• Tuesday-What'sUP June 3 - 08:20 am

If it wasn't for the bugs that also make their appearance in the spring, I think this would be my favorite time of year, with all the new spring growth and color. We have a plethora of beauty from around the U.P. today, from three different photographers.

My very favorite flower of all time is the Lilac, so Frank Jezek leads in with today's springtime blooms. If you're out walking, you usually can smell these fragrant beauties before you see them. I just wish they stayed around a little longer.

Frank told me the next flower is a Saskatchewan Bush, which gets little blueberry like fruit that the birds love and also makes good jelly. Pretty and useful... I like that!
Then his third shot shows how the new growth looks on the pines this time of year. Bright green, compared to the deeper green the needles take on later. If you could feel the light green shoots there, you'd see how soft they are when they first sprout out like this, too. Not picky and pokey like they get when matured.

The next two photos are from Barb Bouwkamp. She said she spotted this apple tree in full bloom, when driving in Hancock and didn't have her camera. So the next trip by there, she stopped and got up close with her cell phone camera. Not only did she get a couple outstanding close-ups, but she also ended up with wet feet, since the ground around the tree was a bit mushy with all the rain we've had lately. Barb surmised that it is hard work being a photographer. I tend to agree!

Joy Ziemnick sent in the last two photos. We commonly call these beautiful yellow flowers, cowslips and you often see them on the sides of the road, along rivers and creeks and in the woods. The more technical name is Marsh Marigold, but no matter what you call them, they sure add bright color to the landscape.

The last photo is intriguing to me. This is commonly called a Fiddlehead Fern and left to grow it will unfurl into a beautiful fan of a fern. Joy mentioned that she hadn't educated herself yet as to what are the good types of "fiddleheads" for cooking up and at what stage you should pick them. That was news to me that you could eat these. I guess if you pick them when they're at this stage, all furled up yet, you can eat them as a vegetable. Interesting... I wonder what they taste like?

Nice...turn on scent mode!

I'm diggin' the Fiddlehead!

I so enjoyed the spring blossom pics. That last pic
was especially interesting though. I have seen those
but did not know what they were called.

The start of a new season of flowers. The only thing that smells better than lilacs is more lilacs. Back in my youthful days there wasn't a Mother in National Mine that didn't have a Mason jar full of lilacs or buttercups gracing her kitchen table at one point or another. Lovingly picked by one of her thoughtful sons or daughters.

What a beautiful bouquet today! Thank you!

All beautiful, and I now know lilacs grow on the Keweenaw Peninsula as well as Mackinac Island (maybe the Keweenaw should have a lilac festival of its own).

OH wow!!! What beautiful spring pictures!!!!
Love them!!