Day 203 of 365 - Bloom Time

Finally, in the recent few days of more intense sunshine, the flowering trees are coming into bloom.  I know I've written a few posts already about the hope of spring firmly establishing itself, but, I'd have to say it's only this week that obvious growth and bloom has begun.

In more temperate parts of the country, the forsythia, magnolias and cherry trees would have bloomed at least a month ago, or more.  But, this is life in Ontario, with spring being unreliable until May.

Yesterday, I saw a beautiful, huge, older magnolia tree, full of white blooms.  It had a beautiful crown and was awesome to behold.  The forsythia bush on my friends' property has suddenly popped into full yellow bloom. The huge and elderly willow, which had a soft yellow top already for a couple of weeks, now has long drooping, yellow blooms. 

The ground is truly thawed.  Low lying areas are wet and squishy from the last melting and recent rains.  The grass and clover are even significantly growing in the past two days.  Deciduous trees are just coming into leaf.  Of course, with all this opening, there is a lot more pollen in the air, to which some of us react.  For me, it is only a short term nuisance of sinus congestion.

Seeing these truer signs of spring, even if temperatures are not yet all that warm, is a great relief, and heartwarming.  We have had so many cloudy days in the past six months.  Our brains and bodies are essentially craving both sunshine and warmth.

I suppose I would adapt, but on initial thought, after our gloomy winter, I would not choose to live in a location that is primarily cloudy and precipitous.  The darkness, cold and damp is just rather depressing.

Until now, we have been roweled by spring, goaded in an irritating way into thinking it was here.  I think it is now safe to say that spring is at least off to a trot if not a gallop of growth spurts.

Please, Mother Nature, may it be so!


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