Spring Thaw

Leo Full Moon

Well, we may have a leonine presence in the sky with this Leo full moon, but the “in like a lion, out like a lamb” period of spring is still a few days away in March. It’s been a sheet of ice here for a couple of weeks, and every time it melts it freezes over again! Certainly we can feel that we’re closer now to spring than we are to winter…but the dreary, damp (and today, very windy!) days can be a bit demoralizing. Still, it’s over 50 here today, and even with the clouds and wind, it feels glorious. You can smell the mud and you know what’s under that mud? Flowers! Yep, they really are there waiting to come up! What’s that you say, it’s supposed to snow next week?

Sigh. Okay, I get it. I’ll be patient.

I love weather proverbs, and this one feels a bit biblical in its imagery. Lions lying down with lambs and all that. But it’s also a study in contrasts, and how dramatic the transition from winter to spring can be. Here is hoping the lion will go easy on us. So, how about some lions among flowers today?

This photo from the UK’s Daily Mail reports a lion enclosure at a wildlife park that had to actually put up a sign warning visitors not to pick the flowers! These blue beauties seem well-protected, don’t they?

This fellow looks thoughtful and happy in this wildflower meadow…

This fine fellow is relaxing in a sunny, flowery spot at a lion park in South Africa.

This white lion cub wants to eat this daffodil!

Hey, speaking of white lions and daffodils, this variety of daffodil is called ‘White Lion’ and in addition to being gorgeous it’’s also fragrant!

Great book for kids who love lions and/or flowers?

Same book, different cover! Same artist, but very different styles here…so I got curious and went looking…

…and I found this beautiful version! which has a lovely rustic woodcut and watercolor vibe; probably a 1970s era reissue, as this style was popular then…but wait, there’s more!

Apparently this book is well loved Down Under…on its 75th birthday, this book was honored with a commemorative postage stamp in New Zealand!