Tulips Are Better Than None

Tulips at our Newfoundland resort and spaIt is beginning to look a lot like spring, especially with a fragrant bouquet to brighten the room.  Soon we’ll be growing our own tulips at The Doctor’s House, which has the most amazing English gardens. For now, we’ll take the mild weather, and all the extra excuses to cozy up.

Spring of the Year?????

I went out to the garden this weekend and there it was – a rose in full bloom in November! Then I went to the front deck and there he was – a blue jay in full bloom in November! WOW in WWW – again! The wonders of this place never end.

We’ve learned that when they were trying to find out where they were going to put the golf course in Trinity Bay, they studied the weather patterns for the last 50 years for ten towns in the area. Turns out that Whiteway won, hands down. It has a unique micro-climate with the best weather in the bay. Proof that I’m not just blowing smoke when I say that it truly is special out here! And I’ll take roses and blue jays in November any day!

Spring in STJ

I took these shots yesterday on the oldest street in North America. It was 9 am and nearly 20 degrees in April – I needed someone to slap me to see if I was dreaming. This has been the best April I can remember, no matter where I’ve lived – and that has included down south, so that’s saying something. I feel truly blessed with all the sunshine (today’s rain be damned), and I’m sure my fellow Newfoundlanders feel the same!

Today’s grey skies notwithstanding, the trees are budding, the flowers are coming up, and the grass is turning green. This is awesome – people have been out in their short sleeves. Gotta love it!

No So ‘Boring’ Park

Yesterday was bright and sunny in St. John’s, where we’re back for a few days, so I took advantage of the weather with a trip Bowring Park. I couldn’t count the number of times I took my girls here when they were little, for picnics and to feed the ducks. They didn’t know how to pronounce it so for them, we were always going to “Boring Park.”

Of course it’s anything but boring, especially on days like yesterday when everyone was out it tee-shirts and smiles. I’m pretty sure we’ve had more sunshine in the past month than we did all Spring last year – hopefully a harbinger of nice seasons to come.

I have two hidden spots in Bowring Park where I like to take picnics and feel like I’m hiding out in the middle of the city. Everyone needs a quiet space where they can escape – do you have any in St. John’s? I’m always on the lookout for more!

Jack Loved Spring; I Love Spring

Spring is sprung
Da grass is riz
I wonder where them boidies iz
Da little boids is on da wing
Ain’t dat absoid
Da little wings is on da boid
By: well-known poet Anonymous

This is a song that my beloved (which is too weak a word to describe how loved and admired he truly was) brother, Jack, used to sing all the time. It is especially poignant now in the first days of Spring. I always liked it. Jack loved the woods and the outdoors and angling for salmon – a true Newfoundlander. This great and natural picture of him is one of my favourites, and one of the ways I like to remember him.

He always was and still is my GPS – only the signal comes from a different satellite these days.