It's the most wonderful time of the year...

No, I am not talking about Christmas, you sillies. I am talking about spring in Virginia! It seems that there is so much fuss about fall being so beautiful out here (and it is beautiful), but in my opinion Spring is even more beautiful. Somehow over the course of the winter I forget that Virginia really is an incredibly beautiful place to live. I think it may have something to do with the millions of dead trees you see everywhere and grounds covered in dead, crunchy, yucky-dull-brown-colored decomposing leaves. But all the yuck makes spring seem even more amazing. Blossoms of purple, pink, red, yellow, and white are everywhere right now. And the air is crisp and the skies are so blue. And the birds are chirping (I love opening my windows in the morning when I clean up my kitchen- it makes me feel like Cinderella.) Ahh... I love it.

Well there is this one tree in particular that I love out here. I heard recently from a client of mine (who happened to have one of these trees in her yard) that they are called red bud trees. In the spring their buds turn this beautiful magentaish, plumb-colored purple. It is the most beautiful color- I wish I could make a shirt out of that color. Anyways, I really wanted to take a picture of one of these trees, but they ended up being a bit harder to come by than I anticipated. I was worried that their color would change soon, so I knew I didn't have much time. So one Thursday evening on our way to mutual I brought my camera along to get some shots. There are a bunch of these trees down by Monticello off of rt53. Of course it had to be raining that day, but did that stop me? NEVER! So I got a plastic baggie to protect my camera, and bundled up in my winter coat. Well the only tree that seemed to be accessible was right off of the road and it was right during rush hour, so after a few minutes of standing out there in the rain and having very little light and feeling like a complete MORON snuggled up against a tree in the rain with a big lens sticking out of a plastic bag, I called it quits. But I did manage this shot that I liked. The color is much more beautiful in real life, though.

I was a little bummed that I didn't get many shots, so I decided that the next day I would hunt down one of these trees on our way to the library and I would take a branch home with me for a little photoshoot. It took me FOREVER to find one of these trees that was not on someones personal property, but I finally did. And the garbage man drove by right as I broke the little branch off and I felt so stupid and nervous and guilty, like I had done something really bad. I had to keep telling myself on the way home "it is just a tree branch... BREATH". But me and my tree branch had a great photo session together. I finally got to use some of the fabric squares I bought months ago as a backdrop for florals. Aren't they pretty?

Ooops, I forgot to mention this other blossom. Borrowed from the tree by the Fluvanna Library. Who am I kidding- STOLEN. Sheesh, no wonder I was feeling guilty! It is a wonder that I can sleep at night! Perhaps I need to go talk to my bishop...

More of the stolen blossom. It doesn't look quite so beautiful now that I think of the level I stooped to in order to obtain it. That drop represents a tear- a tear from this poor blossom, longing for it's mother tree, thinking of the great leaf it would never become. I am a monster...

These are the tears of grief from all his brother and sister blossoms, back on the tree at the library. So sad...

But doesn't the texture look nice?

And here are a few shots taken of my beloved Pleasant Grove truck. Before I found and stole the blossoms.

Have you ever seen a more beautiful, rusted hinge? I think not!

I have often wondered why Tim's old Tercel does not have a passenger side-view mirror, but I think at long last I have discovered where it went! Haha, just kidding honey!

Hope you enjoyed these! I have lots of pictures of the boys that I will post soon, but I will likely get to it next week. I am swamped this week, which might explain the goofy ramblings above...

Take care everyone!