Just a few weeks ago, when I was in the Southern City Where Creative Writing Conference Was Held, I spent an afternoon in a botanical garden where pink blossoms were unfolding on the trees. When I was visiting the European City Where My Daughter is Spending the Semester, I walked through a park wearing only a t-shirt. (Yes, of course, I had pants on, too. This is a country where acting proper is quite important. I mean that I didn't have on mittens or a hat or a winter coat.) In the City of Patisseries That Smell Wonderful, we walked through sunshine in parks where the gardens were already filled with little flowers.
I've watched spring arrive at least three times already, in three different parts of the world. So even though snow this time of year is perfectly normal where I live, I keep looking out in my backyard and wondering – what is it doing there?
My backyard on the last day of winter.
17 comments:
It's spring in Snowstorm City... we can see the picnic tables again!
That is a gorgeous photograph.
Berrybird: LOL. You are so right. That second picnic table was missing a few weeks ago -- buried completely under the snow.
Katherine: Thanks.
BerryBird beat me to it. I was going to point out the missing picnic table.
I, who was so excited about snow a few weeks ago, would be so ready to see it gone if I were you.
I agree, that is a beautiful picture.
Wow!! That picture is so beautiful it doesn't seem real! It is perfect!
Ah yes, while we've had lovely weather in the Country Where Hugh Grant is Not Really the Prime Minister in the past few weeks, it has taken a freaky turn in the past few days. We've had random hail storms, occasional snow, wind and freezing temperatures.
But I've noticed that trend before. Why is it that a few weeks before winter ends, the weather is beautiful; but by the vernal equinox, it is freezing again?
It's the conjunction of a late (but not unusually so) winter snow and early daylight savings time that is throwing me off kilter. Daylight at dinnertime bouncing off the snowy backyard - they just don't mix! I feel like we're eating dinner at midday and going to bed at dinnertime, and I don't remember ever being so thrown off by the switch to daylight time.
Confusing, yes, but how nice to get three springs!
Hee. The last time I did something like that to myself (spring to tropical fall to temperate fall to temperate summer in the space of three months) I threw my body thermostat so badly off it's never quite recovered.
I tend to find springs here rather disconcerting in any case; most of my life was spent where winter slid gradually and quietly into summer - not these wild mood swings between snow and sun!
Wow you can see the picnic tables again! Fun to have three tastes of Spring though, four counting the one you are going to experience at home.
Jo(e), having just returned (from the States!) I am only catching up on your blog - thank you for describing in such lovely detail my favouritest city in the whole world, and for putting up those gorgeous photographs! I hope to go there again sometime in June; reading your posts, I can't wait. :-) Thanks again!
Who knew the tables were side by side? :)
I still get excited seeing all your snowy pictures...
I miss snow.
I would trade the early spring for all that snow any day of the week. Yep, would.
yeah.. in a few months we'll get winter. but no snow.
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