Swing Into Spring
Tis that time of year again: just as the Northern Hemisphere (NH) year is “closing in” to autumn, with all its colour, followed by winter (yes, indeed-y, “winter is coming” for NH folk) we are starting the swing into spring.
Although last Wednesday, rather than any business of future arrival, the temperature gauge suggested summer was well and truly here!
Since then, the weather has generally reverted to vernal, while remaining mild where I live, but everywhere I look we’re well into spring, especially on the blossom front. And my daffodils have been and gone…
For today, I’m sharing a few pics of cherry blossom in Hagley Park, but also of kowhai, which is a NZ native tree, and also endemic to this country. In addition, I have a recent photo of a rhododendron, in a misty shot of Christchurch’s residential red zone (i.e. deliberately de-populated post the 2010-2011 earthquakes.) Plus some end of winter / early spring flowers from the garden.
Just as a change from writing and/or reading books, genre in literature, television, or film, and—of course, though I’d much rather not—Covid 19. 🙁
Speaking of the dread Covid, it’s great to be back in Level 1 here in Christchurch.
Although given some of the continuing mysteries, but also the latest resolves, around the recent Auckland-based outbreak, I think the observation of Devi Sridhar, Professor of Global Public Health at Edinburgh University, that “If an indoor setting is poorly ventilated, crowded, and no one is wearing face coverings it’s best to avoid it”, is wise advice. Including for us, here in NZ, in order to minimise future outbreaks, as well as the UK.
Assuming one can, of course. :-/ By which I mean, “avoid individually”, although it could equally well refer to minimising societally. 🙁
And on that cheery note, whether you are experiencing spring or autumn, or in more equatorial regions where the changes are less marked, enjoy your week.