Spring Activities

The last couple of weeks have been very full. One of the things I took time out to do, however, was to watch the documentary Chasing Ice. James Balog, an award winning photographer, and his team filmed what happened to glaciers in the northern hemisphere from 2005 to about 2008 or 2009. You can find more information about it at the link above and on the Chasing Ice Facebook Page. It is an incredible film with stunning photography. They have been doing the same thing in the southern hemisphere since 2012.

I also had the opportunity to photograph some unusual visitors to my landscape.

Baltimore Orioles

I apologize for the blurriness of this one, but we were also visited by

A Rose-breasted Grosbeak

These visits are, of course, signs that the weather is turning warmer, though it hasn't felt quite like that recently around here. The vegetation has also made it clear, though it went through the flowering stage very quickly. We have, so far, avoided severe weather. Unfortunately, other areas of the country have not been so lucky. Between heat and storms, it has been a tumultuous spring.

Another thing I've been considering lately is our garden. I would love to be able to plant more and my hubby appears willing to do a lot of the work (since we're not sure how my allergies will react). I decided to check out this article: Planting your spring garden? Consider climate’s ‘new normal’ (You have to scroll down to the specific link.) As the article states: 

"Climate normals can help people understand what conditions they can expect wherever they may live… and plant. A previous article on Climate.gov explored the implications of the new climate normals for gardeners and landscapers. Not only can plants can generally survive farther north than they used to, but the fire season is longer and pests are able to thrive and spread in forests and other natural landscapes. Pollination patterns may also be changing."

For me, this is yet another reason to pay attention to the impact of our activities on the world around us. I hope that you will, too.

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.