Tuesday, 25. March 2008, 12:46:06
spring, Netherlands, 2008
I remember the weather on one birthday quite well, though I was just a child at the time and it's a long time ago: when we came home from school, we quickly dumped our coats inside, and went to play outside in the sun, in just our t-shirts and blouses. That was an exception: it isn't often that warm on this date.
Snow on my birthday
(links to larger version)
Today is an exception, too: not only did we have a White Easter, but the weather stays the same with wintery showers. This morning there was more snow on the ground than I've seen it this winter. And now it's snowing again. I can't remember any birthday with snow — so I just had to take a picture. This is the view from my window (with three very Dutch bikes), taken at around 11:30; earlier this morning it was a lot whiter.
Brrrt!
Tagged:
2008,
spring,
Netherlands,
Sunday, 24. February 2008, 22:37:23
spring, Netherlands, 2008
In this fallen catkin the delicate details can be clearly seen
I took my catkins out for new photographs again this morning to get the best light. It proved a fiddly undertaking: there was a blustery wind, and because the catkins have grown so much, they catch a lot more wind, too. Almost the first thing that happened was that my little jar was blown over — luckily it didn't drop onto the balcony floor.
One catkin had broken off as a result and I took some close-ups of it; this one is the best: you can not only see the delicate white petals (or sepals?) with their frilly edges, but also that the stamens (I think that's what they are) are darkening and shrinking at the end while the yellow pollen is coming out. At the top the rolled-up leaves that originally covered the whole bud: these would fall off, except that they are so sticky that most stay “glued” to the catkin.
Blowing in the wind…
I tried to take a picture of the longest one — all of 11cm long now, but with the gusty wind that was almost impossible. Alas, by now they are all shriveling and darkening: maybe it's too warm for them inside or they don't soak up water. So this will be the last of the catkins adventure.
Click on an image to see the larger album version; the album also has a few more pictures not shown in these blog posts!
Tagged:
spring,
Netherlands,
2008
Showing posts 1 -
2 of
4.
