Signs of Spring

The sun came up early enough to make the sky a little bright when we were waking up (6:30 am, eek). It has been a little light at the bus stop at 7:30, but today was the first really clear morning with pink in the clouds and a spring feeling to it. We had sun until 4:00 today, with rain predicted to roll in this evening, so right after lunch we went out for a bike ride. I asked the kids to look for signs of spring for me to photograph. They biked past most of the budding plants, but they found daisies in the grass and a tree full of bugs! We wouldn't have noticed them if they hadn't abandoned the bikes and climbed a tree. I think we're at least two months behind Seattle, but the snowdrops and crocus are out and the rhodies have good buds at least. No trees have leafed out yet. What a good feeling to be out and playing in the sun.

BUGS!

A little internet research identifies these as Firebugs, as least as they are named in Britain. There were a large collection of them in a narrow opening in a tree near the ground and another higher up. From the British Bugs website "It forms dense and conspicuous aggregations in the spring, prior to mating." Definitely a sign of spring then!