It's Spring!

Winter's thaw, Murphy's Point - Click for larger

I can remember when I was a kid growing up in the Ottawa Valley. Our home was on a rural side road near the village of Lombardy. Winters were long and cold. A friend took me ice fishing on Big Rideau Lake in late March one year. There was so much ice we had a hard time cutting through it so we could fish. I wouldn’t go near the ice these days.

Bon Echo Provincial Park - Click for larger

It should be an interesting spring this year. It will be hard to predict when and what will be in flower. The trees in our area are already starting to bud.

Mayapple flower - Click for larger

Will Mayapple have to be renamed Aprilapple? I hope not. Everyone seems to be so happy to be done with winter. It is hard to not get caught up in the great weather.

Dutchman's Breeches - Click for larger

However I feel a sense of loss. Without a real winter, I’m not sure I appreciate the coming of spring as much as I usually do. I'm also worried about the record temperatures. This really is a game changer. We received half the normal snowfall this year in our area.

It was 22 degrees last week in Winnipeg. WINNIPEG! That can’t be good…

Lori and I were out for a walk this week. I could hear a Mockingbird singing. We looked around and saw it sitting in a bush at eye level. We walked 3 blocks back to the house to get my gear. It was still in the same spot when we got back.

Mockingbird - Click for larger

I also had a good shoot with some students last week on Algonquin Island, one of the Toronto Islands. It was quite warm and we had good light for a Toronto skyline shot.

Flag Waving in Toronto - Click for larger

I have to wonder though with all this warm weather, will we be seeing Palm Trees on the Toronto horizon?

Toronto - Click for larger