Mother Nature prepares her holiday dressing

Carolyn sent us this great photo of some very festive Madrona trees she saw yesterday...Thanks C...they do remind me the holidays are coming soon! Trivia:  The Salinan, Miwok, Pomo, and other California tribes have long used the berries of Pacific madrone for food and to make cider and the berries were strung to make necklaces. Bark tea was drunk to treat colds and sore throats and Pomo women used an infusion of the bark as an astringent beauty wash to close the pores and soften the skin on their faces.

Signs of Spring Already...

But have we really seen winter yet this year? Interesting weather we are having folks.

Yellow Tulips....signs of spring

In the Northern Hemisphere, spring runs from March into May... I don't know about you, but I'm ready!

Signs of Spring: Pink and Purple Tulips

More signs of spring in this clever planter box. Thank you to our Photo of the Day fan at Clark Pacific in West Sacramento for suggesting this photo!

Signs of Spring

A little more light and a bit more warmth creep into the days bringing new life and signs of spring...my favorite season! In the vast majority of Northern Hemisphere locations, spring occurs during the months of March, April and May. According to the Celtic tradition, which is based solely on daylight and the strength of the noon sun, spring begins in early February and continues until early May.

Christy's garden: a work in progress

The seedlings have sprouted and are ready for planting day in the Jourdan's bohemian style garden!

The Moon Before Yule

On December 12, 2008, the full moon occurred closer to the Earth than it has done at any time for the past 15 years. Marv Perrigo sends us this great photo of the new moon over the Bahia Concepcíon (captured with his new Nikon).

Giant Maple Leaf

Thanks to Denise Fernandez for sharing these beautiful photos.

Evening at Southport Town Center

I like the contrast of the backdrop of the storm clouds brewing aginst the early evening lights at Southport Town Center. Time for a change of seasons.

The doves are nesting..

These two have been cooing away in our backyard for a couple of weeks.
~Barbara

La Primavera -The First Days of Spring

Vivaldi Spring La Primavera -meaning the first. The cycle of life once again starting. And sometimes the start of better times.....West Sacramento is so beautiful when all the trees are in bloom.

Trivia: Annual changes in temperature on a planet are caused by a combination of two factors: axial tilt and variable distance from the Sun. On Earth, axial tilt determines nearly all of the annual variation, because Earth's orbit is nearly circular.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

March 9-We loose one hour as we change from Standard Time to Daylight Saving time. It always takes me weeks to recover from losing that one hour. Needless to say, I never got the worm....
~Barbara