Spring has been slow to develop here this year and has little more than morphed into a lingering, wet winter. I’m anxious for the real spring to begin but so far it has not. However, there has been a little improvement. Last week, this is how the neighborhood appeared:
Today, the snow gave way to about an inch of rain, creating a puddle in our west lawn and an opportunity for an “umbrella” shot:
Montana Outdoors 
Wow, these are stunning images. It shows how much later your spring must be… although after our recent very warm spell, they are forecasting snow at Easter for us. The second photo is mesmerising.
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Comment by Jo Woolf — March 31, 2012 @ 12:05 am
Spring this year is unusual because it has been consistently cool and cloudy. More typically it alternates wildly between warm and sunny, rainy and snowy. Our high country got over a foot of new snow this week.
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:18 pm
Wonderful photos. Love seeing the puddles again. Wisconsin weather may have some surprises for us yet in April…Ellen
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Comment by Ellen Grace Olinger — March 31, 2012 @ 3:02 am
Yes, I think we will have some surprises in April too. I hope so!
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:18 pm
Our 60-70 degree Spring turned back to normal this week, too. Temperatures dropped and we were “slushed” (combination of wet snow, rain, and sleet), it was white again and the gravel roads have been very, very messy.
Love the umbrella, the effect and the colors. Some day I will learn how to get a shot like that … water is so much fun to take pictures of.
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Comment by bearyweather — March 31, 2012 @ 4:05 am
You would have laughed at me had you seen that shot! I had planned to simply take a shot with a telephoto lens but the clouds were very heavy and dark and there wasn’t enough light. Plan B involved kneeling and trying to keep the camera dry under an umbrella with a macro lens and on-camera flash. Whatever works I guess.
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:21 pm
Love that puddle shot. We are back to the cold. Last week 80. This week 40. All the flowers dropped over dead. Too sad.
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Comment by Roberta — March 31, 2012 @ 6:05 am
It almost seems like our flowers knew what was going to happen and they just haven’t appeared yet. There are buttercups, but not much else.
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:23 pm
I love seeing snow in photos, and this one is a beauty! The water shot, too. We are having a see-saw spring, and it sounds like you are too.
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Comment by sandy — March 31, 2012 @ 6:10 am
I love the looks of that old ranch across the river, especially in a snow storm. Today was warmer for awhile then a cold rain swept in during late afternoon.
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:24 pm
I like both of the pictures…the water drop is amazing, though. Well done.
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Comment by seekraz — March 31, 2012 @ 6:38 am
The water shot was an experiment. One of the nice things about digital, it doesn’t cost anything to try!
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:27 pm
So true…and nice results with the experiment.
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Comment by seekraz — March 31, 2012 @ 9:31 pm
That water picture made my morning! Gorgeous. – Thanks.
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Comment by badwalker — March 31, 2012 @ 8:13 am
Thanks! I’m glad you liked it!
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:27 pm
Oh. Montucky, that puddle is the most gorgeous puddle I’ve seen. I didn’t realize your spring was MIA, it seems much of the country is ahead of schedule. We’re about a month ahead of norm. 100 in the desert this week!!
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Comment by Bo Mackison (@bo_mackison) — March 31, 2012 @ 8:28 am
This is very early for the 100’s! I remember there used to be contests in Phoenix to guess the date of the first 100 degree day. I miss the desert very much, but not those high temperatures.
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:29 pm
Beautiful images. Such a contrast between the two yet both lovely. Your blog inspires me to take more pictures of our local nature. Not as diverse as yours but I’m taking notice of things I’ve just passed by before. Thank you
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Comment by Debby — March 31, 2012 @ 9:34 am
That’s a good point Debby. Since I have been carrying a camera with me just about everywhere I have seen more things than I ever did before, especially with the macro lens. It’s an incredibly intricate and beautiful world out there!
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:31 pm
The Umbrella shot looks like something Dali might have painted. I like it a lot. Sorry I’ve been absent. I truly enjoy your captures.
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Comment by Pinhole — March 31, 2012 @ 11:07 am
Hi Pinhole! Good to hear from you! I just keep shooting and sometimes something nice turns up!
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:32 pm
I also love the pond shot! Such wonderfully subtle color variations.
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Comment by btweenblinks — March 31, 2012 @ 12:14 pm
I liked the color too, and that was somewhat of a surprise. I was after the motion and got color instead!
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:34 pm
I can’t remember ever seeing a shot like your puddle. I suppose it’s the fact that’s it’s taken at your lawn that the colors are so unique – grass and leaves, rather than the blue of water.
If I were a frog, I’d head straight for that puddle – the patterns and colors make it a perfect hiding place!
