FIRST DAY OF SPRING....

 The first day of spring was yesterday and that's when I snapped this photo of many crows' nests, very visible since there are no leaves on the trees yet. 

When I googled crows' nests, I was surprised to learn this:  Crows return to the same nest territory year after year, often a few weeks before they start building. If a small group of crows remains in a particular area day after day, this may signal that nest building is about to begin. Many larger twigs that form the base of the nest are broken directly off trees."

MONDAY MURALS--MILUTIN MILANKOVIC

 This mural shows Milutin Milankovic, a Serbian astronomer, climatologist, geophysicist, civil engineer,  and popularizer of science. Quite a guy.

If you want to read all about him, just CLICK HERE.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

PARK STRAYS

 These two strays have hung out in Belgrade's Kalemegdan Park for a long time. I love the pose of the white one. They have collars showing they have been spayed/neutered. They also are well fed, since locals look after them.

SKYWATCH--not quite spring yet

 Today as I type at 7:45 a.m.it is -1 degree centigrade. Today it will reach 11 and in the upcoming days will go even higher, to 21 on Thursday. Wacky weather. You can see that the leaves have not started to show this season's green quite yet. 

Oh, and yes, HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER?

 I see these two women nearly every morning in the park. The younger one helps the older one walk. I am only assuming they're mother and daughter, but of course the helper could be just that: a caretaker.

TAKING A BREAK

 This man is taking a break to read his phone and for a cigarette....smoking is alive and well in Belgrade.

ACCESSORIZE!

 Not sure whether this fellow accessorized himself at the shop behind him, but he caught my eye today.

GAVRILO PRINCIP

 Wikipedia says this about Gavrilo Princip, the persona behind this mural on a street of the same name:

"On June 28, 1914, one event changed the world. A Bosnian-Serb youth Gavrilo Princip, aged only 19, shot and killed the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir apparent to the Austrian throne, and his wife Sophie as their motorcade passed by on the streets of Sarajevo."---the shot heard about the world.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

ONWARD AND UPWARD

 There are several underground passages below major streets. It's best to take them instead of trying to dodge traffic. They are however, poorly maintained, but not dangerous. I have always been intrigued by the disabled person mobile chair on the left. Just about every passage has one, but I would never, ever try it out.

HANDSOME

 A handsome Serbian Orthodox priest passed in front of my lens the other day.

HAPPY HOLI

 Happy Holi to all!  It shouldn't be hard to find me in this photo taken in 2019 with my wonderful Indian 'family'.  I was planning another trip early the following year, but COVID stepped in. I hope to go back for next year's Holi.

If you're not sure what the celebration is about, click here AND READ ABOUT HOLI.