As the days warm up, the flowers on tall Mahonia (Berberis spp.) shrubs are just starting to open up. They’ll progress into purple berries that are edible when ripe and touched by frost.

I noticed this little community on top of a stump in the forest. The dying leaves and the fungi on a rotting stump, along with moss and a young plant seemed to cover off a lot of the cycle of life in the forest.

Boy, just a few days ago, I posted about the first day of spring with a photo of indian plum flower buds on a branch. I was in the same park on Thursday, and the flowers had bloomed and were starting to fade.

Just 7 days and they’re done.

Never let anyone tell you that you have all the time in the world. (my pensive share for the day 😉

I’ve seen pussy willows in the spring before, but this is the first time I’ve seen pollen buds associated with them. In the  two photos below, you can see some that are yet to release and some where the pollen has already taken flight.

Sweet.

Ok, not the first full day, but spring did start here just before 10:00am. I’m excited, because for various reasons, this is the first spring I’ve been able to fully enjoy since 2011. I plan to make the most of it.

Once again I headed over to Bear Creek Park here in Surrey. It’s spring break this week for all the schools, so the park was packed with rug rats running everywhere, parents watching proudly.

I took a short walk around the garden area of the park and found what I think is an indian plum, or osoberry (Osmoronia sp.) heralding in the season. I expect those flowers will break out in a couple of days.