Spring has Sprung!

Moving into the present for just this one post...

There's no doubt about it - spring has sprung in Scotland! Finally! The weather this week has been absolutely amazing. I've been walking around without a jacket (though I usually take one with me to the office, because one never knows when the weather is going to change), the sun has been shining, the skies are blue, and the temperatures have been in the upper 50's or low 60's. Wow!

The weather is not the only proof that spring is here. Flowers are cropping up everywhere. All over the city, daffodils are blooming in huge patches. Trees are flowering, and bursts of color can be seen wherever you look. (The two pictures below of the daffodils were taken in London and at Brodie Castle, but the city is still full of them, believe me.)

Not only that, baby lambs can be seen in all the fields in the countryside. They are so cute, running around the fields, following their moms and playing with one another.

Also, we are having much long days now. When I first arrived in Aberdeen, it got dark around 5:00. Last night, I was walking home at almost 9:00 and it wasn't completely dark. Notice in the picture below - today it was still bright as noon at 6:00 p.m. It's getting light a lot earlier too. I'm told that, because we're so far north, in the summer the skies will never get completely dark, and it will still be quite bright at 2:00 a.m. That should be interesting for someone who likes complete darkness when I sleep. Thank goodness for sleep masks! But I encountered maybe the most telltale sign of spring this evening as I walked up to my flat. As I topped the hill, I was met with the unmistakable scent of FRESHLY MOWED GRASS! That's the first time I've smelled that in Aberdeen. I immediately knew that spring is here!

And in honor of the season, I have changed the colors of my blog to have a more cheerful, springy feel. Happy spring, everybody!