Almost there....

Just need a little more warmth and sunshine and they'll bloom.

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. 
~Doug Larson

Twisted

The weather here continues to be restless; even the clouds are knotted. Maybe Spring has been affected by the insane political climate -- or vice versa....

Blooming surprise

With this being our first spring in this house, we've been watching to see what perennials are coming up. I don't know what kind of plant this is, but it's blooming now.  

The buds look like they are enmeshed in silky threads. It's mysterious; I hope we don't start hearing little lavender voices saying: "Feed meeeeeee...."

Willows

Warm, spring weather today. Willows shimmer as the breeze blows. They remind me of long sweeping skirts, gentle rain, pastel paintings.

In some stories, willows are a symbol of wisdom; people seek advice from Grandmother Willow or Willow-Father. But in some English folktales, willows are evil ones who uproot themselves and stalk strangers.

I think these willows are friendly and wise -- just don't mess with their roots....

Touch of spring

Love seeing the crocuses pop up and open! They are little buds of hope after a long winter.

When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other. 
~Chinese Proverb

Ripples

in a stream, sometimes clear, 
sometimes reflecting and distorting
as life always seems to do

Restless

Change of season creates a restless wind. People seem unsettled. Dramatic plays between clouds and light in the sky. Bring a raincoat and a camera. You never know what might happen next.

Rainy reflections

Sometimes a different perspective helps.

Rainbow show

A wonderfully dramatic sky tonight after wind and rain. If you look closely, you'll see a faint second rainbow.

Such vivid rainbow colors....

The sky changed hues.

And the trees blazed into twilight.

Art in the sky

Amazing clouds lately, with much temperamental weather. Mother Nature / God is a glorious artist.

Rosy ridges

Now, imagine the fragrance of red....

Light show

I needed something ethereal to put things in perspective today....

Shadow shot

Sometimes the shadows cast on a wall catch my eye....

A shadow cannot ignore
the sun that all day creates  
and moves it.
~Rumi

Sunset glow

A thick blanket of snow on the foothills above the City of Trees.

Dreamtime

It's too cold out for any flowers to bloom right now, let alone Orchidaceae. But I needed to dream of lavender orchids today....

Rowdy weather

First it was warm, partly sunny, nearly 60 degrees. A storm front approached in the late afternoon and the sky grew thick and black. A loud crack of thunder, and lightning struck a hill nearby, popped our power for a few seconds. Ice pellets (graupel) rained down. Suddenly the wind picked up, blew the graupel and snow sideways. Blizzard. Whiteout. Dried leaves, garbage, tumbleweeds raced along the street with the snow and ice. 

After a half  hour, the wind calmed, the snow and ice stopped, and the sun popped out.  And when the sun blazed from the clouds, the sudden glare caught drivers on the business route off guard. Temporarily blinded (while driving too fast and too close), they careened into each other, chain reaction, causing two 20-car pileups, and two 3-car accidents. Fortunately no one seems to have serious injuries. (And, luckily, I was not in that part of town). 

Such rowdy weather we've all been having -- makes me wonder if the gods are competing in the "weather olympics"....

Happy hearts day

 

 May Cupid bring you love's blessings :)

In the Pink

As seen during a walk. Just the thing to chase away the gray winter doldrums.

Ancient Egyptians believed flamingos were the living incarnation of the god Ra. Do you have any pink flamingo stories or beliefs?  :)

Cat's eyes

Cats are so intent when looking out windows; heads darting back and forth, eyes wide, twitching tails, not missing a thing. I like how alive and in the moment they are. Active through and through.

Around sunset

We've actually had some sunny weather the last couple of days, which is a nice change. 

But I feel for those of you dealing with the monster snowstorm in the U.S., and the horrific cyclone that hit Australia. I've never experienced a cyclone, but, growing up in the Midwest, I remember many times of freezing rain, ice, high snow drifts, closed roads. 

When I was a teen, an ice/snow storm blew in. The next day I walked outside into a crystalline landscape. Ice coated the trees, bushes, building, fences, and glistened in the overcast daylight. Snow covered the ground. Every so often the sun popped out, and everything sparkled like jewels. The boughs of our giant pine tree had been shaped by the ice into a strange bird. Sadly, a couple of our fruit trees had split down the center of their trunks from the weight of the ice; like they had been "quartered".  I crunched through the frozen crust of the back yard and took photos of the ice and light patterns. I don't have the photos anymore, but I do remember how icicles glistened in the sun as they hung from the wire fence.