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Transitions …
It's the first day of spring -- can the first wildflowers be far behind? In Summit County, the pasque flower is often the first to bloom, protected from frost by a thick coat of fuzz. I've seen them as early as the last week of March on the south side of Ptarmigan and Tenderfoot mountains.
SUMMIT COUNTY — It’s the first official day of spring, at least by the calendar, but here in the high country, that doesn’t mean a whole lot. Chances are, we’ll still see some significant snowfall, and probably some chilly temperatures. But as the days grow longer than the night, inexorably, the ground will soften and warm, giving birth to new life. The ice will melt, the grass will grow and the world will turn in that endless cycle of seasons. Read more about this year’s early vernal equinox in this Summit Voice story.
It's the ice melt season on Dillon Reservoir, and some years, when the water is still below freezing and a hard wind blows, unusual frazil ice forms near the shore.
This is still one of my all-time favorite photos, taken on a rainy morning in early April a few years ago. Find the bug!
The first chlorophyll-tinted greenery is always a welcome sight.
And once the ice melts, the muskrats aren't far behind.
Then it gets cold again ...
Wildflowers ... and snow. What could be better?
The classic spring flower.
Happy spring!
Filed under: climate and weather, Morning photo, photography, seasons, Summit County Colorado Tagged: | Colorado, spring, spring equinox, spring flowers, Vernal equinox 2012
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Happy Spring to you and yours too Bob, lovely to look at, these pics.