Today, we are thinking spring and enjoying our exuberant azaleas. After a harsher winter than normal for so many regions of the U.S., I imagine many of you are enjoying any indicator you see of a new season. For our friends in the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, you may be seeking spring's new life as well. Since I have some readers in the Southern Hemisphere, my thoughts also fly down to you and wonder what your week of March into April will bring.Although we live in coastal North Florida and enjoy extended moderate to warm weather, we had an unusually cold winter, too. However, I wouldn't want to live somewhere with little or no seasonal change at all. One of my reasons for declaring to a hot weather loving husband that this is about as far south as I want to go is my enjoyment of changing seasons. Thankfully, we have four distinct seasons here in Jacksonville, Florida, and I love the unique beauty of each.
Question of the day: What's popping outside your windows?
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Beautiful flowers, Mary! Absolutely nothing is budding yet here. But? There is hope; the birds have stepped up their morning songs...The peacocks kept in the home down over the ridge from me are back to their mournful screeching in the early morning hours (they must be in a soundproof building in the winter; I never heard them)...Now...for a small shoot of green I'd be ever so happy!!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in western Michigan, Sherry, so I can picture the look of late March after a hard winter there where you are. As an author of a spiritual book I was reading recently said (he was talking about life in New England, I think), the first half of spring is not pretty in a conventional sense. It's the slush and mud season that precedes green shoots and warm weather birds. I'm glad you hear more birds singing in the morning and hope you see green shoots soon. Thank you for your visit and kind comments.
ReplyDeleteHaving grown up in South Louisiana, I have a great love of those azalea blooms, Mary! The are such a sign of Spring! Unfortunately, I don't get to enjoy them in my area of Texas.
ReplyDeleteOur wildflowers are making quite a show, and several of the shrubs and trees are blooming, too! We actually had winter this year, and we're reaping the benefits of that! I'm in one of those areas where we really don't get 4 distinct seasons.
Beatiful azaleas. I've given up try to grow them in our alkaline soil. We really enjoyed our first ever trip to Florida. Audubons Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel were outstanding. We also went to Twins spring training in Fort Myers. Will visit Florida again next year!
ReplyDeleteDown north, we are heading for winter and colder weather so I look with eager eyes at the beautiful picture you present of spring. These azaleas are stunning Mary. What a lovely sight.
ReplyDeleteIt has been raining for 2 days now and for the first time today, I have not had my cooling fan on and need a light sweater.
LOL!! What a dummy!! Of course I am SOUTH of you not NORTH!! LOL!! Blame it on the early hour Mary. :)
ReplyDeleteJean, I would miss azaleas, too--very much. We are just far enough north to grow them, and I think they are especially showy this year because we had more freezes and longer freezes than usual. I'm glad your wildflowers, trees, and shrubs are blooming and look forward to seeing some in your amazing blog photos as well as in your lovely paintings.
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about you, TB, and hoping that you had a good visit to Florida. I have not been to either of preserve/refuge areas you mentioned, but would love to! Florida has an astonishing range of natural areas--way beyond the stereotypical palm tree, beach, and alligator mental image people may have. Thank you very much for stopping in and letting me know about your vacation.
Joan, I figure that since space has no up or down, you can picture yourself any direction from us you like :>). I love to think about you and other southern hemisphere blogging friends. Thanks for your fun comments, and I look forward to browsing your superior photos again soon.