Saturday, May 09, 2009

Spring, finally, in many senses


(All photos courtesy of Thierry Jouanneteau)

After wailing and moaning about our awful spring weather, both on this blog and any other available online platforms, I am happy to announce to you that spring appears to have finally arrived in Aveyron. So I'm done complaining now. Thanks for listening.

Of course, it's officially been spring here, like everywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere, for...so long it's depressing, so let's not go back there. But in a meteorological sense, this is the week when I stopped wearing a coat to work, when we started to sleep with the windows open, and when the yard became a nice place to spend time, rather than a pit of weed-infested despair.

I've noticed, however, that in a botanical sense, spring always seems to come late to our village and somehow even later to our house. Lilacs and iris have been blooming like crazy all over our neighbors' yards, but ours have just come out.

And trees definitely take their time around here too. The photo below was taken in our village last year on May 1st, and you can see that the leaves are not quite out on a lot of the trees. As I write, some of the trees in our yard are just filling out, too.



In a psychological sense, I think perhaps I don't get my spring burst of energy until the days start to get significantly longer. It isn't getting dark now until past 9:00pm, and suddenly I need less sleep and am able to stay up later. That in itself makes life cheerier.

And in a professional sense, I am finished with grading papers and my classload is quite a bit lighter.

Finally, in a family sense, it's only two months now until I see her, but I do have to help get her through the strenuous Baccalaureate exam. But that will have to be a subject for another post. Let's keep this one upbeat! Especially since things have clouded over since I started writing it...



15 comments:

Rebecca Ramsey said...

Happy Spring to you!
The photos are lovely!

Anonymous said...

Betty, My mood has definitely improved in the last month. Glad to hear that your spirits have soared.

Laura in Paris said...

Oh, what a beautiful shot! It makes me feel in the countryside, away for Paris pollution and noise! Delightful.

Randal Graves said...

If that first shot isn't spring, then nothing is. Just pop that back up on your monitor when there's a sudden bout of clouds.

TJ said...

i love spring!!! and i love your pictures.
btw, i'm in your home state now. and it's starting to look like spring. just a little. today the rain stopped, and the sun is out!!!

Le laquet said...

Lucky you to be finished with grading papers - I am up to my neck in end of year reports ... bleugh! But at least the sun is shining there and here!

Betty Carlson said...

Thanks for the comments. The colors in the first picture are cheery, aren't they.

I do feel like it was a long winter for everyone. Heck, it's still 36° F in Washington State where daughter number two is!

Tinsie said...

Great photos! Looks like spring is indeed there (I hate to say this, but we've had some gorgeous weather the last couple of months, so spring has arrived early on our shores).

TJ said...

hi betty! we aren't far from lacey, in a very small town.

i'm a city girl, it'll take some getting used to:)

Betty Carlson said...

TJ -- Well, the city isn't very far away. Tacoma used to have a bad reputation, but now it is a lot nicer.And of course there's always Seattle, but that's quite a hike.

Tina said...

What wonderful photos you post. I smile each and everytime I open your blog.

Betty Carlson said...

Pierce -- Well, what a lovely comment to get at 6:15 in the morning! Thank you very much!

Unknown said...

I think the weather in most parts of France are dreadful at the moment. In Paris it seems we get one fantastic day followed by 8 days of rain and dreariness. It depresses me so much, although I do enjoy it being light until 9 every night.

Anonymous said...

It has been the same weather here in Indiana. Maybe even worse, with snow up until mid April. After 25 years, I'm still not used to 5 month winters and always feel a huge mood elevation when spring comes.

jann Mumford said...

Nothing more lovely than springtime in France~what a great part of the world you live in !