Thursday, February 11, 2010

early spring?

It hasn't been a very hard winter here in the Vancouver, British Columbia area at all. There's been a lot of dull, overcast, rainy weather but little snow, except some just before Christmas. There's been snow in the higher elevations but we've been spared a lot of it here in the valley. Now an early spring is upon us and there are signs of it everywhere. Saturday (February 6th) I was up on the western end of Burnaby Mountain. There I found several signs even with the official opening of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games due to start tomorrow. There is something quite wrong with this picture!
You'll see little snow on the Coast Mountains facing Burrard Inlet as you can see above and below. This year there is not even a little bit of snow on the top of Burnaby Mountain. I've been here a few winters and have seen atleast some even if the early spring flowers are coming up. This year there is none anywhere.

But the signs of spring are everywhere with the first raspberry blooms opening, snowdrops and crocuses brightening the landscape and daffodils soon to open to add their bright presence to the very same landscape.



The view west from the top of the mountain is made up of various shades of green. The white is missing from the landscape except at the tops of nearby mountains and those further inland. Below is a photo looking west-southwest toward Vancouver Island. You even see the late afternoon sunshine reflecting off the water of the Georgia Strait just in front of the cloud cover that shrouds the island in the distance.

Along the way back I found a couple of symbols painted on the base of a water tower and fitting for Valentine's Day which is a short time away. I sent my significent other the very same image of the star and the heart to show my love and appreciation. The various kinds of coniferous tree still have cones offering food for the birds that abound. The trail in the last photo may show a dull scene but this will quickly change. For those of you living here, welcome to spring, and for those still in the throws of winter, it'll soon be over! - V.

No comments: