Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Spring has Sprung!!

The biggest seasonal change of the year is underway!  Pick your indicator - first flower, last snow, first Turkey Vulture, first Spring Peepers.  We had them all today, a beautiful and busy blue sky day (before tomorrow's freezing rain and snow)!

I'm running out of pictures for the blog, so I went out into the yard briefly, and there they were, a small but bright blue patch of Dwarf Iris, a stunning royal blue.  My favourite, and usually first, spring flower.

In last year's debris of the scree garden, the patch of blue stood out like a beacon, and there are quite a few yet to bloom.

Our tiny patch of Snowdrops is also unfolding, almost in bloom after fighting their way up through the leaf litter.

See the snow - it's GONE!  Today the last little white patch of snow where I blew the snow off the driveway into a pile, vanished.  Perhaps the dullest picture I've ever posted, but it's gone.  Unfortunately, when you have a gravel driveway, a snowblower the size of mine picks up a fair bit of gravel, especially in the first two or three storm events.  Every spring I have to rake it up into little piles, gather it up, and toss it back on the driveway, one of those early spring chores.

We're still getting lots of morning frost (here on a cedar rail in the fence) as the night-time temperature drops below freezing, but on a day like today the sun burns it off by 9 a.m.

And we've seen our first Turkey Vultures, here the way you actually see them, a distant black pair of wings in the sky.  Had to dig into the archives for this one, taken a year ago on a hike up to some cliffs here in the valley.

Another rather dull picture, but standing here we heard our first Spring Peepers, and a solitary Spring Chorus Frog (if only I could photograph the sound!)  So that's the first flower, the first Turkey Vulture, and the first frogs calling, all in 24 hours!  Spring has truly started, even though snow is forecast for tomorrow.


16 comments:

  1. Beautiful! No flowers here yet- we've still got snow, slowly melting.

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  2. Such is the way of the climate now it seems, FG.

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  3. The Flowers are captivating and a true sign of Spring. However another sign of Spring is another snowfall after the flowers start to bloom.
    Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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  4. I always have a laugh when garden planners say " Plant... this ( whatever it may be) after the last frost!!! Hope this snow will not linger and your Iris, what a deep rich colour.

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  5. it is difficult as the weather changes back and forth and spring teases you. the iris is gorgeous, just the right color!!

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  6. Typical spring weather, warm sunny days followed by cold damp weather.

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  7. Beautiful iris! Glad you are getting some flowers to bloom.

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  8. I do miss the sound of the frogs in our water garden. Guess I'll visit our son soon. They have a retention pond next to their back yard. Plenty of frogs there! Lovely first flowers!

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  9. No that spring is here, it just needs to warm up a bit more.

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  10. Great to see all your snow is finally gone and you have wild flowers WOOHOO . Lovely photos . Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !

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  12. YAY for Srpring! Pretty flowers. Happy Thursday, enjoy your day and the weekend ahead!

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  13. Your iris is beautiful. I see a few of them around here, too, and they are definitely singing "spring is here"? :-)

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  14. I think we are within weeks of seasonal change with your woods.

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  15. Well there certainly was a lot happening in the day. It's always good when the last of the snow leaves. - I love those Iris & Snowdrops. I love frogs too and they do make a wonderful sound.

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  16. Oh, I so love hearing those first spring peepers...we have been hearing them a while. Love those flowers...

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