Sunday, March 25, 2012

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

We had a pleasant Sunday for late March, with a temp of 70F -- that's more than 20 degrees above the norm for this time of year. As the weather is to take a big nose dive this evening, I decided to take advantage of all that sunshine, grabbed the sunscreen, hat and camera, and headed for the Arboretum. Though there was a guided walk today, I decided to skip that and go a little later, to avoid the full wrath of the sun. Hundreds of others had the same idea.

Longenecker Gardens is redolent with flowering trees right now, particularly magnolia, white crabapple, and quince. Others, such as the red crabapple blossoms and lilacs are just beginning to bud.




These yellow daffodils proved a popular background, as parents positioned babies and young children in front of them for an impromptu spring photo shoot. There were also paler daffodils under a more distant tree, but their circle wasn't quite as full as this one.


Many brought along a book to read and found a quiet bench in the shade...


Or set out blankets and towels to bask in the sun.


Though most brought along a camera, some opted for art supplies instead.


The trails and bike paths were also crowded, teeming with joggers and bicyclists (some even wore the recommended safety helmets).


Still others opted for a more leisurely stroll through the gardens or along the wooded trails. I actually did both, since I had to walk through wooded sections to reach Longenecker Gardens, and then again to return home. I'd say I walked at least six miles, all told. No wonder I'm so tired tonight! I did see three hawks, two deer and two cranes today, but was not able to get any pics.




Monday's temp is only supposed to be 48, with wind and rainy conditions. Thankfully, this drop down into the sphere of "normal" temperatures isn't to last long, and we will be back up in the 70s before we know it. Hopefully the flowers do not suffer any from this cold spell!




9 comments:

CountryDew said...

Nice shots! I'm glad you enjoyed your outing.

Heather said...

Thanks, Anita. I have about a hundred floral shots I need to process yet. I was too tired last night to do more than these few.

Alice Audrey said...

You're so green already! Even the trees have leaves there. We still have snow at the higher elevations, but it did hit 60 yesterday.

Beth said...

Just love it! I wish I was at least competent with a camera. It's my one despair. LOL :D

Maggie Nash said...

What a gorgeous park! It's so lovely to have such a peaceful place to spend time at when you live in a city. Great pictures H :-)

Heather said...

Alice: Yes, we have had temps 30 degrees above the normal highs for this time of year--today being a notable exception. Everything is at least a month ahead of schedule.

Only got up to 45 today, 25 degrees colder than yesterday, and really windy with scattered showers. I know it's where the temp is supposed to be for late March, but kind of hard to get used to when it's been 70-85 the last two weeks.

Plus, they already turned the heat off in our complex. I've had the oven on twice tonight to burn off some of the chill, and have two extra blankets on my bed.

Heather said...

Bethanne: Thank you! I love outdoor photography, and some of my floral pics turned out really great, if I do say so myself. *g*

Maggie: This is only the Longenecker Gardens portion of the Arboretum. Its total size is about 1200 acres, most of which is woods, prairie and wetlands.

Jana said...

I enjoyed "walking" with you through the Arboretum. It's always fun to see what you've come across. :)

Heather said...

Oh, sure...you take the easy route. ;)