It's Live! It's alive! Spring is color time too

[Tom]

We haven't had too much Snow down here in Florida, but the plants know it's been winter.  Now they are beginning to burst buds.  I've got some Azailia blooming sporadically and the pear trees are beginning to swell.

Don't lose the opportunity to record the blossoming in the woods, or your yard.  Get out the cameras and show everybody what is going on.  What is the flower in your area?  What is doing the pollinating?  Don't stop with the rose bush, are your Oaks blooming?  They have flowers too, you know. 

If you live in Pine country, you will know what that yellow sticky stuff is that is all over the cars.

[stonebroke]

What is that yellow stuff anyway?

Stonebroke

[Dave Shepard]

I've got a new Nikon D3000, but we're a little early on color here.

[Tom]

Pine Pollen, stonebroke.    Achoo!!   A-a-a-a-shplitz-z---!   A-a-a-shninct......  !!!

[Raider Bill]

Tom,
Our oak trees are starting the yellow death [pollen] phase here. Cars are starting to get dusted.

[SwampDonkey]

Usually the pollen on cars here are from the white birch. They sure have a lot of pollen in my yard, got 3 of'm. Then I get sap drops from my box elder when they flower. But most trees up here don't flower until May. I do see the willow blooming already though. And that's early. Aspen won't be far behind and the red maple and silver maple as well, possibly April this year. No silver maple up the river this far much, only on lawns and a couple river islands.

[DanG]

Here's the view from my back porch.



A little closer.



The jasimine is in full color around front.

[Tom]

Even with the State of the Union being what it is, Nature's blossoming in the spring has to bring a smile to your face and a lilt to your step. 




Soon, Back to more enjoyable times,




and catfish dinners. 

[SwampDonkey]

You guys got'er made now. 

[SPIKER]

Heck' ifn that fish didnt have spines I would say it was bait!  though the cats taste good ya need em big enough to skin out :p  Here I though FLA had BIG fish  hehehe

just kiddin I'm sure ya geting warmed up first with the little ones so ya dont pull a muscle after the long winter where the temps dropped below freezing once or twice

Brother of mine went fishing just last thursday night & got skunked, the ICE was still floating around a bit and the bait fish weren't in yet...   Soon some 10 LB walleyes will be getting ready to head up-river to spawn..   I cant wait..  got to get soem new 6 LB line on the ole reels and get ready to finess em in.

Mark M

[DanG]

Man, I was cussing myself for not having the camera with me this afternoon!  I'll tell ya, the mountains of Vermont in Autumn have nothing on our woods right now for color.  All of our color is green right now, but there are more shades of green than you can wrap your mind around.  They range from the brilliant Chartruese of the new Sweetgum leaves, to the Olive Drab of Live Oaks that are changing their clothes right now, covered in their catkin underwear.  Then there is the pale Aqua of the Christmasberry bushes, and the almost black green of the Magnolia and the rich deep color of the pines.  There must be a hundred other shades in evidence as well, each contrasting with its neighbor for the moment.  In just a few days, they will all blend together in sort of an average, though beautiful shade of green that we will enjoy all summer, but right now they are spectacular in their individuality.

I will take the camera out tomorrow and try to capture what I was seeing today, but it will be hard to catch the light just right.  Worth a try though.

[SwampDonkey]

The aspen here are going to get a big boost this coming week with temperature heading into the 60's. Those aspen flowers will be growing so fast you better step aside.

[WDH]

My red buckeyes are blooming profusely.

DanG, yellow jasmine is one of my favorite early spring flowers.

[PineNut]

I like the spring colors in the trees. Somewhat like fall but the colors are just not as vivid. Once the leaves reach full size, the colors are all hidden until fall. But I enjoy the spring, especially after a cold winter.