Spring Signposts - Missoula, Montana

"...Already in glimpses of the tarnish'd sky

The sun is warm and beckons to the larch...

A million buds but stay their blossoming;

And trustful birds have built their nests amid

The shuddering boughs, and only wait to sing

Till one soft shower from the south shall bid,

And hither tempt the pilgrim steps of spring...."

- from While yet we wait for spring, and from the dry

by Robert Seymour Bridges (1844 - 1930)

March Marching On - Missoula, Montana

March in Montana means daffodils strive impatiently to bloom

 while humans still need a toque on lunchtime walks. 

(Well, at least those of us with Tinkerbell haircuts casting faerie ears out into the blustery March winds.)

Hope Blooms - Missoula, Montana

"Black and white are the colors of photography. 
To me they symbolize the alternatives
 of hope and despair
 to which mankind is forever subjected." 

- Robert Frank

Beautiful Frailty - Missoula, Montana

"He did not want to be whitewashed or excused....Whitewash brought no comfort.

The real comfort was to have one's sins and weaknesses not explained away but understood and shared.

...It struck him that it can be as much by our weakness as by our virtue that we can serve each other."

-from The Rosemary Tree by Elizabeth Goudge (1900-1984), page 337

Fritillaria Finale, Hamilton, Montana

The fabulous, albeit smelly, fritillaria attained full-bloom early last week.
Their flamboyant visuals win over the smell - plus it's rumoured that they keeps furry friends out of the flower bed.

Daffodil, Close, Missoula, Montana

Consider the lilies of the field... or the daffodils of the church-front garden...

Demure Daffodil, Close, Missoula, Montana

One gleaning from the Ansel Adams exhibit was validation of each photo's uniqueness: even if similar to another shot, each image still has individual qualities that allow me - and other viewers - to appreciate it distinctly.

Daffodil Blue Sky, Missoula, Montana

Today is the last day of the Ansel Adams photo exhibit at the Missoula Art Museum.
I was inspired, and reminded of why I love black and white photography.
But that will have to wait until the the daffodils are not so deliriously sunny.

Buttercup Duo, Missoula, Montana

Who knew that the undersides of buttercups were so faerily delightful?

Crocus Basking, Hamilton, MT

Coincidentally, you see this last crocus photo as the real blooms in my yard fade, yielding to other spring growth. (Tomorrow, same bat-time, same bat-channel.)