A beautiful walk through the English woodland from Adele at Walk with Wildlife. Please click the link above to see the rest of this lovely nature post and the many others available on Adele’s blog.
… together with some snowflakes … Wait, snowflakes?
Actually, no. These are petals from two rows of crabapple trees!
And finally, a restful view.
We have 28 C (82 F) so it feels more like early summer than spring, but we’re expecting rain, a good thing after our string of warm days. Regardless of the weather, I hope that wherever you are, your day is going well.
Two weeks ago I found a late blooming magnolia tree that was in a protected but north-facing location. As a result it was only getting early-morning sun and this was slowing its blooming period.
This tree is on one of my favoured daily ramble routes so I was delighted to keep a watch on its progress.
Covered in flamboyant, lush and beautiful blooms, it’s a real showstopper.
Each bloom is a delicate pink that fades to a soft white at the tips.
Magnolias are ancient; they are a part of the fossil record from 20 million years ago and are native to Asia.
It’s thought that they evolved to be pollinated by beetles as they existed before the evolution of bees.
Whatever their background, they are a stunning addition to the pantheon of spring blooms.
With the arrival of May’s lovely sunny days and with our temperatures hovering around 25 C (77 F), attention is turning to more summerish pursuits. Beaches are becoming populated, boats have come out of storage or dry dock and even though the water is still cold – the rivers and creeks running into Okanagan Lake are swollen with snow melt from the mountains – swimmers are beginning to take the plunge.
This diving platform was empty but it won’t be long before it will be a popular spot. Prettily anchored sail boats waiting for a run – maybe on the weekend? But if you’re not a boater or swimmer or beach worshipper, it’s sometimes nice to just sit on a pier and enjoy the view.
Although we no longer recognise the ancient celebration of May Day with May poles, flower garlands, religious devotionals or even at all, perhaps it’s time we brought it back. The arrival of May – what a lovely thing to commemorate and honour!
This is a very important post-election piece from Marc Doll via Bernie at Equipoise Life. I hope you click the link above to give it (and the comments) a read. The electorate has spoken and the politicians are supposed to listen, so it’s time we ensure that they pull together for the betterment of our beautiful nation.
I love all the new leaves that are emerging or about to emerge at this time of year.
A balsam poplar leans over a swollen Penticton Creek with its swiftly moving spring run-off.The new leaves of this lovely Japanese lace leaf maple will turn green as they mature but in autumn will become a glowing fire engine red.A European plum – there are lots of plum trees about, both ornamental and fruiting. I think this one is an ornamental. The shiny new leaves of the Norway maple are a lovely russet but will also turn green as they mature.
So much healthy growth to appreciate and admire. Isn’t spring grand?
Recently, we did a leisurely visit to the Similkameen Valley just to the south of us to buy some wine and to admire the orchards and scenery.
Apple and plum nursery orchards.Heavenly scented apple blossoms …… and pretty red plum blossoms. A directional sign post showing the names of a number of Similkameen Valley wineries and cideries with a view of young grape vines in the background. Spring narcissi greeted us in the forecourt at one of the wineries we visited.
It was a lovely spring day and we also came home with some great wine, too. We have to wait a bit for the fruit, though!
A beautiful picture of two little finches from Mark Wade at Photographic, Impressionistic, Illusionistic. To see more of Mark’s photos, please click the link above.