THE DAY AFTER...AND THE DAYS ONWARD

Last evening, March 24th in 1999 at around 7:41 p.m. the NATO bombing of Serbia began. I was here the whole time, not alone. My friend Marianne Neufeld-Djordjevic today photographed siren that emitted the twin sisters Šizela and Smirela that announced the beginning and ending of the curfew. Their names come from two verbs meaning 'to go crazy, panic and to calm down.

Want to listen to what we heard every day for 78 days?

Click here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n58kUN-TJJY

SPRING

 Like the new green grass around him, this fellow looks like he's growing new hair.  I remember how happy I was to see my own new growth after my chemo in 2005. Not sure that's the reason for his short hair.

SAD NIKOLA TESLA

 Nikola Tesla's statue at Belgrade's  NIKOLA TESLA AIRPORT appears a bit sad here. It may be because my daughter, who was here for a short visit left this morning.

His doleful appearance might also be due to the fact that the airport renovation seems to be taking an awfully long time, but again, it's a big job.

COVERED WELL?

 Not well-covered, but covered well. Or maybe this old, old well is well-covered. In fact, I asked around if people really knew what this is but most did not, and guessed a well. I see now that there is a plaque on the stone wall, so next time I walk by, I'll check it out.

UPDATE I found out that this is a sebil.  Wikipedia says: "A sebil or sabil is a small kiosk in the Islamic architectural tradition where water is freely dispensed to members of the public by an attendant behind a grilled window."

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.