Thursday, February 28, 2008

Signs of Spring

Spring comes early to Southern California (don't hate me, ye who live in snow country), and thanks to slightly more than our usual amount of rain this winter, it looks to be a particularly pretty spring. After several years of drought, I'm especially happy to see the hills greening up so nicely. Last year Orange County had all of 2.2 inches of rain, so this is a really nice change. We'll have a few months to enjoy the green before things heat up, but by mid-summer, the green will be gone and the hills will be their usual shade of light brown.

Here are a couple of pictures of Orange County. The rainy street scene was shot on Sunday during our most recent rain, and I took the sunny picture this morning. Both are beautiful to me, the rainy scene perhaps more than the sunny one, since rain is far rarer than sun in this climate. And we need it so badly.

Linda / Lyndi

10 comments:

Lacey Savage said...

Ooooh, such gorgeous pictures. I admit, I'm partial to the rainy one, too. :-)

Linda McLaughlin said...

Thanks, Lacey. I think the subdued lighting helps, maybe.

Linda

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda-- love your Orange County pictures. I reside in OC as well in Irvine. -Kathleen Rowland

Beth said...

In the OC we pay more for good weather and it's worth it! I only like the rain if I don't have to be out in it and I like what it does to our landscape (love the
1st photo). My sister misses living in San Fran because she LOVES the cold. My DH gets mad if it rains at night-he likes to SEE the rain. They can both have it, give me 78 deg. weather and I'm a happy camper.

Lyndi Lamont said...

Beth,

Any temp in the 70s and I'm a happy camper, too. It's when it gets into the 90s that I start to complain.

Lyndi / Linda

Unknown said...

The green looks pretty. We've got at least another month until green pops up.

Anonymous said...

We are sooo picky about weather here is the OC. Like Beth, I love the exact temperature of 78! Rhonda, when green pops up in temperature climates, it is a special shade-- very bright and pretty. -Kathleen

Ryan Hadley said...

Ah, spring. Soon, but not soon enough here in the northeast. We still have slush on the ground. Blah. I love your rainy shot. With the palm trees there, I can't help but think of heavenly balmy breezes. Lovely.
~Debbie

Linda McLaughlin said...

I've been running around all day and finally got home to check comments.

I grew up back east (Pittsburgh, PA) and I remember how welcome spring was when it finally arrived. I remember the crocuses pushing their way up through the ground, brave little flowers that they are. :) My mom was an avid gardener and always planted crocuses and daffodils so we'd know when spring was on the way.

As for balmy breezes, sometimes, but the wind off the Pacific can be pretty chilly, too. As is the water.

Linda / Lyndi

Anonymous said...

I love living in Southern California. And the rain really helps my dry skin :-)