Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Anticipating Spring

Even when winter trees are leafless and all the ground is covered with snow, nature makes small places for my eyes to feast. The evergreens stand out greeny-black against the white, 

every shade of brown and gray shows off its luster where the snow has melted and the leaf matter is exposed, 


dawns and sunsets paint the sky in shades of crimson and purple. Cardinals and jays look like winged jewels in flight. 


And when that snow disappears? Oh, glorious green!

We are weeks away from this last photo, but just knowing the middle of February has passed gives me hope!

13 comments:

steven said...

pauline when i saw that last photo my heart leapt for you thinking they're here!! but i get your words and they are heartening in their own way also. it'll all happen! steven

Marion said...

I thought you'd grown those violets this year already! It really won't be long now before Spring is well and truly here...even with a Snowfall warning in the forecast for today, I feel it will most likely be Spring Snow, easily gone. And I know you are right, Nature makes "small places for my eyes to feast" as well.

I love the third photo!

Ruth said...

I got excited seeing winter aconite on Robert's Solitary Walker blog recently. I need to go down by the river on campus and see if they are blooming.

Judith said...

Hope springs first to the mind's eye ---

Brian Miller said...

oh yeah i feel it..so spoiled this week...mid 60s...and supposed to be 75 on friday...oh my...

Reya Mellicker said...

It definitely is a time of hopes and fears - will winter last much much longer? Or maybe we'll have an early spring.

I can imagine the day when people were also thinking, "Do we have enough potatoes in the cellar to last until the warm weather returns? Enough firewood?"

Spring is just about to POP here. I'm so ready.

Pauline said...

Steven - there's still two feet of snow on the ground but by mid-April those violets will be peeing shyly from their leaves

Marion - the third photo is a glimpse out my bedroom window :)

Are they, Ruth?

Judith - your eye candy helps :)

Brian - you don't live just down the road, then

Reya, i ask myself that every March - will the vegetables from last year's harvest hold out? Usually I have to buy at least three months' worth (March, April and May). New peas and spinach are ready in late May if I can plant them in early April).

Hilary said...

I am in anticipation right alongside you.. and enjoying your photos from where I stand.

JeannetteLS said...

Well. I am thoroughly ashamed of myself and how I tend to see the snow-laden world just now. Of course, the view outside my front window's not like your pictures, but DAWN outside my kitchen window IS magic and maybe... just MAYBE I'd do better to focus on that. Beautiful thoughts AND photos.

Anne said...

Me too.

Joanna Jenkins said...

"Cardinals and jays look like winged jewels in flight." That's beautiful.

Sprung is almost here. Hang in there. jj

Pauline said...

Hilary - I tempted fate by posting those violets. It's snowing here again!

Jeannette - revel in the dawns then, and let them color your whole day :)

Anne :)

JJ - you're right - not long, now. Usually the first warmth and budding occurs at the end of March. Not long at all :)

Unknown said...

And now you've said it better
I cannot wait. Here it is the end of Feb... hope indeed.