A couple of days ago, I was trying to figure out if it was snowing, or hailing, or just raining in a wild sort of way. So much wind, it wouldn't hold still so I could see! But then, the sun broke through. Wow. Spring is like that up here. It's still around freezing at night, but, today, we got up to 60-something with benign puffy little white clouds floating about.
I was compelled to run out and buy some plants: One more Japanese maple (I'll never have enough, but I think one of them didn't quite make it through the winter), a big-leaf maple (native--grows around here, just not in our yard--yet), and some native flower-shrubs, like foothill penstemon, matilija poppy and CA fuchsia. Big hopes for these little guys.
There are a couple of does hanging about the place the last month, or so. They love the fresh new grass just outside my studio doors. I think you can see both of them in the photos. Last week, they just lay down out there and digested for awhile. It's possible the larger one is pregnant, but we'll see.
I've mentioned the daffodils, before (and probably, before that). Today, on my way to the dentist, I tried to find a place from which to take photos of one section of flowers planted in huge numbers on the banks of our little freeway, but, alas, was unsuccessful.
There was nothing that didn't require my dashing across an on/off ramp or that wasn't in complete shade. You'll just have to settle for the ones in our yard. There must be 7 or 8 varieties of them blooming out there, now.
We performed our Spring Concert about 10 days ago. We sang Brahms Liebeslieder, which is a collection of 18 love songs strung together as one 25-minute piece--maybe the most challenging music I've sung with this group, so far--all in sung in German, which, along with the Beethoven we performed last year, has turned out to be the most use I've been able to make of that pesky year of 8am college classes over lo, these many years. Por fin! We also sang gorgeous compositions in French (Dirait-on by Lauridsen http://www.wikio.fr/video/dirait-on-morten-lauridsen-2854624), Castilian Spanish (Amor de Mi Alma by Stroope http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5om8aDkfgys), and, for dessert, in English (My Luve's Like A Red Red Rose by Clausen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpcS9uCjQYA ). The last three are heart-breakingly beautiful! Brahms is lovely, but love songs have come a long way since then, IMHO. Tom agrees. Take a listen to them, if you have the time.
Tonight is, after a week off, the first rehearsal for our summer concerts. It will be wonderful to replace the constant cycles of Liebeslieder that still play as the background music in my brain with something new. A lot of Copland in this next batch, I hear.
So, I'm loving this new spring (except for that dentist part). I would guess you are, too!
