It Snowed!

Well, the forecast was right.  We got slammed with heaps of snow.  The official count for Saratoga Springs was 18 inches, and after shoveling our walks and digging out our cars, I was too pooped for outdoor adventures, except for a walk through Congress Park, just a block from our house.

Despite the city's efforts to spur the resident ducks into migrating away for the winter, plenty hang on to beg for food and swim in the little bit of water that remains in the park's half-drained pond.  The Silver Maples that lean over the water had begun to open their flowers during the recent stretch of warm weather. I'm sure those flowers did not survive when the temperatures next dropped to the single digits.

Our beautiful Spirit of Life statue looked pretty cold in her thin clinging gown, with a patch of snow on one shoulder.  This figure was sculpted by Daniel Chester French, the same sculptor who created the majestic figure of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  I thought there'd be more heaps of snow atop the balustrade, but the 50-mile-an-hour winds accompanying our storm had blown it all away.

(Here's a closer view of our beautiful Spirit of Life:)

I'd hoped to walk along this pretty little spring-fed stream, but crews had yet to clear the shin-deep snow that covered the streamside path.  I was grateful for the paths that HAD been cleared.

This splendid brick building that sits in the center of Congress Park was a casino during Saratoga's 19th-century heyday as a gambling mecca, when Diamond Jim Brady and Lillian Russell ("Diamond Lil") frequented the gaming tables.  The building now hosts wedding receptions and fund-raising galas in its elegant ballroom, and it also contains a historical museum. One of the items in the museum's collection is a corset that once belonged to Diamond Lil, a lady of ample proportions.

This building houses a wonderful merry-go-round, now closed for the winter but a favorite stop for my younger grandchildren when they visit here in warmer weather.

The merry-go-round's horses are quite spectacular, carved by one of the foremost sculptors of carousel steeds, M.C. Illions, back in 1904.  This carousel once delighted children at an amusement park on Saratoga Lake, but when that park closed to make room for a townhouse development, the city of Saratoga Springs purchased the machine and placed it in Congress Park.

Across Spring Street from the carousel is one of the springs that made Saratoga famous.  This Hathorn Spring is touted as containing more minerals than any other in the town. Not everyone finds the taste of its water delightful, but I enjoy its salty effervescence, so I crossed the street to take a sip.

Too bad!  No sipping from THIS spring today!  Yes, it was cold and growing colder as snow began to fall and be driven into my frigid cheeks by a rising wind.  Time to head for home.

Halfway home from the park stands this charming cottage containing a really fine bakery.  I stopped in to warm my face and breathe those delicious bakery aromas.

OK, those aromas overcame my resistance.  I'll have one blueberry scone and one sticky bun, please. And believe it or not, they both made it home uneaten.  But not for long!