My niece Hilary is living in Edinburgh, studying physics, and she sent me the crocus photos below to prove that springtime is blooming in a park near her apartment in the heart of the city. On this dark, rainy morning in Seattle, with snow in the forecast, I've never been so happy at the sight of crocus. So what gives? Edinburgh's is at latitude 55, while we're at a relatively balmy latitude 47, and I haven't seen such sheets of crocus in bloom. I'm shortly headed up to Whidbey Island and will be on the lookout for all signs of spring.
Autumn used to be hands-down my favorite season - the heat of summer and dark of winter were never in contention. I loved autumn's drawing down of daylight, Halloween, the colors and scents and berrying of trees and shrubs, putting the garden to bed. But as I grow older, I love spring the best. Autumn's melancholy reminds me too much of all the losses, of time passing too quickly. Instead, I crave the warmth of spring, the returning light, longer days, digging and planting, and yes, crocus emerging, even as far away as Edinburgh.
Here's a photo of Hilary and me in Glasgow on her 21st birthday, May of 2007...
Enjoy the sight of springtime in the elegant old city of Edinburgh, and hope for signs of our own springtime soon enough...
