Double Headed Sakuru Blossoms

In the middle of April or so we had the first wave of cherry blossoms. But it had been quite cold and rainy so not all the tree blossomed. This week we are experiencing a second wave of blossoms. Most of these are the double flowered cherry blossoms.

They aren't blooming as prolifically as normal but they are beautiful nonetheless. Daily temperatures have been very hot this week but once the sun goes down it is still a bit chilly. I've been wearing sandals all week and the lightest clothing I have. It's a huge change from a week ago.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you aren't getting tired of my posts about blossoms. Soon they will be finished for the year once more.

I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday today. Enjoy your weekend.

Beautiful Blues and Blossoms

We had a wonderful break in the weather today. After two days of heavy rainfall the sun came out unexpectedly. The sky was a beautiful blue. The icing on the cake was the beautiful blossoms which I mentioned in this post as being several weeks too early. But I can certainly enjoy them now.

We are expecting more heavy rain throughout the next week. I imagine that will destroy a lot of the beautiful blossoms depicted in these photos. Hopefully there are still many trees in other parts of the city that haven't blossomed yet and I can enjoy another week.

 

 

 

{All photos taken with my Android phone camera}

 I've got a lot of catch up to do after being sidelined by a bad cold for the past two weeks. I'm not 100% over it but close enough. I'm relieved! I hope you have all a wonderful weekend full of fun things.

If you missed my post for Our World Tuesday you can catch it here.
The sky was definitely different.

I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday today.

Moment at McDonald's

It was one of our rare sunny, Spring days this year. I was enjoying looking out at the green grass, and cherry blossoms at the UBC campus.

This big tree and all it's lovely blossoms made a huge frame behind the McDonald restaurant's famous Golden Arches signage. 

The cherry trees that beautify Vancouver at this time each year, were gifts of the country of Japan.

In the early 1930s the mayors of both Kobe and Yokohama presented the Park Board with 500 Japanese cherry trees for planting at the Japanese cenotaph in Stanley Park honouring Japanese Canadians who served in WWI. And so, as the impact of cherry tree plantings began to reshape the city’s landscape, Vancouverites were soon smitten by their fleeting beauty, their clouds of blossoms, as they heralded spring’s arrival each year. (Source:  Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival).

Vancouver has about 55 varieties of cherry trees.  On the news the other night it was reported that some of the rare varieties of the trees now need help to thrive since the strict plant health regulations prevent importing trees from outside Canada.  The news report also featured a partnership between the University of BC's Botanical Garden and BCIT’s Biotechnology Department to help save these trees. Students are regenerating some of the rarest of the cherry trees by harvesting plant cuttings and growing them in test tubes before eventual transfer to greenhouses and then planting.  They are having good success in growing these cuttings and that means good news for those of us who live in Vancouver and enjoy the beautiful tree blossoms each year.

I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday. I hope you will have a chance to visit the link and view other beautiful skies from around the world.

Happy Skywatching!

Pink Everywhere

Gazing at pink fluff

Everywhere there is pink stuff

Pink is beautiful!
(I managed to get these snapshots at the University of BC today).


I'm joining Our World Tuesday today. Join in and have a look.