2 new photographs

I snapped these two photographs today. Enjoy!
Click on photos to enlarge.

azalea
Azalea in bloom.

leaves
Baby oak leaves.

Dogwoods in bloom.

I snapped these photos of a flowering dogwood near my home today. Dogwoods–actually a shrub, not a tree–are a common sight in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains and are so well known their beautiful four-petaled white blooms are the North Carolina state flower.

dogwood1

dogwood2
Click the images for more detail. (The closeup is a little blurry–sorry about that).

The progression of spring: April 12th

I went a little crazy with my camera today. Flowers galore and so much color everywhere! The dogwoods are blooming, and most trees are becoming green now. A few trees are showing autumn colors before their chlorophyll kicks in.

It’s also my daughter’s 22nd birthday today. Okay, I know that’s off topic, but I had to say it. 🙂
I remember her psychiatrists and counselors used to say she would be lucky to make it to age 19. Well, she’s still here!

Enjoy this week’s photos. You can click them on to see more detail.

spring_412_1 spring_412_2
spring_412_3 spring_412_4
spring_412_5 spring_412_6
spring_412_7 spring_412_8
spring_412_9 spring_412_10
spring_412_11 spring_412_12

Previous posts in this series:
1. Winter into Spring: March 8th: https://luckyottershaven.com/2015/03/08/winter-into-spring/
The Progression of Spring:
2. March 15th: https://luckyottershaven.com/2015/03/15/the-progression-of-spring-march-15th/
3. March 22nd: https://luckyottershaven.com/2015/03/22/the-progression-of-spring-march-22/
4. March 29th: https://luckyottershaven.com/2015/03/30/the-progression-of-spring-march-29/
5. April 5th: https://luckyottershaven.com/2015/04/05/progression-of-spring-april-5th/

The progression of spring: April 5th

Now it’s REALLY starting to look like spring, as these photos show. Even so, the temps got slightly below freezing last night and I had to bring my plants inside. This early, snow is still possible, but not probable, at least not this far south. Many of the ornamental trees that were flowering last week are now bright pale green. The larger trees are just starting to bud, and some are still bare, especially at higher elevations. Living in the mountains, it’s fun to watch Spring progress up the mountainsides. By the end of this month, there should be no more winter-bare trees.

I feel fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the country so close to nature.

Enjoy this week’s photos.

spring4_5_1 spring4_5_2
spring4_5_3 spring4_5_4
spring4_5_5 spring4_5_6

Previous articles in this series:
1. Winter Into Spring: March 8th: https://luckyottershaven.com/2015/03/08/winter-into-spring/
2. The Progression of Spring: March 15: https://luckyottershaven.com/2015/03/15/the-progression-of-spring-march-15th/
3. The Progression of Spring: March 22: https://luckyottershaven.com/2015/03/22/the-progression-of-spring-march-22/
4. The Progression of Spring: March 29: https://luckyottershaven.com/2015/03/30/the-progression-of-spring-march-29/

The progression of Spring: March 22

Last Sunday I decided to make this a weekly series until it looks like summer again. This is the third post in this series, and this is the week that all of nature seems to be going crazy! There are so many birds chirping and calling I feel like I live in a jungle. Unfortunately, the photos can’t capture the aural delights, only the flowers and trees.

As with the first two posts, these photos were taken around my neighborhood about an hour ago. A week ago none of these trees were flowering yet, although they definitely looked about to.

The weather’s a little on the cool side and somewhat overcast, so not a great day to sit outside but I’ve heard cloudy weather is the best for taking photos because of there is less contrast or chance for overexposure.

Enjoy!

spring322-1 spring322-2

spring322-3 spring322-4

spring322-5 spring322-6

spring322-7 spring322-8

spring322-9 spring322-10

spring322-11 spring322-12

Here are my two previous posts:

March 8th: Winter Into Spring: https://luckyottershaven.com/2015/03/08/winter-into-spring/
March 15th: https://luckyottershaven.com/2015/03/15/the-progression-of-spring-march-15th/

Things sure have changed in two weeks. 🙂