I think I missed spring this year. It is a time of year I really look forward to. Delicate blossoms, the heady scent of hyacinth, gentle breezes wafting down from the flowering trees. But somehow the spring season I crave escaped me this year.

I had a feeling of foreboding this past March, when it seemed winter was in an infinite icy grip here in Western NY USA. Then in April, the weather seemed promising, with one day spiking up to 87 Deg F, unusual here for that time of year. And on odd thing happened at that time too. The flowering trees here, usually pretty much in sync with early hyacinth and som tulip varieties, decided to do their thing early this year. So much for my favorite park landscape shots up at Niagara Falls, a favorite stop for me in springtime. Then ...