Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Spring Came Suddenly

The spring came suddenly, bursting upon the world as a child bursts into a room, with a laugh and a shout and hands full of flowers. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Everyone is saying it.

This March is the warmest one any of us can recollect. After a short, mild, mostly-snowless winter, spring seems to have arrived boldly, swiftly and packing the heat of a mid-June afternoon. Temperatures have been in the twenties celsius (70 to 78 F) for over a week now, and buds which usually begin to show signs of minute growth in April, are showing measurable growth daily.

The images below were taken March 11 through 16. They depict my first photographic signs of budding and growth. Everything has changed considerably since then. So I'll have more photos in a few days.




crocus
Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke




weeping willow buds
The clamours of spring are the same old delicate noises,The earth renews its magical youth at a breath. ~Arthur Symons




brand new leaf
Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm. ~ John Muir




tiny new leaf
Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment. ~Ellis Peters




pawprint bud
Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.
~Lewis Grizzard





budding
Poor, dear, silly Spring, preparing her annual surprise! ~Wallace Stevens




red maple buds
I glanced out the window at the signs of spring. The sky was almost blue, the trees were almost budding, the sun was almost bright. ~Millard Kaufman




rose leaf
"The force of Spring -
mysterious,
fecund,
powerful beyond measure."
- Michael Garofalo




mini violets
"When the time is ripe for certain things, these things appear in different places in the manner of violets coming to light in the early spring." ~ Farkas Bolyai



When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. ~Ernest Hemingway

65 comments:

Gary's third pottery blog said...

spring EXPLODING here too, and all the happy birds and bugs!

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

I think you are a bit ahead of us in Montreal - but we'll catch up! These new weather patterns certainly please our senses, but they are disturbing to the mind when you think about what it all means. Great photographs Hilary.

larkswing said...

Oh my! Your pictures? Your quotes? Spot on! All the quotes make me feel "springy" but that first one, through itchiness, sums up spring here. As I took a walk last night, the sun was just right and seemed to create a glow on all the dogwood tree blooms. It is hard to describe and I know a picture, or at least my camera skills, could not capture the hue it gave. Amazing!

NitWit1 said...

Here in North Central Arkansas I figure everything is a month early. The forsynthia blooms have faded and bushes a full of greenery now/ Mu redbuds are showing greee leaves. Now the knock=out and other roses flourished after pruning and I bet there will soon be knock out roses. The nandinas are flourishing as usual. We just finished add more mulch.

LadyFi said...

Lucky lucky you! What gorgeous shots!

Unknown said...

The fifth photo from the top reminds me of a dog paw!!
I came home from work yesterday and everything is green...this is just not right, beautiful though.
Very pretty shots of Spring.

DJan said...

It's an amazing springtime across most of the country. Only those of us on the West Coast are having a cooler than normal spring; I hear the same thing from all my blogging friends. Simply beautiful pictures of this unusual springtime, Hilary. I always enjoy your macro shots.

Anvilcloud said...

Great macros as usual. Spring sprang quickly this year. The cold spells and snow (I am betting on it here) to come will not be happy events.

Liz Mays said...

So much hope within each of those buds!

Frank Baron said...

Yep, it's a head-scratcher all right. But few are arguing. Brilliant crocus shot but they're all fine. :)

Russell said...

Spring is a special time. Many of the beautiful wild flowers are tiny. You have to sort of stop and look to find them at times. Sort of like life itself - you need to stop every so often and just look around.

Often times you need to let your eyes get used to the light - as when you go out at night - before you can see what is around you. It is that way with spring, too. There is a lot of beauty around you but you have to stop long enough to see it and enjoy it.

Thanks for the tour and the extremely good images. I enjoyed this very much.

Unknown said...

Beautiful! I can smell those flowers from here!

ellen abbott said...

I love all those fat buds.

stephen Hayes said...

When I see buds like these in early Spring I'm always amazed that plants know what to do without being taught or trained.

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

Holy Moley.......the crocus just knocked my socks off. Fabulous...I can even smell them.
And the word fecund in the quote from Michael Garafolo always makes me giggle. Long story short. In college one of my roommates was a nerdier nerd than me. We challenged each other to learn a new word (the same for both of us) a day and use it 20 times in conversation. For some reason the word fecund just wasn't that easy to use.....in the right context and we entertained our other housemates with a fecund use contest.....oh stars, what a riot. So thanks for a word blast from the past. Oma Linda

TexWisGirl said...

'unbelievable shrieking' :)

Brian Miller said...

love those quotes and great pics to go with as well...it is the hottest spring after the hottest winter...is it getting hot in here or what?

and my son loved his POTW...smiles.

Suldog said...

Such an interesting change of season we're having. As mild a Winter as it's been down here, we're really not blooming yet. But, there you are, more northerly, and Spring is sprung.

CiCi said...

I like the Hemingway quote. I am reading a book about his first wife right now. He has always been interesting to me. In high school the one report I spent lots of time preparing was about him.

Gorgeous flowers. Thanks for the cheerful photos.

JC said...

Beautiful pictures as always. I want to blow them up and hang them on my walls.I'm in the deep south (Alabama), all the spring trees and flowers are in full bloom, just breathtaking.

Geraldine said...

Can you send some of that warmth and sunshine out to BC Hilary? LOL It's snowing again here today. The photos in this post warmed my heart. Lovely! Can't wait for spring to FINALLY arrive here.

Gillian Olson said...

