Running With Quills: Here comes da sun!

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Here comes da sun!

Last Friday was my wedding anniversary. As the soulmate and I boarded a train for Portland for a mini getaway, it was snowing.

Snowing, for heaven's sake! So close to April 1st it makes no nevermind.

This has been the craziest year for weather. I've seen atypical temps and weather patterns all over the nation.

But Spring has come to Seattle!!
Finally.
At last.

'Bout time.

I love the seasons in this town. Love them all. I have a genuinely tough time deciding which I like best.

Still, it's hard to beat Spring with all its flowers.

Not to mention sunshine. Man, am I grateful to see that again! I thought for sure it had forsaken our part of the world for ever and ever, amen. But it's back (if only for a short while) and everything looks so clean and bright, instead of gray and dismal. The greens are such a clear, tender hue, and the air is filled with fresh scents. My Daphne Odora (or maybe its Adora) is budding and Lordy does it smell divine. Our ancient lilac tree will be in bloom in about a month. Already I look forward to stepping outside the lower back door and simply breathing deeply.

How about your part of the world ? Has winter finally (at last. 'bout time) lost its grip? And what's your favorite season?

27 Comments:

Anonymous said...: The days are getting decently long, the sun is shining, it´s still cold but spring is on its way.

Sirry from Iceland.; 1:13 AM
Tina said...: So far, in the past 30 days, we've had ice and snow, flooding, a possible tornado, flooding, mid-60s temperatures, flooding. However, since I live in Kentucky, it's only the ice and snow in March that was truly weird.

It's seemed so much colder this year for so much longer than usual that I was a little shocked to notice that all the trees started flowering sometime in the last couple of weeks and they are now in full bloom. From what I understand, that's actually a little sooner than last year, which was a little sooner than the year before, etc.

I do love Spring, though. It's my absolute most favorite time of the year. I love the delicate greens and the contrasting pink and purple from the many flowering trees around town. I love finally shedding my many layers. I love the scents--for the 20 seconds or so that I can smell them before the allergies hit. My allergies go crazy in the Spring, but I don't care. It's still my favorite season.; 5:23 AM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: You're right, Susan, spring has definitely hit Seattle. The way I can tell is that the flower sellers have arrived big time in the Pike Place Market. Don't know what their secret is, but those blooms are incredible!!!

--Jayne; 6:26 AM
wolfpackgirl said...: Spring has definitely sprung here in Raleigh, NC. Most all the spring flowers are blooming and there is a big yellow cover on everything from all the pollen. With all the rain we've been, finally, getting the last week or so there are little yellow puddles and "streams" with the runoff. The weather has been ranging from the 50s to high 70s in the daytime. All in all not so bad, even for rainy days.; 7:02 AM
Anonymous said...: Today, it is like winter wants to keep its icy grip on my area; I left the edge of the Adirondack mountains with sleet pinging my windshield. As I came down through Saratoga county, it shifted quickly to rain.

But two days ago it was 60 and three days ago it was 72. The end is in SIGHT!

I spent a week in Mississippi / New Orleans and enjoyed a "lead in"!

If the weather is fine, I will take the snow bank that barely melts until June and do my annual snow toss event onto the driveway. My house faces north and the bank at the house is always high, and SLOW to melt in the shade. It is fun on a 50 degree day to toss and melt!
SusanB; 7:46 AM
Elizabeth Guest said...: The only signs of spring so far in northern Indiana are the daffodils showing a tiny bit of green above ground and the birds singing in the morning. (I love birdsongs!)

The temps are supposed to warm up this week to the 50s. But we've had far too little sunshine here the past few months. I would love a whole week of sun right about now!

Can't wait for spring!
~EG; 8:33 AM
elizabeth said...: I enjoyed the three days of spring in Anacortes. Now it's cold, rainy, windy, overcast...did I mention cold?

*sigh*

The daffs are up, but the tulips ain't having nuttin' to do with us yet.; 9:50 AM
Anonymous said...: Yes! Spring has finally arrived, and I am so grateful. I'm from Georgia. The South. The beach where the days are now 80 degrees and the ocean water is warm. After two years I am still adjusting to the grey days of Seattle. The cold and the snow are no problem, but the lack of sunlight is somethings hard to overcome. But the biggest upside of Seattle is I am close to my two granddaughters. So I will endure and smile even bigger when the sun shines. Jayne' a right about the Market though, so many flowers!

To sunlight!
lynne Thomas; 11:09 AM
susan andersen said...: Sirry, waving to you in Iceland. How many hours of daylight do you get this time of year?

