Despite my worse than usual spring allergies, I visited one of my favorite spots to photograph nature – a sanctuary near my home.  It’s the end of April, but Spring seems as if it’s taking its sweet time getting here this year.   I was hopeful though as I drove slowly up the long drive to the sanctuary. The trees that lined the entrance were bursting with new green leaves and buds. There were bunches of daffodils dotting the drive, that actually seemed out-of-place in the woods where I was. But still, a good sign of spring, and a good sign that I’d see some blossoms once in the sanctuary. 

I chose my usual trail, and headed straight to what used to be an apple orchard.  Over the past twenty years that I’ve shot here, the orchard has almost died out.  But it is here, at the edge of the orchard, where I know I will see Dogwood trees.  And I did.  Other than the few bunches of wild violets lining the trails, the Dogwood blossoms were the only flowers to be seen today.  

I stayed by the Dogwood trees for quite a while, shooting as many photos as I could. I can see that they are going the way of the apple trees.  There were fewer blossoms than usual.  They weren’t as big, or as white. I have gorgeous photos of these blossoms from several years ago. This year, they’re just not the same.  Even though this sanctuary is cared for by the Audubon Society, and there are signs that they’ve recently been there and cleared some of the land, I fear that these trees just won’t make it. So I photographed them.  A lot. 

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Snow flurries in the air.   Crocuses blossoming.   March in New York.

  When snow falls, nature listens.” 

-Antoinette van Kleeff

“All you need is love .  But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”   -Charles Schulz-

Visit my collaborative blog today, Focusing on Life, where I share some fun facts about Valentine’s day.   Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

“What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?”

– John Steinbeck-

Run ahead of everyone else.  Forge your own trail.  Explore.  Be wide-eyed like a child. 

“Focus on the journey, not the destination.

 Joy is found not in finishing an activity, but in doing it.”  

- Greg Anderson, author