Sunday, May 1, 2016

Small Spring Miracles

Perhaps, here in upstate New York on a dreary May Day, we should be depressed.

I'm not, though.

Granted, spring did not start out the way it usually does. 

Trees started blooming weeks before they should have.    Then, an arctic blast of air came through, dumping up to four inches of snow in rural areas around Binghamton.  At my son's house, it got to -6F.

The early spring became the Dawn of the Dead (blossoms). 

We despaired at seeing the dead magnolia blossoms, the forsythias that never bloomed, the dead cherry blossoms so majestic a day or so before, and, most of all the apple trees (we are in a major apple growing area). Those trees just stood there.  Nothing happened.

But below the surface of those seemingly dead trees, something was happening.

Second spring.

So now, I bring you....Second Spring. A small spring miracle.  Perhaps "miracle" is too strong a word, but, to me, it isn't.

A new day has dawned.

Not too many apple blossoms (perhaps we'll get a sparse crop, if anything), but the trees are blooming.

County courthouse, downtown Binghamton NY, April 27
Spring has returned.  You know those dead magnolia blossoms?  Live blooms are opening, almost a month later, next to the dead ones.

...and they are blooming.

A handful of forsythia blossoms, as the plants leaf out.

Spring has returned.  And you'll forgive me, dear reader if, full of spring, I blog about it for the next few days.

There is nothing like a small spring miracle.

13 comments:

  1. Visiting from the UBC.

    Spring is always welcome after a long winter. We don't get much snow in Kentucky, just bitter cold and ice. There were a ton of trees in our front yard that had blossoms this year, where I have not seen any before!

    If you would like to see my post for today, go here.

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    1. It's been many years since I've been to Kentucky. I used to live in Arkansas. Winter was shorter there than in upstate New York, but it definitely had its not so good moments.

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  2. My peonies have buds. Big buds. But no trees blooming in my yard yet. My lawn is growing like crazy and I think I need to cut it every four days instead of once a week. My mower was struggling yesterday. Lots of rain overnight and quite dreary today. Think I will spend the day indoors.

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    1. I also spent part of today inside (spring cleaning).

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  3. beautiful.. its so good to notice these simple pleasures around us.. :) happy spring!!

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  4. Things aren't looking too bad here in downstate, but we did have the same cycle - early warm snap got things going, then a cold snap killed a lot. Crazy spring but seems to be establishing itself properly now, hooray!

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  5. We got lucky here--it didn't get so cold that it killed everything for a change. Usually we get that freeze right after things start blooming. Or maybe it's just that this is the first time in a while that I've lived somewhere GREEN instead of in the city!

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  6. Glad some of the plants are springing back.

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  7. Weather can play havoc with the nature but then it is also part of nature. Glad that the spring has returned and all the photographs of blooming flowers look lovely.

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  8. Love that: Second Spring. Our weather in Maine was similar, with similar results of "confused" growing patterns. I *think* spring may finally be here!

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  9. Happy Spring. It's such a pretty season. I also have a magnolia tree in my garden and it looks lovely when it's in full bloom. Thanks for sharing your pretty pictures

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  10. Lovely pictures and those blooming flowers sure show happiness.

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  11. How nice and refreshing to see spring in your part of the world when we are sweltering in the middle of our summer!

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