Chasing Blossoms

Hi, everyone!

I like to see all my flower friends in full bloom, but it’s hard to know when that will happen! We had two or three really warm days, but since then we’ve had below average temperatures and above average amounts of rain! After a day of steady rain at the end of April, the late blooming daffodils were really discouraged!

We had more rain the end of April!
The late blooming daffodils were discouraged!

When May started, so did the blossoms on our apple trees in town. The lilacs were getting ready to bloom, too!

By May 3, our apple trees were starting to bloom!
The lilacs had flower buds!

There’s a big festival at Highland Park when the lilacs bloom! Grandma doesn’t like the crowds, so we stay away then. This year, the festival was timed perfectly for when the lilacs bloomed. Grandma took us four days early to see what was blooming and promised we could go back as soon as the festival was over. The kwanzan cherry trees on Reservoir Avenue were in full bloom! So were the late magnolias. It was dry and sunny, so we posed in the hollow tree.

The pride made another trip to Highland Park!
The kwanzan cherry trees were in full bloom!
May the Fourth was with them!
We had our photo op in the hollow tree!
Then we went to the magnolia glen!

We saw some pretty magnolias on our way to the lilacs! Most of the lilacs weren’t quite open yet, but we could tell what the colors in bloom were going to be.

The later blooming magnolias were in full bloom!
We could tell what color the lilacs were going to be!
Someone decorated a lilac bush!
Most of the white lilacs weren’t open yet!
Katie’s lion liked this one!
This was James’ lion’s favorite!
More lilacs!

After we walked through the lilacs, we stopped at the pansy bed. It hasn’t quite bloomed fully, so the yellow star design isn’t showing up. We went back to the car by way of the azalea gully. That mostly blooms later than the lilacs, but there were some early bloomers at the very top!

The pansy bed is complete!
The early azaleas were blooming, too!
This color is the first azalea to bloom!
There was an early rhododendron in bloom, too!

When we got home, we visited our own blossoms — the apple trees and lilac. The discouraged daffodils managed to stand up, too!

When we got home, we admired our own blooming trees!
Aren’t they pretty?
Our lilacs at home were starting to bloom, too!
The daffodils recovered from the rain!
Most of them stood right up again!

Last weekend, we went out to the bay again. The sun is setting far enough north to be over the lake again, so we went to the Point to watch sunset. The work on the east breakwall is still going on. Guess what? A great blue heron flew past and landed right by the pier!

Our first sunset at the bay for this year!
Sun going down!
The east breakwall project is still going on!
We decided not to walk out to the lighthouse!
I made friends with this great blue heron!

We had a pretty sunrise Saturday morning! The azaleas at the bay are close to blooming, but not quite there yet. My primrose friend is in full bloom! The water level is still getting higher. I’m glad our shoreline has more protection now than the last time the water level got this high!

Sunrise the next morning!
The deciduous azalea flower buds are getting ready to open!
It won’t be long before they bloom!
These flower buds are going to open soon, too!
Here I am with my primrose friends!
The water level is still rising!

This week, while the lilac festival is going on at Highland Park, we have our own blossom festival at home. My Sensation lilac is blooming, and so are the other lilacs. Our azaleas are in bloom, too! I hope the Highland Park lilacs will still be in bloom next Monday, when the festival is over. I’m looking forward to seeing our azaleas at the bay, too!

Now our home lilacs are in full bloom!
My Sensation lilac friend bloomed behind its protective fence!
The bloomerang lilac is getting ready to bloom, too!
Our azaleas, too!

Love,

Lion-san