Springtime

I remember feeling an actual, genuine physical pang in my chest when I saw this post on Jane Brocket's blog.  Those crocuses--outside, in full bloom, in February--seemed like the most remarkable and beautiful thing imaginable.  On that particular day in Dawson, the temperature was hovering around -20, and I'm sure we were all walking around saying how balmy it was outside, because -20 is so much warmer than -35 or -40.  Everything here was under a deep layer of snow--but somewhere else in the world it was warm enough for flowers to be blooming out of doors!  I realize that there are many, many places in the world with quite mild and even quite hot weather in February, but seeing those crocuses... just... gave me that pang.

Fortunately, I think it is finally time to say that it's spring in the Yukon, and we've got crocuses of our own in bloom.

These lovelies grow wild on the trails around town--particularly out on Crocus Bluff, where I found these one day last week.

I particularly liked the little fuzzy ones, not yet in full bloom.  Amazing texture.

An interior view...

There is actually a lot of colour in the woods these days, even if nothing is actually green yet.  These bright rosehips from last year are all over the place, and the newest buds have the same brilliant colour.

The birch trees provide great colour and texture, too.

While not much is actually green out there, the ice on the river broke last Saturday afternoon and the bergs on the riverside are melting quickly.  This photograph is from earlier in the week, and today on my walk there was less than half the amount of ice on the far shore.

Ben bought us a little grill in Whitehorse.  He's scheming to get me to cook more dinners, I guess (and I do usually do better than hotdogs--it was a craving!).  I think it's a good excuse to stand around in the sunshine.

And if it isn't green enough outside yet, this lovely pot of miniature roses--Ben thought they would travel better from Whitehorse than cut flowers--is brightening things up indoors.