The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. ~Henry Van Dyke, American author, educator, and clergyman
I’ve been waiting for a pretty day to capture some of Central Illinois’s Spring beauty, but alas! By the time that rolls around, all the good blooms will be gone and it will be 90 degrees outside!
So I’ve decided a nice walk around town in search of blossoms, Easter/Spring decorations, and such will have to suffice.
Let’s get started.
Oh, look — somebody’s decorated their lamp post with glittery Easter eggs and garland:
Hey, Easter Bunny, be sure to stop here — don’t you love the carrot growing out of the blue pot:
Here are some wild Violets:
And some Daffodils:
And I believe this is an Azalea:
In the next photo, somebody obviously planted some bunnies and now has a nice, colorful crop:
The face isn’t very clear on the next one, but I think it’s a statue of St. Anthony. Not entirely sure what’s supposed to be lost in the planting though:
I call the next one the Humming Tree. When Monkey and I passed beneath it, we heard a LOUD humming, looked up, and there were bees. Hundreds of them … and they were eagerly feasting on these sweet white flowers:
And these are blooming all over town:
It occurred to me that you might prefer a closeup of the first tree in this post. It’s my Weeping Cherry:
And just look at this Pink Magnolia blossom:
Happy Easter to everyone!I’ll be in Church much of the rest of the week, but I’ll get to comments as soon as I can.
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
“By the time that rolls around, all the good blooms will be gone and it will be 90 degrees outside!”
Yes, exactly, Debbie! I keep saying the same thing here. Out of all the seasons, Spring seems to be the shortest of all. It comes and goes in 15 mins. LOL!
LOVE your captures! That carrot in the blue pot is adorable. It’s so nice to see how your neighbors decorated their front lawn in Easter themes.
That Weeping Cherry tree is just gorgeous! I think those are my favorite trees. I only wish they lasted longer because they blossom and fall so quickly. There is a park nearby that has a plethora of Cherry Blossom trees, which when the blossoms fall, look like snow!
Wishing you, Domer, and Monkey a very Happy Easter, my friend! X
I’ve come to grudgingly accept that Spring isn’t too pretty up here. Its weather is hot and cold, rainy and dry, and I feel rather sorry for the plants and trees, who must be completely bewildered by it all! But, Ron, I’m sure you must remember Springs down South, which, to me, are typically gorgeous!
I’m glad you liked my photos, especially my cherry. It’s already losing its blossoms, thanks to some wicked winds and rain yesterday, but at least I was able to capture it when it was pretty.
Have a splendid Easter! xx
Spring has certainly shown her pretty face in your area! Such a heady time of frothy blossoms and bright flowers. I love how the austerity of winter is followed by the exuberance of spring.
“Austerity of winter” says it very aptly, Laurie. In fact, that’s why I’m late to post replies to comments here. We had storms, big winds, and slashing rain yesterday, so I took a day off from my computer and stuck my nose in a good book! Even the Monkey didn’t want to go out in that mess, ha!
Phew! What a year it has been for the weather all across the country. Erratic doesn’t begin to describe it. Sounds like it was perfect day for reading.
You are WAY ahead of us! We just got rid of the last snow. We have daffodils popping up and some near the house where it’s warmer have buds. That’s about it.
You’ll get there, Dawn — hang on! I wish Spring was longer and calmer here, but it just isn’t. I can remember lying out and working on a suntan in February when I lived down South — here, no way. In fact, it’s supposed to be in the 40s for Easter Sunday, meaning I’ll be trading my bonnet for a stocking cap, ha!
Lovely to see spring’s arrival in your neighborhood, Debbie. Hoppy Easter!
Thanks for dropping by, Eliza. Glad you enjoyed my walk with Monkey. Here’s hoping you and yours have a wonderful Easter, too!
Beautiful spring! Happy Easter Debbie.
Aw, thanks, Cindy — I’m pleased to hear they made you smile! Happy Easter to you and The Holler!
That Weeping Cherry is amazing! I’ve never seen one before! Lovely pictures and I’m just going to check if any Easter eggs have grown in my garden – we can but hope! Happy Easter, Debbie!
FF, if you can grow Easter Eggs, that would be magical! Of course, I think I’d trade them for a nice crop of chocolate bunnies, ha! Happy Easter across the big pond!
Love the image of the Humming Tree–and all the other harbingers of spring in your neck of the country, Debbie. May you have a wonderful Easter filled with heartfelt spiritual connections in your church.
Thank you very much, Kathy. You know, Monkey and I passed beneath the Humming Tree just a day later, and it was silent as a cemetery. I guess the bees had spread the word, and everybody showed up to the party at the same time! Happy Easter to you and yours!
Terrific tour, Debbie.Looks like spring has come to your neck of the woods. The pink magnolia is outrageous. 😁
Isn’t that pink magnolia amazing?? One year, I got Dallas to pose beneath its branches, when lots of the blooms were on the ground. It looked like pinkish-white snow! I hope to get Monkey to recreate that picture, but he’s not being very cooperative thus far. Sigh. Happy Easter to you and yours, my friend!
Thank you, Debbie. Happy Easter to you, Monkey , and your mom.
Love that crop of bunnies! Good to know you have plenty of bees busy pollinating all the plants. The pink magnolia blossom is exquisite — I’ll have to go see if any are blooming around here. Thanks for sharing your spring delights and wishing you a Happy Easter!
Barbara, I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. Best of all, Monkey outdid himself behaving … for a change, ha! I really wanted to get a shot of the bees — there were so many! — but I shied away, fearing my little Monkey might try to gobble one up. Happy Easter to you and yours!
What a pretty tour of your neighborhood. Sometimes the signs of Spring don’t all come from nature. Happy Easter to you and yours!!
Thanks, Ann. You’re right: we humans have a propensity for decorating, especially when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate fast enough! I had to laugh at the crop of bunnies peeking out of those green plants.
I’ve never seen a weeping cherry; it’s truly gorgeous. And isn’t it something to hear bees buzzing like that? Every now and then I come across them — usually at something like wisteria that has lots and lots of blooms, like your tree. I’m wondering if the statue might be St. Francis, since he loved the animals. Is that a bunny he’s holding? I can’t quite tell.
I hope your Easter’s wonderful, and that you have some weather suited to the weekend. Enjoy it all!
Linda, I’m not positive, but I believe the statue is of St. Anthony (https://aleteia.org/2019/12/21/why-is-st-anthony-of-padua-depicted-holding-the-child-jesus/) It’s pretty typical to put a St. Francis statue outdoors, but he’s usually depicted with animals since he loved them so much. Glad you enjoyed walking with me and Monkey. Happy Easter once again!
Ah! I couldn’t quite see what/who he was holding, so that does indeed make it seem as though it’s St. Anthony. Maybe the good saint could help you find your lost Spring!
Wouldn’t that be great?! Spring just isn’t predictable up here. I guess that’s my biggest complaint. We have a day or so of nice, sunny, warm conditions, then it decides to snow, ha!
Easter blessings, Debbie!! Hope you are doing well! Virginia
I’ve missed you, Virginia — hope all’s well in your world. Happy Easter to you and yours!
Thanks for bringing spring to me with your lovely photos of around town. Spring takes about a month or two longer to arrive up here in the mountains, so I really enjoyed the walk through your town.
I’m awfully glad you joined in my walk, Pat! Spring really isn’t our prettiest season in Illinois (that would be Autumn, I think!). Spring is too iffy. But it won’t be long before the warmth and sunshine return.