Lion in Winter

It was, for my money, one of the prettiest little snows of the season. There were rumors of more, but in the end, we got just 3 to 4 inches locally. It was just the right amount to turn everything into a winter wonderland. The snow clung to every branch and stayed there. So pretty!

It's spring break week at Penn State and so campus is deserted. This is an awesome time to go around seeing things, taking pictures. It felt like there were maybe a dozen of us on campus, though I knew there must be more hiding out somewhere. (No, PSU staff do not get spring break off.)

I took my bus to campus, and as we rounded the corner by the Nittany Lion Shrine, I caught my breath. The shrine looked perfect! And it hadn't been touched yet! The snow was still on the lion and around the shrine. This hardly ever happens. (Those OPP folks are way diligent in snow removal.)

So it was that I ended up taking about 50 photos of the lion in winter. Above is the one that may be my favorite shot, though it was tough to choose. As I left the shrine, several more people stopped by and took pictures: what a great photo op!

I've included two additional photos in the extras. The second is a shot looking down from the shrine toward West Halls. Why did I include it? I liked the way the snow looked on the trees.

The final shot is one I call The Shadow Man. Or it might be what Dexter Morgan would call his Dark Passenger. I trekked over to the IST building, which is, by the way, one of my absolute FAVORITE buildings on campus to photograph.

And as I was standing there taking photos, a man walked toward me. I caught a shot of the man against the outline of the building. There was a shimmering, ghostly reflection of him to the far right. I thought about that shot for a long time after I took it, but I will leave it to you, dear viewer, to decide what it all means.

I have three photos for today. (Oh my, there go my extras! Blip central, do you know I would PAY EXTRA for more?) So I'm picking more songs than usual. Here are two.

The first is Linda Ronstadt and Hoyt Axton, with Lion in the Winter. This is a song I'd never heard before today, but it seems to go well with the above picture.

The second is an all-time favorite Pat Benatar tune, One Love (Song of the Lion). And I'll quote a few of its lyrics below. This is a song that gives me hope and makes me feel strong.

Once there was a man, and his words became a song of love
And his song became the golden dream
One love is the light, shining over everyone that believes
It will lead us to the higher ground
One day every eye will see truth before the light
Let it be done right now