Springs buds are glorious, it does bring joy, how can it not!

Red said...

You're having an amazing spring. You also have some amazing photos. I really like the ones of all the buds.

Meri said...

I pinned the purple crocus shot on my Pinterest board (Color Splash).

messymimi said...

A spring worth the remembering.

Sueann said...

Loved the crocus shot!! So amazing. Still no flowers around here but soon I hope!!!!
Thanks for sharing your spring
Hugs
SueAnn

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

The first photo and its accompanying quotation were absolutely perfect. The rest were the icing on the cake. Well done.

Bob Bushell said...

Superb photos. Oh, I'm so pleased that is spring.

Dawning Inspiration said...

I must admit - I am doing more than Zumba.... a definite jig is in order with the Spring springing about!! ;o)

cheshire wife said...

Looking forward to see how nature is progressing in your next posting.

Elizabeth Grimes said...

Such a perfect pairing of photos and quotes. It warms my heart today. And thank you for the POTW. As always, I'm shocked and honored. :)

Out on the prairie said...

Some nice macro, I saw my first violets today.

Barb said...

I LOVE those buds - so much promise!

photowannabe said...

The joys of Spring. Our Spring exploded a few weeks ago and now winter (for us in the Greater Sacramento area)has decided she is not finished.
Snow in the mountains and rain in the lowlands. We need it so badly that no one is complaining.
Beautiful portraits of Springtime.

Steve Gravano said...

I love the four seasons and I always happy to see spring, but the strange weather does have me concerned. I went out to look at the vegetable plot. Thought I'd turn it over this weekend if the weather allowed. I found volunteer lettuce plants about three inches tall!
I agree with ZledaMom, that bud looks like a puppy paw! Beautiful photos and quotes.

Ruth Hiebert said...

I enjoyed seeing all these signs of spring.

Slamdunk said...

I am all for anyone farther North than me talking about warmth and spring. That purple violet shot puts a smile on my face.

Cloudia said...

Nice layout:
Photos interspersed with quotes.

Gotta try it, LOL! Yeah, Like I invented the interweb with Al Gore.

Your work leaves me in an agreeable daze of wonder. I look at photos all the time. Yours always have that extra something.

Tip O my wig to ya!


Aloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral

>< } } ( ° >

Dave said...

Yep, it looks as though spring is almost there Hilary. - Dave

Shrinky said...

Those crocus' are utterly heart-stopping, Hilary. I think we all breathe a collective sigh of relief at the onset of warmer climes, don't we? (I could really get into this global warming lark..)

sage said...

Beautiful photos--it has been an interesting March!

Leah J. Utas said...

Beautiful. I love the crossed-finger buds. It's as though they are hoping the good weather continues.

Daryl said...

the pawprint shot is like a clenched fist .. raised in salute to spring!!!

Dianne said...

I love Daryl's insight :)
it is a wonderful pawprint bud
your photos of buds are always so gentle, you can feel thru them that you love nature
and the purple is so amazing, my favorite color

Indrani said...

The neat focus! Love your pictures.

Reb said...

Ah, spring! So beautiful, so not showing up here anytime soon. Lovely photos Hilary.

Anyes said...

The growing buds you captured, Hilary make my heart sing :-)

Today the sun is shining, and feels me with joy even if the temperature are still around 11 degrees (50 degrees Fahrenheit).

Skunkfeathers said...

Your images bring hope to those who were depressed by the musings of a ground hog, back in February ;-)

Reena said...

love that quote ... everything is blooming recklessly ... so true!

yaya said...

I actually mowed my yard..in March! Crazy weather, but the blooms are beautiful..hopefully it won't get so cold that it kills it all as quickly as it came!

Anita said...

Amazing detail on the smallest of subjects! Before I leave this earth, I plan to learn at least a one hundredth of what you know as a photographer. :)

Good work on finding the quotes, too.

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

Breathtaking beauty in itty-bitty bites! I love the Longfellow quote at the top the most, but the verse of "almost" made me smile.

Today my husband pointed out the green tips of a tulip plant poking through the dark soil: my first sign of spring. Of course, our temperatures are much cooler than yours.

Mental P Mama said...

Gotta love that Hemingway quote. Wait. Gotta love them all;)

MaggieGem said...

Wonderful spring images... and matching quotes! Thanks for sharing.

Ruby said...

Love the blossoms in the first shot!

Mage said...

Just magical. I am in love with the blues and violets of spring, myself. Thank you.

Maggie May said...

New growth= new Spring= new hope!
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Claudya Martinez said...

Those purple flowers take my breath away.

SandyCarlson said...

Lush and beautiful, this reprise of spring's sudden arrival. Thank you for these images, each of which is pure poetry.

Hilary said...

Thanks kindly for stopping by to comment, everyone. You're more than kind and I appreciate your thoughtful words more than I can express. Thanks for sharing my spring.

Dan said...

Love the macro pics and composition. Exquisite!

Something went adrift when the clocks were rolled forward. Someone in the Nature department must have rolled past Spring and into Summer and just realized their error and rolled us into the proper weather cycle.

Sarah Knight said...

Lovely shots!

lime said...

i always love the quotations you find to go with your magnificent shots.

Barbara said...

You'll soon have plenty of explosions of your own!! Love these captures, though. Beautiful at every stage!

Betty Manousos said...

love your spring shots, they totally uplifted my day!
those bursting buds are just gorgeous!

xo