SPRING HAS ARRIVED!

Only five days since the vernal equinox and the NW landscape is alive with the colors, shapes, smells, warmth of spring. I do not care that it hasn't stopped raining more than a day since September. I don't mind that I am still wearing sweaters to work. I am thankful for the change. On my walk today I couldn't help stare into the tall doug firs to look for the red winged blackbird. I could hear him calling out, hey, everone- spring is here-ya heard?! I stopped to pick a piece of tall grass and right beside my foot, just off the trail was a tiny black, red, and green snake. It saw me and froze. I moved just to see it move.



It occurs to me that spring is about contrasts- visually anyhow. The way the tender leaves of the huckleberry grow out from stiff brown branches, how star magnolia's droopy white petals peek out from fuzzy buds. Yes, it's obvious, I have spring fever. Makes me wonder what it would be like to live in a place with year round spring/summer- the tropics? or somewhere too cold for plants to bloom- the arctic? Last year around this time I was in Arizona soaking up the 70-80 degree warmth. It was nice- and everything was more alive than I had imagined. It was a mix of green-cacti, brown-earth, and blue-sky.



Next week we're taking off for Minnesota and driving back with my brand new (used) car. Thanks to the Feb. challenge, I've saved enough to buy it. So, I'm looking forward to seeing what spring looks like from MN to here. Stay tuned for my cross-country update.



Here's another little Haiku from my daily walk. P.S. It really is illegal to pick trilliums in WA (and Oregon) because they have a hard time regenerating. They don't do well in water anyway- not that I would know from personal experience....

Trillium Temptation


Standing on a moist carpet
A lone flower tempts
Picking is against the law