Spring! At Least According to the Trees

Oh, how I've missed using the macro mode on my camera.  I'd been hoping for a nice sunny day coinciding with a day off, but alas, twas not to be.  But it wasn't peeing down rain, so we ventured out to have a look at the flowering fruit trees anyway.

I think you'll like the results.  But we begin with ducks.

Friendly Neighborhood Ducks

There's a little nature walk across the street from my place, with a wee wetland, and these two were hanging about in it.  When they saw us on the path, they ambled over for a look.  I believe they wanted breadcrumbs.  No luck, but they're getting their 15 minutes of fame.

And a few steps along, the first flowers I've photographed this spring:

First Flowers

Not sure what sort of tree these are on.  Story of my life.  Botany isn't my strong suit.  But they're beautiful, and they're just the beginning.




Further on down, there was a fine representative of the family corvidae having a bit of a bath:

Bafftime!

Don't ask me why I find bathing birds so charming.  I just do.

The path goes on along behind some office buildings.  The cherry trees are still in bloom, and there was this branch against the windows that reminded me of Japanese woodblock prints:

Cherry Blossoms and Window

This, people, is why I love cherry trees.

The roads by my house have little islands of life in the medians, where they've planted plum trees.  I'm fairly sure they're plum trees.  They're some sort of fruit tree, and they bloom a bit later than the cherries, anyway.  And those delicate blossoms against the rough, moss-covered trunks are just ethereal:

Blossoms, Buds and Trunk

The faint sunlight coming through that tiny bud just delights me.

On the street corner, there's a lovely old cherry tree whose blossoms are ideally placed for admiring. Some of the young branches are reaching up the trunk, framing themselves perfectly.

Cherry Blossoms and Trunk

Then a tiny cluster on a tiny twig, right at eye level, just begging to be loved.

Cherry Cluster

And the sun peeked out for just a few moments, and the results - well, see for yourselves.

Cherries in the Sun

Glorious!

Down the road, more medians, more plums, and branches hanging against a stormy sky.

Plum Storm Sky

And branches crossing each other, weaving a canopy.

Crossed Branches

This is the view I have driving to work, every spring day, and a major part of the reason why I've lived here so long:

The Road Home

One of the most beautiful places on earth, this.  And just you lot wait 'til the rhododendrons bloom.