Spring Takes Forever

Spring takes forever to arrive in the Northwest. After a string of gray rainy days in what was one of the wettest months of March on record, the sun appeared this morning and I set off for a walk with my eager dogs. Behind our house are hundreds of acres of forest, but the ground is saturated, and many trails practically impassible without a rowboat. Cedars grow thick with moss, and the fir trees drip-drip on my head as I traipse beneath their canopy.

Still, in a sunny meadow at the bottom of the big hill, we found skunk cabbage finally opening its bright yellow blooms.

My neighbor tells me that bears eat this as they awaken from hibernation, but I saw no bears.

I did see wrens scolding us as we approached too closely, and heard many trilling their lovely song. I can't help but think of the lyrics from that old Kenny Loggins tune called A Love Song: "There's a wren in a willow wood . . ." Anne Murray sang this, too, and I hear her voice every time I walk through the woods where a springtime wren sings.

Every little rivulet of water is rushing off the hillside, towards the creek, and then the river, and finally the Pacific Ocean.

On our way home, at the top of the hill, the salmonberry is finally blooming.

Such a pretty color, don't you think? Later, they'll produce yummy berries the color of salmon, but for now I just enjoy the pink of their bloom.

Sometimes I complain about living so far from town, but on days like today, I can't imagine life in a city.

Just wanted to share some of our springtime beauty. We're expecting another big storm tomorrow, and we have to enjoy these brief respites in the weather while we can.

Hope you are enjoying Spring, also!