It’s funny how often my Photo-Heart Connection image has turned out to be one from the first day of the month. This time it’s different. This image was taken on the last day.
Winters in Maine are typically long and cold. Along about mid-February, I begin yearning for sunshine and warmth. I start to feel claustrophobic from having to wrap up in layers of sweaters, coats, scarves, hats, and gloves just to step foot out of the house. This winter has seemed even longer and colder than normal, whatever “normal” means these days. I’ve tried not to complain, since it was my own free choice to move back here from sunny California last November — just before winter set in. (People have questioned my sanity, or at least my timing.)
April began with piles of snow still lying in shady areas around the house and garden. We even had a fresh dusting of snow mid-month. But just when it seemed she would never come, Spring began showing her colors. She works her way from the ground up. The grass turns green. Tiny bulbs began poking up and then blooming. Sap begins to rise and twigs brighten with red or gold. Leaf buds began to swell, first on shrubs, then trees.
And then…and then…everything seems to simply explode into leaf and bloom, as if all that pent up energy simply must release itself at once. That’s what the image above represents for me. One day, all is cold and dark; the next day — suddenly, finally — Spring is here in all her glory.
She never lets us down. And she is so worth waiting for.
Linking with Kat Eye Studio’s Photo-Heart Connection for April.
May 6, 2014 at 11:09 am
Beautiful photo and thought Leon!
May 6, 2014 at 11:55 am
Lovely! I’m so glad spring has finally arrived!
May 6, 2014 at 12:40 pm
Lovely photo of life springing forth, and beautiful words to describe it.
May 6, 2014 at 1:02 pm
That’s so pretty. It makes me feel better just looking at it. I’m not sure that spring is worth waiting for. There could be some time spent on a tropical island between November and April. Spring wouldn’t know we bailed out on her. I like your comment about coming from the ground up. you’re way smarter than I am.
May 6, 2014 at 1:28 pm
what a beautiful tree, is it a dogwood? Spring has been a long time coming this year and we, like the buds, are just emerging into the sunlight
May 6, 2014 at 1:38 pm
I think it’s a magnolia, though I don’t know what variety.
May 6, 2014 at 3:40 pm
Ah, spring has sprung – even in Maine 🙂
May 6, 2014 at 4:17 pm
What part of CA did you move from? I live in Nothridge outside LA. How happy you must be to see color other that white! Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving such a nice comment.
May 6, 2014 at 11:06 pm
Acton – do you know where that is? Small town off the 14 between Santa Clarita and Palmdale. Not far from Northridge!
May 6, 2014 at 6:20 pm
Even after this long winter, you guys are still ahead of us with the blooms. Love that flowering tree next to the white house!
May 6, 2014 at 7:06 pm
spring- so pretty and pink! i went to school in new england and remember the lightness of being spring brings after a long winter. lovely writing…
May 6, 2014 at 7:33 pm
Loved the “burst” and your thoughts . . .
May 6, 2014 at 7:48 pm
I love the shocking pink against the grayish skies–your weather, and associated photo opps, will continue to improve over the next few months–I look forward to what you come up with.
May 6, 2014 at 7:59 pm
The tree is stunning. Love coming to visit.
May 6, 2014 at 10:39 pm
This has such a New England ‘feel’ to it. Bring on the spring colors!
May 6, 2014 at 11:38 pm
What a beautiful description of the start of spring! I’m still waiting for the green to explode here in Winnipeg, but your words and photograph have given me a wonderful preview!
May 7, 2014 at 6:54 am
Such a beautiful PHC full of hope. The Magnolias have all finished here so it is lovely to see such a beautiful one today. I think it might be a ‘stellata’ the flowers would remind you of stars rather than the bigger flowers that look like goblets.
May 7, 2014 at 7:05 am
No doubt, it was a long and VERY cold winter, but what a wonderful reward this is!!
Such a beautiful tree.
Happy day to you!
May 7, 2014 at 10:32 am
That tree really does look like a heart, Lee! So glad Spring has sprung in your part of the world, too!
May 7, 2014 at 10:43 am
Cathy, I see the heart! I hadn’t even noticed. Thank you for pointing it out.
May 7, 2014 at 10:44 am
How funny! I thought that was your intent. I love it! 🙂
May 7, 2014 at 11:43 am
Wonderful photo and words… This winter did seem to hang on forever! I think that energy you speak of is also “bursting” out of us! Thanks for stopping by and leaving kind words on blog 🙂
May 7, 2014 at 8:46 pm
Beautiful. We don’t get many flowering trees in my next of the woods (Roanoke, Texas) or maybe I don’t see them. Your image reminds me of spring in Utah. Thank you!
May 8, 2014 at 2:59 pm
So beautiful! I know spring is much appreciated after this hard winter! We already into summer heat though!! 90’s this week!
May 9, 2014 at 1:48 am
So pretty, it is so lovely seeing the first of spring- here we’ve had our first cold week of autumn-although I can’t complain, winter in Sydney is probably a bit like winter in California!
May 12, 2014 at 5:54 pm
how beautiful, this is lovely
May 13, 2014 at 12:59 pm
So pretty. Yay for spring! Quite a contrast to your last snow scattered post! Enjoy the warmer weather and the pretty blooms. 🙂