WEEKEND REFLECTION--Pussywillows

Patiently making bundles of pussywillows to sell, along with his bottles of fiery-hot homemade peppers, a plant, and a pair of used tennis shoes.

See other reflections at James' WEEKEND REFLECTION.

Ah, spring...

Ah, spring...the sound of birds chirping, flowers popping open, and the click of cameras' shutters.

Spring brings many tourists to Belgrade like the ones above, who are spending a few hours in the city and Kalemegdan Park before returning to their cruise ship down the Danube.

The building in the back is a small gallery of Belgrade's Museum of Natural History, which is located in another part of the city.

ABC WEDNESDAY "J" is for "Jump into spring"

"Jumping" into spring is what I've been waiting so long to do. Not a cold weather fan anymore. I just couldn't resist buying snowdrops from this springishly dressed man.... Two bunches for 100 dinars, which is about $1.25.

See other "J's" at ABC Wednesday.

Tic-tac-toe Café

Except for the extra person on the upper left, these people seated at an outdoor café reminded me of a game of tic-tac-toe. While I was seated upstairs and indoors, no one came to occupy the empty space on the lower right.

The snoozer with a sneeze?

Ah, spring. With the flowers and the sun come allergies, for some of us. I wonder if this fellow has allergies...not too many flowers near him, but he has strategically placed his Kleenex in case he gets that tickly feeling while he's soaking up some rays, or maybe just warming himself up, since it was rather cool when I took this photo a short while ago. Achoo.

ABC WEDNESDAY -'K' is for 'kooky'

Spring is here and the weather is warmer, on and off, anyway. This photo was taken on an 'on' day, along the Sava River, where I happened upon this fisherman. I've always wanted to wear a hat like this....and this fellow had the nerve. A very practical and 'kooky' solution to sun protection.

See what others have done with the letter K by checking out ABC WEDNESDAY.

Here comes the fuzz!

If you're looking for the cops, there aren't any in this photo. Here you see the leaves and young shoots of the White Poplar tree ('topola' in Serbian.) The young shoots are covered with whitish-grey down that eventually loosens and blows off in the wind to such an extent that sometimes it looks like it's snowing. This 'fuzz' is really annoying. It flies in your nose, in your mouth, in your plate if you're eating outdoors, and in your windows. If you're wondering why 'fuzz' is used as slang for the police, here's what Wikipedia says that the word may have arisen "as a term of contempt for police based on the use of 'fuzz' or 'fuzzy' in other items of derogatory criminal slang of the period. To be 'fuzzy' was to be unmanly, incompetent and soft. "

Spring is here...but it's still cold.

I'm still waiting for spring to be really here. It's still darn cold out. This flower lady looks like she'd like to go home, but she's still got quite a few narcissus and daffodils to sell. Brrr.

Looking for spring

A young couple looks out over the Danube toward Great War island. The winter barrenness will soon disappear, and Mother Nature will dress herself in shades of green.

Silhouette of spring

It's been warm and cold off and on, and on Tuesday when I took this photo, it was cold and gray. But you can see that new buds are bursting out, while there's still a dead leaf hanging on. Symbolic.

Snowdrops

Snowdrops are known here as 'visibabe' (VEE-see-bah-bay) and are among the first bulbs to bloom in spring, although certain species flower in late autumn and winter. I didn't find these growing in the woods, but bought them on the green market, roots and all. I think the little peasant lady who sold them hadn't dug them up either (or at least I hope not,) but had grown them herself.

Sava River line-up

Last Friday we had some very early and very warm weather. I liked the way the boats in the foreground were lined up, just as are the houseboats, the trees on a river island, and even the buildings visible in the background.

Spring cleaning

Right now Belgrade is doing its spring cleaning. Workers from the city's official park service are around, quite visible in their grass green overalls, tidying up here and there. With the better weather and blossoms (just starting!) comes a desire to spruce up one's surroundings. This lady is using an old-fashioned twig broom (still sold on markets for around 100 dinars or $1.50) to sweep inside one of Kalemegdan's passageways. Notice the mish-mash of stones and brick again!