And the weather is not even bad!!!  😉  Yaaaahhhoooooooooo!

This re-located West Coaster is quietly thrilled today, relishing every single millisecond of 70 degree weather. We even got astronomical verification from The Creator –  ladies and gents, the Solstice went off as planned.

“It is Go, Houston”.

It is in this giddy frame of mind with which I drag myself back from watching a delightful 9 innings of baseball played here at the University of Louisville’s cool new stadium which inspires me to post my favorite Spring Pictures, all drawn from various and sundry travels through those Springtime months of years past and present.

We can begin at the first – Crocuses always thrill me. They are the earliest blooms of all and they most certainly took their time getting here this season. This is not to hold them responsible, of course. Like myself – we are all merely pawns in the Great Book of Life.

(Left click to enlarge any picture)

I like the meadow-esque look they can take on when “naturalized” as in this picture. I have to admit, it is by far my favorite use of these gorgeous early Spring bloomers.

Forsythia always gets the garland for “most desired plant ever” at about this time of year. I wish I had a buck for every Springtime job I did where someone would ask for these to be planted – “Steve, do you know the name of that pretty yellow flowering shrub?”

“Yes.” (rolls eyes)

Star Magnolias are next on the Early Spring list of glory hallelujah Spring Time bloomers, showing here “in potentia”, then later as a daggone gorgeous tree. These can actually get bigger than heck – always a perfect Spring harbinger.

And later:

Early-blooming Plum have always been a favorite of mine. This neighborhood street scene in Portland, Oregon shows why I so admire 4 season climates. This one is in two phases, each of which is gorgeous:

And a bit later:

The lime-green of early Weeping Willow leaves contrast gloriously with the bloom from an early-blooming Japanese Cherry tree:

An old favorite of mine is this Pieris Japonica “Mountain Fire”, whose brilliant new red foliage is a Spring Time phenomenon, soon to revert to green.

And my old favorites, the Oregon State Shrub – the Oregon Grape – a Mahonia culitvar which travels well and is found in various varieties here in Kentucky – shines in the Sun light with a brilliant yellow:

I could go on. As Sprintime develops further, we’ll get those pretty perennials like Columbines, Lupines and stuff like this cute Bleeding Heart which now doubles as my own screen saver, lol. I like this picture.

Until then, consider me happy. Hey, it’s almost baseball season!