Better Late Than Never
Spring officially sprang yesterday (actually during the night on Wednesday). What an anticlimax. Spring has been sprung here in Northern California since February 8th. That was the date the smell of the wind changed to balmy, the plants leapt into bud and bloom, and the birds started singing. Ross and I went on a walk at the Nature Center the previous Sunday, and it was quiet as winter. Except for a couple of scrub jay squawks and some crows cawing, the air was silent.
We did a Volkswalk on Sunday, and the air was bursting with birds falling into lust. I didn't realize how silent winter actually was until the birds brought spring in with all their throbbing glory.
By now all the exotic (non-native) fruit trees have bloomed and leafed out in their tender spring leaves. The redbud is fading away, the electric pink starting to look tatty. California poppies are in their apogee and the lupines are coming on quickly. Wild mustard and radish have been throbbing away for weeks, and vetch is beginng to show its dusky purple blooms.
Before those of you who live in colder climates begin to pine with jealousy, all this is a definite problem:
The Early Bird Gets Confused
Spring springs early and biologists worry
I can personally attest to the allergy part -- I've been knocked right off my pins by this year's bout. Allergy-induced asthma is so deceptive! During the winter I can hike and do all sorts of things -- I exercise, I start to lose a bit of weight. Then spring hits, like a rock, and suddenly I can't walk from the car into the house without panting for breath, when the week before I was doing 8K hikes. Most disspiriting!
The worst of the allergies seem to be over, so next week I'm going to try to get back out there with the Volkswalkers. If I can get enough of a head start over the weekend on my taxes, that is!
We did a Volkswalk on Sunday, and the air was bursting with birds falling into lust. I didn't realize how silent winter actually was until the birds brought spring in with all their throbbing glory.
By now all the exotic (non-native) fruit trees have bloomed and leafed out in their tender spring leaves. The redbud is fading away, the electric pink starting to look tatty. California poppies are in their apogee and the lupines are coming on quickly. Wild mustard and radish have been throbbing away for weeks, and vetch is beginng to show its dusky purple blooms.
Before those of you who live in colder climates begin to pine with jealousy, all this is a definite problem:
The Early Bird Gets Confused
Spring springs early and biologists worry
You probably went to bed Wednesday night in one season and woke up in another, as spring officially began at 1:48 a.m. EDT yesterday. But in fact trees are blossoming and birds are singing earlier than ever, say biologists -- and that's not ideal. Among the consequences of a climate-change-caused early spring: a longer allergy season, longer wildfire season, and disoriented flora and fauna.
I can personally attest to the allergy part -- I've been knocked right off my pins by this year's bout. Allergy-induced asthma is so deceptive! During the winter I can hike and do all sorts of things -- I exercise, I start to lose a bit of weight. Then spring hits, like a rock, and suddenly I can't walk from the car into the house without panting for breath, when the week before I was doing 8K hikes. Most disspiriting!
The worst of the allergies seem to be over, so next week I'm going to try to get back out there with the Volkswalkers. If I can get enough of a head start over the weekend on my taxes, that is!
posted by Kate at 6:41 PM
2 Comments:
Sounds like you're having a gorgeous Spring, Kate. Sorry about the allergy problem, though. I'm sending mojo to alleviate the aggravation. Ain't no fun to be breathless!
Hey, you posted and it didn't even occur to me to come check! :)
Spring was hard this year, bad allergies for everyone. But I do enjoy the birds singing.
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