Skywatch Friday: The Song of Spring

Open, Open, Open

This last weekend was fantastic. We had sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50's. Yay, spring has sprung.  Now bring on all the flowers!



Waiting for Spring

Blue sky can be seen through the branches of a tree waiting for spring.  Today might be the first official day of spring, but this tree sure doesn't realize it yet.



A Letter

Dear Pacific Northwest Weather,

Yes, I know it rains a lot in the northwest. I have long resigned myself to gray skies and wet sidewalks. When I take a walk, I expect to come back home thoroughly soaked, despite my boots and raincoat. The typical soundtrack to my morning blogging-and-coffee routine is the swoosh of tires on the puddled street. When people complain-- as they inevitably do-- about the incessant rain, I'm the first to leap to your defense, and point out the emerald surroundings that result from all the wet weather.

However, I'm sick of it.

Have you forgotten that we are approaching mid-May? Because it really feels like February out there. Actually, never mind. February was nicer.

You may have been bored with the typical spring weather of sunshine and temperatures in the mid-sixties, but you know what? We liked it that way. Hey, forget the mid-sixties, I'd be happy with hitting sixty degrees. It would be so exciting to leave the house without a jacket.

So if it's not too much trouble, could we lighten up a bit here? Maybe have more than one sunny day in a row, maybe even a couple warm ones? I have gardening to do... that is, if my vegetables become convinced it's spring. And I'm rapidly running out of the photos I took on rare non-rainy days. I have obligations, you know. People will probably stop visiting Bellingham Daily Photo if I only post pictures of my kids, my cats, and rain-streaked windows.

Please. I'm begging here. Please stop with the cold, the wet, the windy. Please bring back the sun!

Soddenly yours,
Lizziviggi

Western Skunk Cabbage

A sure sign of spring is the reemergence of that fragrant swamp flower-- the skunk cabbage. Although they share a name and foul odor, the Western skunk cabbage looks nothing like the Eastern skunk cabbage. Also called Swamp Lantern, the Western skunk cabbage has enormous green leaves (the largest leaves of any native plant in the Pacific Northwest) and huge bright yellow flowers. The stamen, pictured here, is about a foot tall. Local Native Americans used to use the giant leaves to line their baskets or wrap around fish to cook over the fire.

"Spring is here,"

the daffodil insists,

despite the wet snow

falling outside the window.

The cherry blossoms are here...

...and my heart sings with Spring.

Rx For the Dark Days of Winter

After out near spring-like early February, winter has decided to make a comeback. My internal clock had pretty well decided that winter was over and was prepared for spring. We escaped the worst of the snow, but it's been in the teens and twenties for several days.

In light of the darkness, Bellingham Daily Photo would like to present an image from this past summer to remind us all that spring is nearly here!

A Hint of Spring

It was supposed to be a long, hard cold winter

but after several weeks of spring-like weather its starting to feel like winter is over. Many of the trees in our yard are budding out already and the honey suckle already has leaves. We'll hope the weather holds so these early starters make it!

Blossoms

Everything--

sidewalks, gutters, cars--

are graced by the pink

of springtime.

Who cares about a groundhog's shadow?

It has rarely dipped below freezing here all winter. Now with the early arrival of birds and blossoms, it not only feels like spring, it looks like it too.