IT SNOWED!!!!

 I couldn't believe it when I woke up this morning. It Snowed! It hasn't snowed in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1976.

It wasn't much, but it was enough to confuse my dogs. They couldn't figure out what this white stuff was. They wandered around, they sniffed, they licked. It was funny to see.

Of course, it didn't last long. Just until the sun came up. Then it was goodbye to the light dusting of powder we got. Its a good thing; I'm not sure how all my plants took this brief kiss of winter. I guess I'll find out next week.

Spring ?

I know here in California, we don't experience the real cold many of you regularly have each winter.  But, our winters can get long, because they are our rainy season. Yes, it really only rains here in California in the winter - but when it rains, it can rain for weeks on end. We start to see moss growing everywhere.

California Maple against a rare winter blue sky

Whenever we get a clear day, with blue sky, I always start wishing for spring to be here. But,  when the rain stops, that's when the weather gets cold (for us). Even so, I crave the sun so much, I go outside for some sun therapy!

California Buckeye

This time, I decided to go out and look to see if I could find any signs of spring. Our first sign is usually the California Buckeye. This tree is uniquely Californian; during the rainy season it waits for the first rays of the sun and then it starts budding like crazy. It has started its race to propagate. So, here it was - my first sign of spring! I was so pleased.

Once I saw that, I started hoping that I might see some early flowers, and yes, here is an azalea bush bravely budding. There is danger here, since it is still February and we may get a freeze or two if the weather remains clear. But, this azalea has started, and if its lucky, it will bloom. If not, the freeze will kill all those flowers.


 Now, I feel a little better, I have had some sun and have seen my first signs of spring. I know we will probably get more rain; we need it, since winter rains are what keeps California in water for the rest of the year. But, having seen some sun, blue sky, flower and tree buds, I can deal with rain again for a while.

How do you handle your winter blues? Share your coping mechanisms here.