Tina, we've had way more snow and icy weather this year, too--very un-Seattlelike. Plus 100 year type flooding in the lowlands between here and the coast.

And I hear ya on the allergies. I don't have tree allergies, so mine haven't hit too hard yet. I think it's the grasses that get to me (that and the spoor stuff in the fall) and I have bunches of ornamental grasses in my yard, because I love them. So I'm stocking up on the Clariton

Jayne, the flower farmers must be hot housing at least part of those flowers, because it's sure been too cold around here for much else. Although my daffs and one tulip have bloomed. Also my mini iris and daffs. Those were a surprise. I'd bought them for a table decoration for a shower I threw for my niece last spring and planted them when they died. Forgot all about them, so they were a great surprise.

Wolfpackgirl, Oh, 70 degree weather! Anywhere in the 70s is my absolute favorite temperature in the summer. (or Spring. or Fall); 11:59 AM
Anonymous said...: All your comments about spring make me nostalgic. Since I live in Hawaii, we don't have much of a spring, just a little longer days. But I grew up in the midwest and have wonderful memories of spring.

One thing I do miss are Lilacs. We used to have a huge Lilac bush in our back yard and I was forever cutting branches to bring in the house, to my mother's annoyance and frustration. It seems there is a technique to trimming without leaving gaping holes in the bush - I never got it, but my Mom learned to anticipate me and would cut some for me and I never could see where she cut them from!

In Hawaii, spring and fall are actually some of the best times of the year mostly because the heat is not so great as it is in the summer and the cold (I know, 60 degrees isn't cold) isn't so cold. It's still cool enough for a blanket at night which is the best way to sleep.

Wishing you all a warm, colorful, sweet smelling spring, where ever you are!

Kathy H; 12:36 PM
susan andersen said...: Susan B, I once did something like your snow melt party. The roof on our cabin needs snow breaks, because it dumps snow onto the deck faster than you can keep up with. (I won't go into the inexplicable melt and freeze thing that makes it impossible to chip thru part of it) So one time we stayed over an extra day because my husband had a Monday morning meeting in a nearby town. It was a gorgeous spring day and I took a chair and the heavyduty snow shovel out onto the deck while he was gone. I sat in that wonderful sun and broke chunks off the icy berm and winged them across the deck like shuffleboard pucks to see if I could slide them beneath the bottom wire of the railing. Enjoyed the heck out of it.

Elizabeth, the sun has gone behind the clouds since I wrote my blog, but the temps have finally risen out of the 30s and lower 40s they've been stuck in for way too long.

Elizabeth/Ann, is Anacortes in the conversion zone or are you just experiencing a weather pattern? I live in the Sun Belt of Seattle. *g* Truly, though a lot of the weather breaks up to go around the penninsula I live on. All my tulips are up but only one of them has bloomed.

Lynne, the unrelenting gray is Seattle's biggest drawback and it definitely affects some people more than others. I often don't mind it (yet there is no one who appreciates a sunny day more then a Seattleite) My niece moved to Phoenix because her daughter has a Coclear Implant & there's a school there that specializes in deaf children with those. She LOVES the area because she was always affected strongly by the grayness of our area.

I'd move to be near my grandkids, too, if I had them. Unfortunately by the time I do, I'll probably be drooling in the home.; 1:13 PM
susan andersen said...: KathyH, wish I could figure out a way to ship you some lilacs. We get LOTS. Unfortunately, I haven't even figured out how to keep them from immediately dropping pieces of their flowers as soon as I cut them. Someone just told me to cut slices in the woody stem, so I'm going to try that next month.
Stay tuned.; 1:19 PM
Anonymous said...: Right now!

That's the best season in Southern California. Pushing 70 in the daytime...cooling off at night enough for a fire in the fireplace in the evenings. Flowers and trees blooming all over the place. Life's good.

Right now is the best time.

Louis; 2:17 PM
Errin Ricketts said...: well yes it is still winter just a couple of days ago it was minus 15 or so and today it is minus 10 so yes there is snow still on the ground and we can't wait for it to go but hey i guess thats saskatchewan for you.; 8:52 AM
jeepgirl77 said...: Winter is such a fickle companion here. One moment snow is falling, the next sees temperatures in the low 70s, which is quickly followed by snow ... yet again.

But, it looks as if it's finally leaving and making way for the blustery winds of April. Hopefully, no tornadoes!

