosswalks at the same time that I had to sit there for ten minutes. While sitting, I turned on the camera briefly.

As you can see, there are no lights, and not much to do but wait.

Oh, and here's a sadly doomed organ factory building I photographed in Freeport, Illinois:

(I guess I should be glad I made it back in one piece with my organs intact.)