Megan's Happy Birthday!

Started off Megan's birthday with drinks at Hogan's Hideaway (http://www.hoganshideaway.com/).  You can tell she's excited about her French Martini.

Sitting outside on Megan's bday?  Weird.  Usually there's some kind of awful weather that ruins everything.

 Checking out the new sculpture park at the Memorial Art Gallery.

Us: "Weird little Lego-ish guy, why are you so sad?

Lego-ish Guy: "'Cause I saw the weather report..."

Mmmm...  Poutine.  Really, really great poutine at Lento (http://www.lentorestaurant.com/).  Another reason we need to go to Montréal sometime in the near future. 

Pasta and burgers all locally sourced and delicious!  I highly suggest Lento at Village Gate

Megan enjoying her new gliding love seat for the patio.

ACTION SHOT!  Scout received a new pair of lips in the mail!  THANKS AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!

 And, she's down for the count...

 First fire of the season.  Not so much for fun, but to clean up some of the mess in the yard...

Night rabbit curious about Scout

 Looks like we're going to get some fawn soon.

The deer are not scared of us...

Perhaps because they are possessed by the devil...

 "Instead of watching the movie, do you think you guys could just go to bed instead?

 Scout loves cleaning up the yard.  Specifically helping pick up the sticks and gnawing them to hell.

 Look what I found in the garden!

Lots of rain came down right after we finished Megan's b-day dinner.  Lots of flash floods all over the place.  Sounds like it took out Penn Yan, NY.  This is the Irondequoit Creek by our place, which flooded much of Panorama Plaza

Where the Sideway Ends.  Ummm...

Heading home and checking out the flooding.  This is the trail I usually take home.

Saw a few Blue Heron hunting along the creek

At the top-center is usually an island with a bench.  No more island and I doubt there's a bench anymore...

Another new river created in the flood by the "Hillbilly Hot Tub."

No, graves didn't float down the river.  This is the "Loop Trail" sign that was uprooted from about 1/2 mile upstream.

 Ranging waters at the bridge

Panorama of the river at the parking lot of Linear (Channing H. Philbrick) Park.  Usually, the river is half as wide.  

 Old mill foundation under water

Something's odd about this myrtle...

Scout's first time on the hammock.  Not so sure about it yet and doesn't have her sea legs yet.

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Quesobago

Hiking at Thousand Acre Swamp (http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newyork/placesweprotect/centralwesternnewyork/wherewework/central-thousand-acre-swamp.xml) in the Polar Vortex!  If there was ever a time for the Quesobago to appear, this was it (http://www.quesoforall.com/).

This is the first time we've been out here on a winter hike.  During the summer, it's so primordial.   You almost expect a dinosaur or something to pop out.  

More vines overtaking the trees. 

A clearing in the middle of the forest.  It appears to be old farmland.  You can't see it in the picture, but theirs an old stone fence just slightly in the woods.  In the summer, the grass and other plants are over your head.

Snow covered boardwalk leading into the pond.  Just follow the little animal prints. 

Megan stomping through the snow. 

Steve's Diner (http://www.simos.net/steve/) for lunch.  We've only visited for breakfast and we've been missing out.  This is the O.C.D. Burger with sauerkraut, fried pickles, swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing.  You had me at steak fries...

After eating that burger, time to burn off some calories with more winter hiking through Linear/Channing Philbrick Park.  With the fresh snowfall, it looks like a scene from Calvin and Hobbes.

Snow hanging out on the rocks in Irondequoit Creek 

The little island in Irondequoit Creek 

Well, if there's one dog ready for spring, it's Scout...

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Downtown Ra-cha-cha

Downtown Rochester looking west.  I haven't been down here in a while.  


Mercury Statue (http://rocwiki.org/Mercury_statue) at the old Kimball Tobacco Factory (http://rocwiki.org/William_S._Kimball_Tobacco_Factory) with the Times Square Building (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square_Building_(Rochester)) behind it.


First Federal Plaza (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Federal_Plaza).  Too bad the revolving restaurant isn't on the top anymore...


The Granite Building (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granite_Building) is one of my favorite buildings in the area.  


Chase Tower (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chase_Tower_(Rochester))  Seems like this is where God banks...


And, of course, the old Lehigh Valley Railroad Station (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lehigh_Valley_Railroad_Station_(Rochester,_New_York)), which is now Dinosaur BBQ (http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/)


Here's where the first photographic film was produced by Kodak.  Now, it's just another parking garage in a city of parking garages.  


THE BUNNY!  I'm not sure what Megan would do if she saw this hopping at her in the backyard...



Rachel and I hunting for ribbits (frogs) at Papa's house.

That's it.  Now to go have Megan's car repaired...  again...