CherryCam

Cherries, part II: the UW website has a live CherryCam pointed at the Quad, so visitors can enjoy the blooms remotely. They're really into their hanami!

At least we'll have a nice view...

A quote from a Seattle radio DJ: "We built this city on Rock 'n' Roll! And an earthquake fault line. In a tsunami zone. Next to a big volcano."

Ha! (thanks, Amy!)

Updates!

A thank you to the alert readers who pointed out that my new Updating Action seemed to be malfunctioning! I looked into the problem and found that there was some busyness and general blog neglect clogging the instruments. After applying some cleaning solutions (with "fresh, Spring Break scent!") and a good scrubbing, the mechanism is fixed and should be running for a little while (but we'll see how long... never can tell with these Grad School products!).

In the meanwhile, I posted some pics and missives from this past month that were long overdue. Enjoy! Hope everyone in internet land is happy and healthy. :)

Cherry Blossoms

Spring has sprung! And how! Before yesterday, I had a dim sort of awareness that there was a reason people started settling in Seattle to begin with, but among all the dark and wet and cold and dark of winter, I couldn't remember exactly what it was. But now... behold!

This is a central green on campus, full of cherry trees. Last time I saw this place it was grey and framed with dreary tree skeletons, and now suddenly... acre upon acre of fluffy beauty. Steve and I went crazy taking pictures of them; I wish I could include all of the pics here, but alas, I don't think they do the real scene justice. Walking under something like this is almost otherworldly in its beauty: you're surrounded by gently waving branches of soft, lacy pink, while falling blossoms swirl around you. Steve says when these trees bloom it's a national holiday in Japan, and boy howdy to I believe it. Whoever conceived of heaven being full of just clouds had clearly not seen cherry trees.


I decided at some point I needed to get up close and personal with one of these, so clambered as gently as a two-footed, boot-wearing creature could into the branches. Steve snapped evidence, and I snapped a closeup.

Amy's been tree-spotting, too -- after getting all excited about these, I ran into her just in time for her to tell me about seeing the most "magically pink" tree! I advised her, of course, to visit the campus asap :) I'm not sure how long these babies last, but I have a feeling it's one of those glimpses of heaven that you have to catch when you can. When Robert Frost said nothing gold can stay, I think he really meant to say pink.