Has anyone else been enjoying the beautiful landscape found on the West Side these days? What a welcome sight it is after a long, drab winter to see the colorful palette of spring begin to come into view. It is so refreshing and uplifting to the spirit.
The calendar says spring begins next week but I know Mother Nature has her own schedule. She runs the show and apparently the time for the curtain to rise has come. The blossoms of the season have begun to emerge and they are spectacular as always.
Spring is not a surprise, it happens every year, yet I am always taken aback when I catch my first glimpse of color popping through, usually on an almond tree.
A few weeks ago I noticed some of the trees along Whitworth Road were showing a few blossoms here and there, which prompted me to take an extra look to the west towards the hills every chance I got from that day forward. The days when the trees are in full bloom are few and I didn’t want to miss the show.
One of my favorite views of spring is when the almond orchards in the west are in full bloom….it looks like a delicate pink snow has blanketed the foothills. It is a particularly gorgeous sight when the hills behind them are still in that lush green stage and the sky is crystal clear blue. On days like that I am drawn to drive out in the country and enjoy the moment. How can I not?
What an opportunity we have here to see God’s work first hand and up close. Those days don’t happen all the time, but when they do, I am glad to be able to soak up all the wonder they offer.
One day, I was determined to catch a photo of the amazing landscape but no matter my attempts I couldn’t capture it as I experienced it. It was one of those days when the sun was shining just perfectly to cast shadows in the nooks and crannies of the hills which were still so green from winter they were very dramatic looking, offering more definition and detail than I normally see. Add to that the occasional hint of wildflowers, a sky the bluest of blues above and the fantastic blanket of almond blossoms below and it was a gorgeous sight. I kept driving towards it, trying to capture what I saw with the camera from different angles, different vantage points, but it never quite worked. I guess it was one of those moments when I was meant to simply enjoy the experience for the gift that it was and let it fill my spirit rather than my scrapbook. And that was okay.
Mother Nature has offered several spectacular days like that in the past weeks and I hope people have had the chance to enjoy them. If you missed the almond blossoms in full bloom, there are still plenty of others to enjoy.
The signs of spring are all around us now. Our downtown trees are popping with blossoms and neighborhood street trees are beginning to bloom. Different colors are showing up, the bright pinks are mixing with the white blossoms and flowers of all kinds are beginning to show up in yards and in the parks and in flower pots.
Although there is still a nip in the air, and there was that nasty morning fog on Sunday (where did that come from?) spring is definitely on its way. Enjoy!