Camelia. Camelia? Camelia!!!

Here in the NW we are skipping through the warmest late winter in our history. Or since anyone decided to keep track. A real honest to goodness El Nina year.

Unfortunately for our dear friends to the north in Canada, they have been forced to truck and helicopter in snow to Whistler for the Olympics. Can you smell the bacon burning on that one? So much for reducing our carbon footprint.

Oh well. I guess that will be the last time anyone tries to put on any Winter Olympics in a maritime climate zone.

So, all you folks out there still slogging through snow, I feel for you. It probably doesn't make it better but it makes me feel less guilty.

Instead of tossing out pointless platitudes, I am going to share my Camelia which does usually bloom in late winter or very early Spring around here but never so gloriously until now.

You know, some things take patience and this Camelia is one of them. I have had this baby for years, forgotten how many, perhaps 5. Bought it in a 1 gallon pot with 1 bloom on it that was so heavy it bent the whole thing down Charlie Brown Christmas Tree style.

But look at it now! I have planted it up against a south facing wall of the house that is somewhat protected. And, because I have loved it and actively NOT killed it, it is rewarding me with the boldest, pinkiest display of its life. Count them! Hard to. Lots of blossoms.

So, I have now decided I don't really mind getting older if I can see slow to medium growing stuff mature and bestow their gifts. And, its a damn good thing too. There is always another birthday around the corner!

Cripes!

Ok, I am not looking for sympathy. I understand that there are great swaths of the Northeast and Midwest that have to deal with loooonnnnnggggggg winters each year. Somehow you manage because you folks are TOUGH! Way tougher than me.

But, this is the maritime Pacific Northwest! You know? Sea level! I know today I wake up to just a dusting and not a big deal. Although, North westerners are particularly stupid about snow and ice driving. So, for someone, somewhere it is a very big deal. But, this is a place that would typically go years without a single flake while this winter we have had record flakes.

Is this what my pal Al Gore was warning us all about? Is this evidence? Are we year by year, tweaking was something so much bigger than ourselves that we are changing climate?

My kingdom for an electric car! With snow tires.

Springy Spring springs forth?

Just in time for our trip to Hawaii, Spring sneaks up on the Northwest.

Ok, so it is still chilly and it very well may snow again, who knows these days.

But there was something different on the wind yesterday. It was first day that we took coats off outside. Jake didn't have to build a fire in his shop and the doors were wide open. The first Crocus popped up and bloomed in the front garden. Birdys zoomed. The lone chicken looked and acted somewhat happy. The cats were all in good, lazy, lay in the sun puddle moods.

Shea was particularly cute zooming about unfettered.

This is why I love the NW; signs of Spring when you really, really need them.