Rows of Pink

Yesterday I showed you a closeup of one of my favourite springtime beauties: a Dogwood blossom. Today I'll show you what they look like all together. This is a row of dogwood trees in front of some apartments in College Place. Aren't they beautiful?

The Next Blossoms

These are some of my favourite blooms of the season: Dogwood blossoms. They range from deep pink to bright white to this in-between mix seen here. The dew/rain from last night was still on the petals when I snapped this on my way to the office this morning. The entire tree turns into bright pink or bright white, and I love driving around town and seeing all of them. Fortunately, the dogwoods stay in bloom for a reasonable amount of time...unlike daffodils and tulips. Next on the agenda: Irises!

Storm's A-Brewin'

Today's weather has been interesting. Spring in Walla Walla is never boring - it's best to dress in layers because you never know what the rest of the day will bring - regardless of what the sky looks like when you get up in the morning. Today was no exception; sunny skies in the morning, then grey and overcast, then partly cloudy, then completely dark, then sunny again. And all of this with a constant breeze and bursts of strong winds. There's been a wind advisory in effect all day and it's scheduled to last until 8 p.m. We're used to that here, though...this is a windy valley. Hence the windmills that dot the hilly landscape to the west. Here's a shot of a Main Street corner earlier this afternoon. The wind was blowing, the temperature had dropped to something you'd want to wear a jacket in, and the threat of rain - actually, a downpour! - was intense. Surprisingly, hardly a raindrop fell. At least, so far. The sky was a beautiful grey, though. I just love stormy skies! The building, I believe, houses offices of some sort. I'm not really sure. It almost looks empty from the street. This photo is credited to my sister, who is a better photographer than I, and is my life-long photography buddy. We take driving trips just to take pictures. People probably think we're weird, but we get it from our mom. Mom likes to take trips to shoot photos of water features, churches, and old barns and houses. Thanks for the shutterbug, Mom!

The Last of Them

Well, these are the last of the 2009 tulips. They were slowly fading in an unused portion of our yard, so I clipped them and brought them inside to enjoy for as long as possible. They were a fantastic addition to the Sabbath table, that's for sure! The lilacs are even already dying, and they just finished blooming last week. Spring is way too short. And summer is entirely too long.

After the Rain

This morning I woke up to the sound of raindrops on the window and the roof. The sky was completely grey, and the mountains weren't visible. By the time I got to work, it was just about pouring, and the roads and sidewalks were covered with puddles. An hour later, the sky I could see from my window was completely blue - not one cloud visible - and the sun was blindingly bright. I hurried outside to take a picture of the beautiful lilacs I have outside my window, hoping I'd be able to get some good "raindrops on flowers" pictures. No such luck...but you can see at least one drop here, between the flower and the leaf. Yes, the lilacs have bloomed...and what a sweet scent they offer as a confirmation of springtime. I love these plants!

All In a Row

We visited one of the areas many parks today, in an attempt to get rid of some old bread. The ducks here are usually quite happy to accept handouts, but they must have been fed earlier in the day, because they couldn't have been less interested in the scraps we tossed them. These male mallards appeared to be an inseparable trio. Though I missed getting a photo of it, just before this, they were all standing the exact same way, just looking at the water, but eying us discreetly. Finally we got too close for comfort and they all three plopped into the water and quacked disapprovingly as they paddled away from the shore into the safety of the pond. Ducks are plentiful in this area, but the only kind we really ever see in the valley are mallards. The females aren't nearly as colourful - brown and black, for the most part. The only colourful part is a purple band under their wings that matches the bands shown on these males' wings. I think the only water bird more plentiful than these in this area are the Canada Geese.

Workspace Visitor

This morning as I was working at my desk, I kept hearing chirping and singing. It sounded quite close to my window, so I watched for a few minutes. I wasn't disappointed. Within moments, a small bird landed on the electric wires under the eaves. When it flew away I quickly turned the blinds so I had a better view, pulled out my camera, and waited. Shortly thereafter, another one landed. I managed to snap a few shots before it took off again. After consulting my bird-wise husband and the North American bird book we have, I determined it was either a Violet-Green or Tree Swallow. Can anyone identify it for sure from this photo?