Bluebells

Though these Bluebells are not a native species, they have naturalized themselves so well they seem to be native and they are a joy at this time of year.

More Highrock

While the Sea Blush are painting the hillsides with broad splashes of pink, in the more wooded parts of Highrock Park these lovely bushes are covered with white blossoms. (I can't remember what these are called. Anyone?)

New Direction 2

We're getting a lot of mileage out of these Langford Street blossoms. It's a pity that these visuals only communicate half the experience. Even on a gloomy gray day like today the sweet scent is quite overpowering. There is no need to sniff the actual flowers, the street is full of the rich perfume. The video below is another attempt at moving around, maybe a little improvement over yesterday. I think this technique will work better when the moving through activities like a parade or a midway or the causeway. Thanks all for your patience while I try to wrap my old brain around new software.

Langford Street

The bloom on Langford Street is just beginning. These blossoms are quite different from the hot pink blooms posted yesterday.

Zzzzzzzz....

At this time of year our backyard has pretty much everything anyone ever needs.

Spring Blush

Here's what Swan Lake looked like earlier this week. There's just the faintest green blush of leaf buds on the various kinds of bush and willows that edge the lake, and lots of pussy-willows.

Spring on Fisherman's Wharf

While strolling around Fisherman's Wharf last week I was happy to see the rich purple of these Grape Hyacinths, a flower I always associate with spring.

Old Victoria Custom House

Everything looks fresh and new these days and that includes the old Victoria Custom House, built in 1875. At this time of year even its unusual color seems to be complementary to the exploding plum tree overlooking the Inner Harbour.

Crocuses

Well, plum and cherry blossoms are fine but nothing says spring to me quite like the glorious purple of crocuses.

Spring!

We're getting lots of April Showers these days but after winter's long doldrums spring is forging ahead. The Maple blossoms above and Apple blossoms below are testament to that. They were photographed at Swan Lake last week. I think one of the reasons we like spring so much is because there is so much young, new growth, like babies, and who can resist that fresh, newly minted perfection? It's like we all were before life marked and wore us.

The Miracle of Rebirth

This is the closest I'll get to an Easter theme this year but I think it's a fitting one. Last fall I planted garlic bulbs in my garden and slowly over the winter they have emerged from the soil until today they stand tall and positively glowing green. I know it's not anything unusual really but to me, it's trully amazing. - Fern

Old Friends

The cherry trees are blossoming now in Victoria's streets and the temperature is warm enough so that people can stop and chat with one another. I like this photo because these people look like they are old friends. Friendship is not so highly rated in today's culture as romantic or sexual relationships, yet it's an important aspect of social life. In today's highly mobile culture it is difficult to maintain friendships and I suspect most of us have no more than a few really close friends from our youth and childhood, when we make friends most easily. True friendship is probably our most selfless relationship in that it's not based on the exchange of sexual, emotional or economic favors and is defined neither legally nor genetically. It's one of those things that we know when we have it and we know when we don't have it but we find it difficult to say exactly what it is. If you have a few good old friends, count yourself a lucky person.