Strange Spring Weather

Last week Kuro and I went walking not long after the sun had gone down. The light was in transition between daylight and streetlight.

Daffodil posed quietly but Kuro moved in the low light so the slow shutter speed blurred his head.

 These first few photos were taken on February 22, 2017, long before the plants are feeling the juices of spring, normally. This year apparently isn't normal.

This rhododendron is really confused.

The owner of this lawn planted crocuses a few years ago. Now they have naturalized and pop up
in large groups of sisters. Normally there is plenty of time for the crocuses to bloom before first
lawn mowing but this year the grass is growing already. The owner is going to have long grass
before the crocuses are done blooming.

The pure colors of the primroses come through better in the dim light. Why do red primroses
have yellow centers when yellow primroses have no red in their hearts?

These daffodils and emerging tulips are located on the north side of the rockery but they are ahead of the game.

Not far from our house there is a nice house occupied by two women who have been working long hours on their yard. They recently had these beautiful rock walls built. The rocks were laid up dry without mortar or concrete backing. The mason had a good eye for shapes and lines.

The stairs in the next photo are in the middle distance.

The rock walls mirror the curve of the stairs. Every time we pass I admire the angles of the corner rocks. Note the acute angles on the left and obtuse on the right side. 

Kuro checks out the flower beds and rock walls only to detect the scent or sight of another dog. When on the leash he is very protective and noisy, barking and straining at the leash to get at that intruder who is daring to walk near out route. When he is off the leash he acts more friendly, running up and performing the sniff routine with the other dog.

I'd let him walk off the leash (and sometimes do on deserted streets) but the attraction of a strange dog makes him forget about the danger posed by drivers who probably couldn't see a dark dog on a dark street. Like a texting driver who knows the danger but can't delay immediate gratification, he would ignore the danger to satisfy the immediate urge.

Last Sunday morning, almost as an afterthought, I went out to look at the shivering early birds braving the remnants of Saturday night's snow. Those few days of cold weather slowed down the growth spurt. Our weather forecaster is calling for warmer weather this week so they will resume their race to flower early. 

Our neighbor used to have a large forsythia bush so I could note the coming of spring. The current owner dug it out and put in a rock patio so I'll have to search the neighborhood for those blazing yellow branches. 

Kuro says he's in favor of searching the neighborhood, no matter the reason.