Are We Walking to Alaska

Are We Walking to Alaska
Are We Walking to Alaska - A True Story

Friday, April 26, 2013

Ready to Waltz

Spring is here - the  flowers and trees are in full bloom - and I can't get enough photos of all the glory.  These are the things that make our world wonderful - and make us Ready to Waltz.



There is a very small park on the outskirts our town, it consists of a parking lot, a small field with a few picnic tables and some walking trails.  You can see across the bay to Vancouver Island on good days - or just the Washington San Juan Islands on less clear days.  The views are spectacular - and we often take our picnic there to enjoy the scenery.  Sometimes we have a car picnic there in the winter - it is one of our favorite spots.

Oh - did  I mention is has a couple apple trees too?  We stopped there for a car picnic a few evenings ago - and the apple trees were in bloom - there is hardly anything prettier than an apple tree in bloom,  unless it is two apple trees in bloom.

Blossom of the apple trees!
Mossy trunks all gnarled and hoary,
Grey boughs tipped with rose-veined glory,
Clustered petals soft as fleece
Garlanding old apple trees!



How you gleam at break of day!
When the coy sun, glancing rarely,
Pouts and sparkles in the pearly
Pendulous dewdrops, twinkling gay
On each dancing leaf and spray.



Through your latticed boughs on high,
Framed in rosy wreaths, one catches
Brief kaleidoscopic snatches
Of deep lapis-lazuli
In the April-coloured sky.



When the sundown's dying brand
Leaves your beauty to the tender
Magic spells of moonlight splendour,
Glimmering clouds of bloom you stand,
Turning earth to fairyland.



Cease, wild winds, O, cease to blow! 
Apple-blossom, fluttering, flying,
Palely on the green turf lying,
Vanishing like winter snow;
Swift as joy to come and go.

Mathilde Blind
Germany/England
1841-1896



5 comments:

Unknown said...

What a glorious tribute to spring Jo Ann, thank you so much for participating in our Ready-to-Waltz party. We planted a Fuji apple tree in espalier on the side of the house a couple of years ago, and it blooms and gives us more and more of the sweetest, crunchiest apple ever. We got 4 the first year and almost 20 last year :)

Have a great weekend!
BT

Crispy said...

Lovely photos and poem Jo :0)

Jeanne said...

Oh what a precious poem. The blossoms of course are spectacular!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

That poem is the perfect compliment to your lovely photos. Thanks so much for this!

XO,

Sheila

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

Lovely photos. My favorite is the 4th one with the beautiful gray bokah. The poem goes so nicely with your photos,