Spring is my favorite time of the year. Even though our winter in central California is much, much milder than my childhood winters in Minnesota, there is still something invigorating about the lengthening days, the budding trees, the blooming wildflowers, and the busy-ness of our bees. Even though we had a very dry winter again this year and are officially back in "drought" status, the wildflowers are doing their best to put on a show. We are incredibly lucky to have a number of county and state parks nearby that have a range of habitats supporting different types of plants. Every run and hike feels a bit like a treasure hunt this time of year as blooms come and go. Here are a few from this weekend...
This year, we spent a few days in Minnesota at the end of March to hug my mom (!!!), so we got a taste of the very early spring there, too. The ice on the lake was days away from disappearing, migratory waterfowl made their way to the pond, the willows were just starting to develop catkins, and the maple trees across the road were tapped for sap. It had been a long time since I had been in MN at that time of year. The anticipation for warmer, longer days was almost palpable and was accompanied by a symphony of bird song. Male red-winged blackbirds belted out their love songs, sandhill cranes croaked their prehistoric voices as they flew overhead, and the trumpeter swans squawked as they flew north.
about 30 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.
Cole remembered his "number 1" right away. 💕
While our travel opportunities remain limited, the re-greening and blooming of our backyard is a welcome change that makes things feel new again. Happy spring, everyone!
