Snow update

Since the first signs of spring are probably only a few weeks away, I figured those of you who've been planting flowers outdoors these last few weeks would like a snow update:

( photos )

Ostfriesland and Central Illinois

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, went to high school in what was at the time the western edge of suburbia, with farms nearby, and went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in the very flat middle part of the state. I spent lots of time cycling around in the corn fields, where the roads passing over the highways were the highest ground around, offering what passes in the region for great views.

Northwestern Germany is similarly flat, though also rather closer to sea level, not to mention rather closer to the sea. Still, I was very much struck by the visual similarity, at least in some respects.

( more, with photos )