Saturday dawned glorious and clear, with temperatures predicted to be in the low 60s.
We avoided the beaches, but imagine they were swarming with silly Seattleites in summery attire. (Aww, I love a little alliteration.)
I arose before the brilliant sunrise, especially to make a new recording of our dawn chorus, to start your week off with a song!
http://www.youtube.com/get_player
The songbirds are really tuning up for the big concert! In a few weeks – you’ll see – the sound will be ten times this intensity. I love every single second of it, no matter how loud, and am fascinated by the changes as the season progresses. Already the garden is a flurry of songbird courting and nesting activity – robins and varied thrushes and chickadees and more. Our pair of doves has already returned to the top of the white birch, too.
And one cannot discount how these playful warblers lift the spirits. No matter my mood, the joyful music of our little fellows inspires an irrepressible grin. Often, D and I will be in nose down in the middle of a busy project when we’ll stop, go over to the window to listen to the birds, and burst out laughing.
Filled with such merriment on Saturday morning, with perfect weather assured for the day, we scampered out at 8:30 to the University of Washington campus. It’s early – many weeks too early, really – for the astounding cherry blossom display to be ready, but it is an event not to be missed and we had to be certain.
Oh, my! Although two or three days away from their peak, the trees were stunning! We have sooo many images, for the moment I’m sorry to just tease with these few close ups of blossoms. But expect a full tour later this week.
Oh, and a pair of jaw-droppingly beautiful magnolias, too.
(I haven’t even gotten to processing the camellias we photographed last week – yikes – they want to be shown off, too!)
Thank you for all your well wishes and inquiries about our big project. I’ll announce the details when they are final but it involves getting a very large number of our photographs prepared for a new client. :)
I wish you each a really lovely week, filled with song and laughter.
xo
– g
Such gorgeous shots! I especially love the one of the magnolia…
I always love your pics, so beautiful – and I can't believe how cold it still is here…
Wow. Amazingly beautiful. Stunning photography. And thank you for that little piece of listening heaven…so soft and serene to the ears.
Stunning photos! I've never made it to the UW campus to see the trees, I should one of these days. And those birds…..lovely to listen to while drooling over your post!
Your blog is absolutely beautiful! I'm in Blove! (I just made up a word). xo Mary
Thank you so much, my friends
– Sylvia, you really must try to make it, if not this year, then next. The trees are reaching the end of their lifespan and will be replaced before too many years go by! I was just reading that the replacements are growing in a nursery in Oregon…
– Mary, LOL! What a great word – thank you so much!
xoxo – g
Hi Georgianna, you have the most GORGEOUS blog and your photos are beautiful…!!! I feel so happy that I stopped by to visit you. Hope you're having a wonderful day. Wini :)
oh sheer heaven! I am the same as you about bird song, it really lifts my spirits. I have to say I LOVE your previous post with the forsythia in the blue bottles with your grandmother's books, I could do just the same here. I had never thought of encouraging shrubs to flower earlier, I will have to give it a try, I am longing for flowers! Hugs, Catherine x
Hi Georgianna, Picked you as my favorite blog out of more than 200 blogs of the BYW class. Looking forward to seeing more.
Warm Regards,
Gina
That sky shot with the building is astounding dear one!!! I left a comment on your previous post, as well in gratitude for your light, friendship and the way you scatter joy. Blessings.
Georgianna, I've always thought that being a florist must be a lovely job as, apart from all the floral beauty that surrounds them, flowers are shared mostly in celebration, for love, friendship, comfort and so on. I love the thought of that. Now I'm thinking that YOUR job is definitely going on my list of lovely things to do… out in the world, actively seeking out beauty, so in touch with the seasonal rhythms, capturing it all so skillfully and creatively and then sharing that with others – how great! I'm not suggesting it's not hard work, but what pleasure you bring into people's lives and how wonderful that is! These pictures are breathtaking. And the birdsong… sublime. Thank you! :)
Thanks for brightening up my day with your beautiful pictures! Lovely!
What a lovely message from Kendalee above me here.
I'm so delighted that your photos and words are reaching so many more visitors these days. The bird song is wonderful G, thankyou for taking the time to share it, and the Magnolia photo is just divine!
Love kxxx
Thank YOU all for stopping by. I'm delighted the birdies and the blooms brightened your day! :) xo
All of these are so pretty Georgianna! Gorgeous softness and beautiful flowers. :) And birdsong is so springlike too. I hope you share some Camellia shots here.
Thank you for your sweet comment. I just made an English translation too! ;) Have a wonderful day! xo
These pictures bring the spring to me! And that's what I need today. Thank you.
As always, your pictures stun and astound me. I am not exaggerating when I tell you my heart swelled a bit to look at such pink perfection and listen to the birdsong. I was wishing that Jeffrey and I could join you two. We could have a picnic under the cherry blossoms. Of course there would be the Seattle Symphony playing on the quad. Why not? It's my dream after all. The four of us would laugh and talk Shakespeare for hours. It would be bliss.
As always, your photos are stunning. Magnolias are one of my favorite flowers and that shot is just gorgeous. Beautiful!
g- I love how you frame your images and they all make me so excited for spring to come. The kids LOVED the birds singing…Jaden wants me to keep replaying it. ☺
how lovely to hear your dawn chorus g, it sounds so different to the birds i'm used to hearing in the the chorus here in ireland but just as beautiful. it's always a treasured time, thanks for sharing it! :)
Thank you for the post. Your photos are a wonderful inspiration, I love the addition of the sound clip! The birds singing were like icing on a rich decadent cake. Just sublime.
Oh, your blog and all of your work is just sooo beautiful! So glad to know you… ♥
Shana Rae
I am in my bedroom, working on photos to be posted tomorrow, my window is wide open, I hear the serenade of birds outside and thought about your recording … french and american little birds are singing in unison this morning :)