This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 at 9:08 pm and is filed under If I Were the Queen, Photos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Around the middle of July, when the sidewalks sizzle and the sun scorches, I begin to fantasize about winter. Ah, the crisp, cold air! The pretty swirling snowflakes! The hot chocolate and baths and cozy evening fires!
It takes exactly one snowfall before my naiveté dissolves and memories of past winters rush in. From that moment on, I long for spring to come again.
In our area, hints of the changing seasons can appear as early as late January: bickering birds, a breeze whose arctic bite is more of a nibble, and — my favorite — the unfolding of flowers. This year the flowers held out on us, popping up well into February. Finally, a week ago the delicate creations below poked through our dry, winter-brown grass and opened up to the sun. While we’re not ready to break out the shorts and sandals, I’m already helping winter pack its bags and hinting that it should hit the road before rush hour clogs the interstate.
In the meantime, I’ve decided to enjoy whatever springly attributes this month has brought. And so on Saturday morning, the first bright, clear day since the crocuses’ appearance, I carted my camera and my new tripod (the latter courtesy of my brother and sis-in-law) into the yard and let loose. Recorded now for posterity – or at least the extent of this digital age – are this year’s first flowers. Click on the photos for larger renditions in more detail. Trust me; they look much better that way.[1]
- If you like these, check out my photoblog, Playing with Pixels, at http://www.caryncaldwell.com/photos! [↩]
February 18th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
These are glorious!!
Thanks for sharing!
February 19th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Beautiful, Caryn! I love crocuses (croci?)
February 19th, 2009 at 11:13 am
These photos are gorgeous! love!
xox
February 19th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Those are just lovely! I cannot wait until the crocus’s bloom in my yard. I’ve got two more months to go. D=
February 19th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Oh, so very, very pretty. Thanks for sharing!
February 19th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I am so very, very envious. Although I DO have daffodils that are about 3 days away from blooming…The crocuses (crocii?) are beautiful. …and dependable.
February 19th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Caryn, it’ll be another month before any crocus break dirt, but thanks for the preview of what’s to come. I can’t wait!
February 19th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
i must be the only person in the world who doesn’t know how to work her digital camera. there’s like 10, 000 settings and i use like, two. sigh. great pictures though!
February 19th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Gorgeous photos – and it’s beginning to look like springtime! Not here where I live, of course, but these pictures are fantastic. Bringing spring-y thoughts my way.
February 19th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Ours aren’t up yet, thank you for sharing yours!
February 19th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Pretty! We just had a ice storm yesterday, and we’re supposed to get some more snow this weekend… Fun!
February 20th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Gorgeous pictures, Caryn! I hope you’ll post more.
February 20th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Absolutely loverly! With the snow we got this year, we’re six weeks or more away from even seeing brown grass, never mind anything poking through it. Thanks for sharing!
February 20th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
What gorgeous photos! Thanks for the reminder that spring is on its way.
February 20th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Love these- great shots.
February 21st, 2009 at 11:09 am
Beautiful photos, as always!
I don’t always comment on your photo blog, because I feel redundant saying “beautiful photo” all the time.
February 21st, 2009 at 12:45 pm
These photos are so lovely, Caryn, and–as you said–even more beautiful close up.
Hope you’re having a relaxing weekend!
February 21st, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Very cool pics
It never snows here and sometimes I find myself wishing it did. We don’t actually have a winter. It gets cold a couple days in February, then poof, it’s humid and sunny again 
February 21st, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Gorgeous!
February 21st, 2009 at 11:20 pm
These are lovely. Did you know that last year I completely missed mine? (Or else they’re gone…
Thanks for the reminder! I’ll have to do a daily survey.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:59 am
Beautiful, Caryn!
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 am
Wow! Fab pics.
My dogs eat mine as soon as they appear! Bad doggies!
February 22nd, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing..
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Absolutely lovely, as usual! One of these years, I’m going to get my act together and plant some bulbs, so I can enjoy blooms like these on beautifully chilly February days.
February 23rd, 2009 at 6:09 pm
You’re lucky you can see the ground. Mine is still buried under a couple feet of snow. Brrrr.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:04 am
Gorgeous images… signalling the approach of Spring!
February 24th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Love it! I’m feelin’ spring.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Those are beautiful. I’m jealous. I have another few months to wait before I start seeing some real spring-like weather. Well, one month anyway.
March 4th, 2009 at 11:13 am
As someone who is under a foot of snow currently, I’m just wishing the temps would get above freezing! It’s hard to believe that there is a place where there are actual crocuses!!!
Thank you, though, for your beautiful photos…and the reminder that these are coming for us, too!