For the past weeks it’s been more ‘blow blow thou winter wind…’ than balmy spring breezes. Still, on Monday the gustiness subsided long enough to enjoy an afternoon stroll along the Wharfage to Dale End Park in Ironbridge.
As you can see, there wasn’t much sun, but it was good to see the River Severn safely back in its bed after its March uprising – the almost-deluge after rapid snow-melt upstream.
And it was good, too, to see tree-life greening, slowly-slowly – willow and ash, birch and hazel, larch, sycamore, hawthorn, horse chestnut:
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And then the park cherry trees were at full flourish ~ tarrah!
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And this horse chestnut tree (centre) was all set to light up its creamy ‘candles’:
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Many of the trees were in full flower too. My computer issued a high pollen warning this morning.
These willow flowers were spotted the following day at Jackfield, a couple of miles downstream of Ironbridge, caught here in a brief sunny interlude.
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Tish Farrell 
Gorgeous photos. Loving that bridge 😀
Many thanks, Cee.
Guess we are going to have to wait a bit longer Tish.
It certainly looks that way, Brian. All-day rain tomorrow and a north-easterly wind.
Beautiful images Tish!
The bridge looks good from that angle. It’s nice to see the trees greening up, I just wish the temperature would increase. It’s been a chilly spring so far.
The riverbank by the Severn Warehouse has had some clearing and landscaping, so this is a newish view of the bridge. It’s quite dramatic isn’t it.
Good to see!
Oh and clear blue skies…How pretty.
Stunning while they’re with us!
My #2 son when he was very young call the clear blue sky…airplane blue sky.
That’s a very vivid image from a young mind.
Wonderful signs of spring, Tish, except for those who suffer from allergies. 😦
What a lovely view of the bridge and your flowering trees. We are missing our magnolias cherry and peach trees, all of which should be flowering but mostly aren’t. They might flower late, but they might not flower at all.
It’s about 3.5 degrees (C) warmer than it used to be. I don’t mind the lack of ice and snow, but the fear of another drought makes us edgy. We’ve had almost 10 years of drought ranging from mild to last year when we had 5 months of NO rain in an area notorious for too much rain. I hope weather stabilizes. These days, we never know what’s coming until it arrives.
The threat of drought must be a huge worry. I’m wondering about your wider eco-system. Has there been some change in land management somewhere upstream of you. I recently read that the aridficiation of soils through forest clearance can affect cloud formation and thus rainfall patterns. The United Nations Environment Program in Kenya reported how forest clearance in the Rift uplands was reducing rainfall patterns (loss of cloud formation) and also lowering the water table due to loss of deep rooted trees that open up underground water sources. Overall effect- warmer and drier.
There have been changes. I don’t know that they are big enough to make the difference, but they’ve been clearing land to put in solar panels. Why don’t they use old, disused areas that used to be malls and are now abandoned? Because they would have to PAY someone to use that land whereas all the forests are “free” and they can cut them down and all we can do is wonder if these people left their brains in another state.
I think the problem is the change of winds. We used to have standard winds blowing in each season. They were “named” winds, like the Polar Vortex — a particularly famous one that blew arctic winds down across Canada and end right here. But those winds aren’t blowing out of the arctic now. We used to get storms — rain and snow — from the midwest, but those winds have moved and are blowing in an upward arch rather than straight across. This is such a big country and this is a small state. What we do is less important than what the much bigger states in the west are doing. We actually get California weather now. We never did before, but the storms are huge and cover almost the entire lower 48 states.
Cutting down the woods to build solar panels is so stupid I don’t have words for it. We are now in the end of the “rainy” period. The droughts pretty much all start in May. I’m holding my breath and hoping we continue to get rain at least sometimes. Last year was really frightening.
Home owner’s insurance does NOT cover a well’s failure so if we go that dry again, who knows what will happen. Meanwhile, it’s all about flooding along the coast. Don’t mess with Mother Nature. She messes back.
Those cherry were full flourish!
They’re gorgeous, aren’t they.
🌸🌸🌸🌸yes! And even through photos we feel it
Thanks for taking us with you on your springtime stroll. Lovely.
Good you could come along 🙂
It’s lovely to see the trees greening up like that, and your blossom photo is gorgeous!
Thank you, Sarah.
That’s a great bridge. My camera is often drawn to same.
I have so-oooo many photos of that bridge 🙂
Reblogged this on Hutts Ultra Blogging World.
Dear Tish
Impressive photograph of that bridge.
Here at the coast of Norfolk spring has sprung. The apple trees are in full bloom right now and white and black thorn in all our hedges as well.
Wishing you a happy weekend
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
The blackthorn is being quite wonderful this year; clouds of it everywhere (and thoughts of sloe gin/vodka in the making!) Happy weekend to you, too, Fab Four of Cley.
Dear Tish,
we still have some sloe gin from last year, unfortunately for probably five glasses only.
All the best
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Dear Tish
we still have a little left from last year but unfortunately for five glasses only.
All the best
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Beautiful … it’s hard to imagine that you’ve been experiencing cold blustery winds – it looks like the trees are in full spring bloom!
We’ve been having very confusing weather, Ju-Lyn. Plant-life doesn’t seem to mind the wind however.
I can imagine the wild temperature swings make it challenging in so many ways.
To be at the iron bridge must be quite a moment. Thank you for capturing the beauty of spring.
It’s a favourite spot. It is in walking distance of the house, but we’ve been wimps about the return steep hill, so have yet to walk there.
You have the view, the close proximity, and one day you can walk there and brave the steep hill on the return. Maybe this summer. No wonder it’s a favorite spot.