Spring Sights in the 'Hood

The sun is setting much further to the North now, so we are looking directly out at the setting sun.  Every day is different, always beautiful.



Both osprey and vultures were soaring above the freshly tilled fields.  The osprey has a new nest started on top of the light pole just outside our door.

 

The Bradford pear trees suddenly popped into bloom this week.

 

Our neighbor, Nancy, has a whole row of them along the road.

 

The one I planted a few years ago isn't so huge yet, but it is in full bloom for the first time this year.

Red bud trees,

and Dogwood, blooming at the same time, but no azaleas yet.  I've seen them bloom in early February, so they are late this year.  Usually they bloom with the Dogwood and the redbud trees are long done blooming by then. 

Even daffodils are later this year.  It's been beautiful and warm since we arrived last week, but it sounds like the winter was colder than normal around here.

Flowers in Bloom

April showers bring May flowers, and we love May!

Years ago, the Rhododendron farm in Marysville went out of business and we took advantage of their sale.  Since the price was only a dollar per plant, we got kind of carried away and brought home truckloads of them.  They started their life with us at about 8" tall.

The early bloomers are gorgeous right now,

every color from white 

to pink,

to red,

to deep dark red are blooming now.  Some of the purples are barely budded, but will be out later.

Azaleas we salvaged as babies from a rental house are also pretty this year.

A lot of my flowers are starts from friends, or holdovers from plantings from 50 years ago.

The lilac survived an assault with the chainsaw by Ron, who doesn't know a flower from a weed and thought it was "spoiling the view"!!

Lilies coming soon!

Spring has Sprung in SW Georgia

This may be the earliest we have ever seen the azaleas in bloom around Lake Eufaula.  We started seeing a few blooms a week or so ago, but now they are all fully in bloom.

The Japanese Magnolia are nearly done blooming, but the spirea are starting - see the white plant at the base of the Magnolia.

It is strange to see the spring flowers when some trees are still bare of leaves and some Christmas decorations are still hanging.

The annual tour of antebellum mansions in the city of Eufuala is the first week in April.  Usually this coincides with azalea and dogwood blooms.  This year, the azalea at least will be long finished with their blooms.

Carolina Creeper

Lorapetalum

Red Bud

Cherry

Hyacinth

Camelia

and freshly plowed fields all tell us the groundhog was right - at least for SW Georgia.

Spring Views around Lake Eufaula

Spring clouds make for beautiful sunsets.

Spring chore - staining the dock.

Azaleas in bloom

Dogwood in bloom

Grass in field ready for harvest

Rough waters

Stormy Skies

Interesting Sunsets every evening

Visiting Family - Salt Lake City

Anne and Gavin - Gavin wasn't feeling very good, and seemed to be on a mission to keep Cam and Anne awake 24 hours a day.

Cameron and Gavin having a nap.

Sylvia and Alex took us on a tour of Red Butte Gardens.  Salt Lake City is a beautiful place - especially in the spring.  All of the early bulbs and most of the flowering trees were blooming.  We had a gorgeous sunny day to wander through the spectacular gardens.

So many daffodils - so many shapes and colors - interesting new varieties I hadn't seen before too.

A natural stream flows through the park, forming a waterfall just before the amphitheater.  

Lots of play areas for kids - these snakes shoot water from their mouths to form a fountain play area.

One of my favorite areas - a whole section dedicated to medicinal herbs and plants.