Spring has Bloomed

I walked out of my condo, turned the corner on Denny Avenue, and what did I see?

(Baby Blossoms, source unknown)

I’m nearly giddy; my very first sign of spring around the corner! I immediately scavenged a handful for my enjoyment.

The condo The Non-Scotsman purchased as our love nest (literally, the size of a large Bald Eagle’s nest) rests on a blossom street of dreams, if you will. Rows of them lined up, ready to be the first to bloom over the I-5 rush of gray and dirt below. They ignore the evidence that they are in a concrete walkway and blossom as if rooted in a temple lawn in Japan:

(compliments, Getty Images)

or perhaps Ronda, Spain, where I spotted these on my most recent trip:

(Taken during a scenic-stop in Ronda, Spain, 2007)

Two trees on my street always win. They must find the perfect midday sun, because every year they bloom 2 weeks or so ahead of the rest. Valiant trailblazers, and I have named them Lewis & Clark. I adore them because they give me time to prepare myself for the glory to come, when the rest of the hill bursts into splendid fireworks of pink.

The Northwest is known for our cherries, so we have fabulous places to see the trees close to home. Tamara Wilson of Wilson Public Relations represents Northwest Cherries, and I worked on an event a few years ago with her where she invited guests to a Cherry Luncheon at Canlis by sending boxes of the blooms as invitations. Stunning and memorable.

A few of my favorite sightings within the city limits are:

1.Volunteer Park, Capitol Hill

2. The Arboretum, Madison Valley

3. This perfect little turn in the path on the far North side of Green Lake (near the tennis courts)

(Valiant beauties survive a bit of snow. Source unknown)

Spring has officially sprung.