Fall has to be my favorite time of the year. Amber leaves, a chill to the air ... it's the perfect weather to take Bailey out for a walk or go on a run. There's something inherently satisfying in puttering about the house with the windows and doors open as the breeze blows in!; 12:09 PM
DFender said...: Heya Susan!

Spring has sprung here in Northeast Ohio! YaY! Went golfing today... 55F and sunny! It's a miracle! Call the pope! LOL

Going golfing again tomorrow... sposta be 65F and sunny. My gawd. Two miracle days in a row. No rain. No snow. Hallelujah!

The HHP's brother and Dad are in from Spokane and LaCenter, WA for the weekend. We're currently hanging out on the back deck, grilling some steaks, havin' a beer. Ahhh...

Happy Weekending!

Deb; 1:55 PM
Judy F said...: I am hoping Spring is finally here in ohio. From a record snow fall one week to floods another week I am ready for some warmth. Only had a light jacket on today so that was a step up from the winter coat. Some flowers are starting to pop up hopefully no more snow is on its way.; 2:37 PM
aussie dee said...: We are just about to go into Winterising, that's where you go to the other closet and do the reverse of what you did summer, take the winter things out and put the summer things in, we don't get Snow, it does get what we think is cold -10oc.; 5:41 PM
Michele L. said...: We have had a very cold, snowy and icy winter where I live here in Northern Indiana. Just a couple of weeks ago I saw my first Robin. That is a sure sign that spring is on it's way!

Spring is definitely my favorite season of all! I love summer! I love going to the beach, taking walks outside, riding bikes, grilling, picnics, going to the fair, watching concerts and movies in the park, etc. I love all the outdoor stuff!

I used to like Winter but it has been so cold and snowy anymore. We had the most snow on record this year. Over 78 inches of snow fell in our area. I live close to Lake Michigan next to the Indiana Dunes state park.

Happy Spring everyone!
Michele L.; 7:11 PM
Stella said...: Hi Susan:

The picture is lovely. I'm ready to start on the outside again--just as well we weren't here in March or I might have made the fatal mistake of planting some things too early. It was lovely being in Kauai--what plants, trees, flowers--but I would have enjoyed watching the unseasonal snow come down.

Winter is my favorite season. Winter gives me excuses to do the things I like best; stay indoors,have fires,wear warm clothes (summer clothes are a puzzle to me)and watch what goes on outside. The sight of falling snow is so lovely but I like a good rain almost as well. In Kauai (Hi Kathy) when the rain comes down all through the night and hammers the roof, I'm in heaven. If you look at the rain against a light outside, it seems to fall solidly, in a great sheet with no spaces between drops:)

Stella; 7:39 PM
Catherine said...: Hi Susan
Here in SoCal, it's always shorts weather.
However,I'll take any season where I don't have to get up and exercise in the dark, with 3 layers of clothes on.
Enjoy the sun!
Catherine; 7:46 PM
Errin Ricketts said...: when i said it was minus 15 to minus 10 i meant in celcius i really don't understand farenhiet i think it is strange to use that when celcius is better (hehehe =)); 8:01 PM
Anonymous said...: Reply to Susan Andersen:
Hi Susan. At this time of the year we have close to 11-12 hours daylight and it will continue to increase until June 20th, the longest day of the year. By then the sun does not set at the most northern part of Iceland, and just barely sets for a few moments/minutes in the south before rising again. It doesn´t get dark for some weeks (at least a month or so) because even though the sun sets the direction of the sun towards the earth is such that it is always bright in about 10 before + 10 days after June 20th. Then you start to notice a little darker skies in the evening.; 8:32 AM
Anonymous said...: Midnight sun in Iceland during the summer - Picture taken at Jökulsárlón (Glacier lagoon at the end of the river Jökulsá)

Sirry

http://www.arctic-experience.co.uk/images/gallery/images/image.asp?img=12; 8:35 AM
carole said...: , were finally getting some nice weather here in Crawfordville Fla. its near Tallahassee, the sun is out, and all the dogwoods are blooming.; 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...: For us New Yorkers, spring has finally sprung! The evenings are cool enough for a light blanket...just the way I like it.
The days are warm and sunny, even getting as high as 75 degrees. For me that's hot enough thank you! Like Stella, winter is a good time to snuggle!
Marie; 3:54 PM
Anonymous said...: P.S... Susan,
One of my very favorite books of yours is Obssession. I've re-read it 5x...great storyline and H/h!
Marie; 4:00 PM

Previous Posts

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Here comes da sun!

27 Comments: