I took a long Easter morning walk around the Clifton area, exploring the side streets off Frankfort Avenue. It’s a very pleasant area, though at this time of year almost everything has a nice sheen about it. So much is blooming, but it appears we lost most of the magnolia blooms during the last two cold nights. Here are some shots from the walk, starting with Easter lunch at Varanese (above).

Lots of folks like to pretty up their entryway sidewalks with spring flowers.

And we got the first early dogwood flowers of 2021! These popped out overnight.

Classic redbud.

And here’s a trifecta – redbud, flowering pear and forsythia.

Weeping cherry.

There were also some beautiful homes along the way.

And some neighborhood oddities.

All in all, a great way to spend an hour or so. I managed to cover about three miles according to the iPhone. But that brings up another subject, less pleasant. And less photogenic.

A smart person would have taken the pandemic year without travel and gotten into shape, lost some weight, gotten ready for re-entry into public. That wasn’t me. I’ve put on more pandemic-pounds than I care to admit. And a long walk makes that all too obvious.

A year ago I couldn’t walk three miles a quarter mile due to a worn out knee. Now I have a titanium superknee, so no pain, but what I feel is…heavy. Ponderous. I’m like that fucking gigantic cargo ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal – not very maneuverable, lots of momentum and when wedged into a tight spot, bad things happen. For the first time in my life I feel the absolute opposite of athletic. So I have to do something about that. I’d like to be a very healthy, mobile and spry 60-something and 70-something, so I’d better get started. Right now I’m blocking the canal.