Spring Whispering...

"The beautiful spring came; and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also."

~Harriet Ann Jacobs

Sick, or not, I had to go out and run a through errands yesterday. Blech. I would have rather just laid in bed and waited to die, but for whatever stupid reason, I am in... ahem... perfect health!? LOL. Oh well, it was what it was, if I had to be out in the world, I knew I had to bring at least the little red Kodak because, there is always catching the eye of this photographer, even if it is just out the office window!

Spring has stopped whispering "Let me in" and is now banging on the door!





So tell me, has spring, sprung, in your neck of the woods?

:)

~Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Martha's A-Z Photo Challenge: "Q" Is For Quince Blossoms

"Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn."

-William Arthur Ward

I love spring, all the beautiful blossoms, and one of my very favorite is the Quince. :) The Conservatory of Flowers usually has a nice display of colorful blossoms in place toward the end of winter, which makes those drab, cold, gray days of winter at lot easier to take. I have never tried eating a quince, but I understand they are really delicious. Maybe that will be something new to try for 2009. We'll see. Anyway, my pick for "Q" is Quince Blossoms. :)



Have you played the A-Z Challenge yet? Drop by Martha's blog, Menagerie, for more information.


-OndineMonet
"Quince Blossoms"
Conservatory of Flowers
San Francisco, California
Spring, 2006
Afternoon

Blossoms In Winter

"Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter. Who would think that those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it."

-Johan Wolfgang Goethe

Alan and I had such a good time for Valentine's Day, we spent the day in San Francisco, at the Conservatory of Flowers. There were two exhibits in particular that we wanted to see. The first one was, "One: An Earth Installation," by artist, Stanley Gatti, which I will share with you in a few days, and the second display was the, "Chinese New Year Floral Display," of various types of spring blossoms and fruit, including mandarin oranges, quince, and pomelo.

The fruit and blossom display was held in the potted plant room, so along with the special blossoms, there were some of the usual sights I have seen there, such as the amazing hibiscus and azaleas plants, which is always beautiful, but yesterday, set against the stark white ceiling, were red Chinese lanterns, and yards of oriental silk fabric, which provided a dramatic effect to the exhibit. One absolutely stunning sight was a display of yellow, and deep purple colored orchids, that had the red fabric running like a ribbon just above the flowers.

The weather outside yesterday was lovely and warm, and it seemed everywhere I looked, there were folks walking along with flower bouquets or balloons, or even the occassional stuffed bear or gorilla. It all made for a really nice way to spend a day with someone you love. It was the perfect Valentine's Day... thanks Alan! :)

"The year is unfolding... like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within."

-Unknown

One: An Earth Installation
By Stanley Gatti - November 17 - April 15

Chinese New Year Floral Display
February 6 - March 4

NOTE: If you want a giggle, see this story here. It seems for the second year in a row, as many as 1,000 people have been gathering at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco to engage in a bit of lighthearted fun... a good old fashioned... pillow fight! The link to the above article is all about the 2006 gathering. :) Go have a look. :)

-OndineMonet
"Blossoms"
Conservatory of Flowers
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
February 14th, 2007
Afternoon