Goodness, spring is just bursting at the seams here in the Pacific Northwest. Trees are leafing up already, which just blows my mind, I saw a cherry in full bloom a couple of days ago. Robins are singing everywhere which makes me very happy. I think perhaps that robin song makes me smile bigger and faster than any other bird. The hoarse caw of the rare raven makes me stand in awe with big eyes and open mouth GASP. The cry of the eagle makes me jump in the air and run smiling like the little girl I still am. But the robin makes me sigh and smile an All Is Right With The World Smile.

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Some random shots on the walk from the bus to my office. I’m so very lucky to work on such a beautiful wooded and landscaped campus. Trees everywhere, gardens, the fisheries where I get to witness the life cycle of the salmon, a medicinal herb garden which is extremely cool all year long… It really helps me stay connected to nature even though I live in such a large city.

In the above shot of the tulip magnolia beginning to pop take a look in the bottom right corner. You can see one of the buds has a little hat on it. I reached out to touch its velvety lusciousness and the little cap just came off in my hand. No pressure at all. Check this out! It looks like either a little mouse skull or a crow skull. How totally cool since both animals speak to me, especially the crow.

The “Quad,” a large rectangular lawn bordered by medieval-esque buildings, is the home of a ranking of cherry trees from Japan, almost all of which are over 125 years old. These trees are incredibly gorgeous nude but in the spring when they are all in bloom (maybe 50 in two lines down the long side of the Quad) it takes your breath away. And this is the first sign I saw they are getting ready. Pretty soon the Quad will be full of Japanese tourists and expats taking pictures to send home. And That? Makes me smile too. There is something about the tradition continuing on half way around the world that really speaks to the humanist in me. And the whole thing about reverencing Mother Nature in her cherry glory, gives me goosebumps it does. Making sure there is a photo of you amongst the cherries implying that you and the cherries are one, together, real. Wow.

Lovely white helebore. There must be 100 helebore plants here among the shamrocks and daffodils, half of them white, the other half dark purple.

And of course the plant harbinger second only to the crocus in my mind if not in reality, the miniature daffodil.