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Comment by shoreacres — March 31, 2012 @ 1:28 pm
Yes, the grass and leaves and I think the oranges came from a few dead pine needles. It would indeed be a good hiding place for a frog, which reminds me that I must check on a big old frog who lives in a spring-fed pool just above the river. I wonder how he made out through the winter.
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:37 pm
wow! very pretty…but I sure can’t imagine it being that cold in March! we were just commenting after our run this morning how hot it already is!
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Comment by skouba — March 31, 2012 @ 3:16 pm
Our temperatures from day to day can vary a lot even into early summer and I really like that. This spring though has been mostly cloudy and cold and wet so far. I know your weather is far ahead of ours. I’m glad to see that it hasn’t been as dry this year there though.
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:39 pm
I love that shot. It must have been hard to get.
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Comment by New Hampshire Garden Solutions — March 31, 2012 @ 4:31 pm
The main difficulty was the low light conditions. I love my camera but it does not do well at high ISO’s and that makes low-light conditions challenging.
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:41 pm
Hi Montucky, Glad your weather is getting better and more Spring-like. We have had warm weather for nearly a month here in TN. Stormy at times, though. Have a wonderful day tomorow!
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Comment by wildlifewatcher — March 31, 2012 @ 4:43 pm
The forecast is for more cold days ahead but I know it won’t be too long now until we see some nice days. I do enjoy our storms though and we’ve had some thunder this last week which was nice to hear!
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:42 pm
Absolutely fantastic!! Love the top one best of all!
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Comment by allbymyself09 — March 31, 2012 @ 7:13 pm
I love to be out in a good snow storm and this one was pretty good for a photo, mostly because the water made a good background to display the snow in the air.
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:44 pm
Cool photos!!
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Comment by Roberta — March 31, 2012 @ 8:48 pm
Thanks Roberta!
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 9:44 pm
Isn’t it strange how your winter was so mild and yet now just will not go away?
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Comment by Candace — March 31, 2012 @ 11:14 pm
Yes, quite strange. I think it’s about to turn now though. Actually, I prefer this to the very high temps, especially when the wildflowers start to bloom.
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Comment by montucky — March 31, 2012 @ 11:56 pm
Such different worlds we live in. Central Texas is into a lavish spring—you’d even say summer, with yesterday’s afternoon temperature reaching 92°. Some of the spring blooms are already past their prime. Still, I’m glad you got to play (photographically) with your winter puddle: you did a good job recording the patterns on it.
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Comment by Steve Schwartzman — April 1, 2012 @ 5:27 am
Very different worlds. We are a little closer to the Canadian border than you are to the Gulf. Pretty much extremes of the country. When I was younger I loved Arizona: I like the cooler climate better but still have a lot of nostalgia for the southwest.
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Comment by montucky — April 1, 2012 @ 9:24 pm
I’ll take last week, please! 😉
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Comment by TheDailyClick — April 1, 2012 @ 5:49 pm
You would have liked it here today. A little sun this morning, a little rain around noon, followed up by some hail and after dinner a brief snow flurry. Take your pick!
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Comment by montucky — April 1, 2012 @ 9:26 pm
Snow it is! 🙂
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Comment by TheDailyClick — April 2, 2012 @ 2:39 am
Wonderful images both. I love the puddle shot though, it looks like it has a jellyfish in it.
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Comment by Finn Holding — April 2, 2012 @ 8:44 am
Thanks. That shot wasn’t what I thought it would be (I didn’t think the bottom of the puddle would be so colorful), but I liked it anyway.
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Comment by montucky — April 3, 2012 @ 8:12 pm
one could get lost in that 2nd photo!
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Comment by Kim — April 2, 2012 @ 1:10 pm
I’m learning that if I think a shot is worth a try it often is. This was one of those.
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Comment by montucky — April 3, 2012 @ 8:15 pm
That second photo is phenomenal! I love it!!
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Comment by Mama's Empty Nest — April 2, 2012 @ 4:53 pm
Thanks!
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Comment by montucky — April 3, 2012 @ 8:15 pm
Both of photos are splendid. I love the first photo very much because it is so realistic and thus presenting vernal weather conditions. BTW, spring has been at standstill here maybe about ten days.
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Comment by Sartenada — April 6, 2012 @ 1:28 am
Thanks Matti. We’ve had a few days of warm weather, but now are returning to colder temps and rain. Still lots of snow in the higher elevations.
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Comment by montucky — April 11, 2012 @ 8:54 pm
Stunning photos
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Comment by Evangeline Art Photography — April 10, 2012 @ 9:23 pm
Thank you!
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Comment by montucky — April 11, 2012 @ 8:56 pm