Spring!

I'm always a little startled by the suddenness of Canadian spring. Last Wednesday, I was wearing socks and winter sweaters and two days after that, it was warm enough for bare feet, T-shirts and shorts. Not that I wear shorts, but a lot of other people were. 

Everything's a little extra sudden this year. I use the side street below my window as a measurement of how far along spring is. The hedge on the west side is the first thing in the neighbourhood to go green and means the official start of the season. The poplars on the side are the last to pop, marking the official full embrace of spring. This year, both are popping up the same time.

After such a long winter, it is nothing but joy to see green growing everywhere and flowers blooming. Naturally, I headed out with my new camera, looking forward to christening it with spring rather than winter pictures.

I started out on Sugar Beach when the willow trees were in that just-popped stage where they look like clouds of delicate green

and while I was there, I had to capture the two-toned water and the happy sails

a few days later, I went the other way, up to St. James Cathedral and found these beauties in the park

I have no idea what this is, but it looks like the flowers have mohawks

There's nothing like a spring sky

or a spring flower bed, for that matter

 

These look like cups of sunshine

 

I hung out by the fountain watching the birds and the water play

 

And then this guy summed up how we all feel. Spring is finally here!