What a wonderful NCAA men's basketball championship game on Monday night! It was great to see the tournament end with one of the best college basketball games I've ever seen (remember Duke winning over Kentucky on Christian Laettner's miracle shot in 1992?). This year's tournament bracket, for me, was busted with losses by Michigan State and Arizona, so it was kind of fun watching which teams, like the champion Villanova Wildcats, would win five games to get to the championship. As the lone Duke fan in my household (We won last year!), of course I was cheering for Duke's rival, North Carolina, to lose on Monday night. And to see them lose it on a last second shot was even sweeter.

-----

OK, so the winter was pretty tolerable, but the first three weeks of spring haven't been too, well, springlike. I think we are all ready for a few days of T-shirt weather. Having to haul out my winter gloves -- after I had stored them away -- to keep my hands warm while taking the dog on its morning walk has made me grumble. Maybe if I put my snow shovel in storage, spring will come? I've also been meaning to put out my deck furniture, but drinking hot chocolate or hot coffee while sitting on the deck isn't my cup of iced tea.

-----

We didn't announce it but you might notice this week that there's a lot more color in this issue. We are now offering one ad rate, with no difference between color and black & white. That means that editorially, all of our photos, including obituaries, can be printed in color. Obituary photos, unless paid for in our paper, have traditionally been printed in black & white. And as a traditionalist, I think some scenic photos -- especially winter ones -- still look better printed in black & white ... Which reminds me, be sure to visit the Maine Photography Show beginning on Saturday, April 9 at the Boothbay Region Art Foundation gallery, 1 Townsend Avenue, Boothbay Harbor. Some of those photos will surely make you want to get out there and hone your photography skills.