Catfaced Orchid welcomes Spring
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: A Spiky #Spring Has Sprung

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, spring officially sprung on March 20…also known as the vernal equinox! While perhaps it does not feel like spring yet where you are, just know that the days are getting longer than the nights by 2 minutes a day.

“In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.”
— Mark Twain

If you have not guessed, “spring” is this week’s theme for Sunday Stills.

I am also linking some images in this post to Becky B’s Spiky March Squares.

I may have a slight advantage since I enjoyed spring on the Hilo side of the Big Island of Hawaii this past week. I spent the first day of spring at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden just north of Hilo with none other than Graham, from Graham’s Island! He graciously drove 2 hours from the north side of the island to hang out with me! More about this next week!

For your spring viewing pleasure today, I have several photos taken around the Hilo, Hawaii area this week.

Here is a little preview of one of the orchids I photographed while visiting the botanical gardens. Do you see the little orchid’s perky face as she welcomes spring?

Catfaced Orchid welcomes Spring
Cat-faced Orchid welcomes Spring

The plumeria is my favorite Hawaiian flower. My last visits to Hawaii were in January and plumeria do not bloom until spring. Last week I looked everywhere for plumeria then accidentally found the naked tree with a few blossoms that had just flowered on the first day of spring. I usually recognize the plant by its dark green, leathery, spiky leaves, so it took a moment to realize what I was looking at. This plumeria bloom was captured with the long lens of my camera at the top of the tree from across the street!

Plumeria welcomes spring
First plumeria getting ready for spring!
pink plumeria
What plumeria should look like!

I need to time my Hawaii visits to when the plant is in full flower!

On one of my walks around the neighborhood on Hilo Bay, I spied an elementary school with the beautiful pink ginger plants that grow wild, as well as the hibiscus plants. Nothing like an education among all that floral beauty.

Wild ginger and hibiscus at local school
Pink, spiky ginger plants grow wild along the school fence.

Closer to home, spring means we get ready to head back to the Sacramento River Delta to our windsurf club’s campground. As I drove along the river last April (2018), I couldn’t get over the calm water and its brown reflection. Reminds me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s chocolate river!

Chocolate River
Chocolate river ready for…?

If you are not yet feeling springy or if you just fell into Fall in your part of the world, you can spring into action, spring into Fall or use some other spring idiom to get your creativity flowing!

Meanwhile I will leave you with two more inspirational quotes:

“Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.”
— John Muir

The promise of spring's arrival

I can’t wait to see the virtual “spring in your step” as you share something springy for Sunday Stills!

Terri_sig_hib1

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87 comments

  16. As I walked around the small mining town of Jerome, AZ, yesterday, I kept thinking about what a wonderful season spring is… cherry blossoms everywhere and so much promise in the air! 🙂 It was weird to see all the barren trees, after a winter in the desert (and in San Diego), where green leaves (and needles) were ever-present. That’s when I realized we reached the higher elevations again, where spring is for real. 🙂

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  24. […] Spring is Terri’s theme for Sunday Stills this week. As we are settling into Autumn down here, it was suggested to me (by Terri herself) to ‘just use the play on words (like a literal spring) or isn’t it the autumnal equinox in your part of the world where you can spring into fall? I’m sure you will choose something very clever Debbie!’ I like Terri’s faith in me! […]

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  25. What a beautiful place Terri, and I’m so envious of your spring! Your shots are fabulous! I must say that autumn is one of my favourite months due to the colours and changing (cooler) weather. I have taken you literally this week with my post celebrating the spring of the slinky and I had so much fun with my sister doing this post. Thanks again! https://debs-world.com/2019/03/24/put-a-spring-in-your-step-with-an-old-fashioned-slinky/

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  26. Hi Terri what gorgeous colours. We are meant to be in Autumn but temperatures are still very much Summer. I love seeing the frangipanis during my runs and particularly like the pink ones. I can feel Spring in your post and I’m sure many in the Northern Hemisphere would be glad to see the end of a cold Winter. Enjoy!

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    • Thank you, Sue! I’m glad I could capture that Hawaiian spring day! My goal will be to actually smell the plumerias as they grow! Our Autumns here (September/October) are hot too! By then I will be complaining about the endless heat!

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  30. Hi Terri

    Spring truly has sprung. I put out my lettuce starts this week and sowed the corn.

    Yes, the child in the orchid looks very happy. Plumeria is such a weird plant. I love the beautiful floral scent, one of my favorites

    Laura

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  36. You and your camera worked overtime to get that gorgeous shot of the plumeria, Terri. How wonderful to get a head start on spring by going to Hawaii and then sharing the beauty with us through your skilled photography. We don’t have flowers yet, but the weeping willows are looking more yellow which is a sure sign they are getting ready to unfurl leaves soon. We reached 50 degrees yesterday which put a spring in my step. There are rumors we could see 60 on the thermometer next weekend. Ahhh. Happy Spring!

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  37. I spotted that face in the orchid, Terri. Quite alien looking, but beautiful nonetheless. Such beautiful colours in those blooms. Yellow is definitely a spring colour. We still haven’t sprung forward with our clocks yet, but I’ve already noticed the lighter mornings and evenings.
    Hope you had a wonderful time in Hawaii.

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  45. Pansies are my favorite flowers for their little pixie faces!! I was a Tri Delt in college, many moons ago, and they were our sorority flower. Kind of like snowflakes, each one a little different. Your photos are so lovely. The yellow of that orchid is so bright. Hard to believe such bold colors can be found in nature.

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