This is how it works in New England. It starts with winter. Which may begin as early as September, but more typically gets moving around Thanksgiving … but may hold off until late January. The worst winter we ever had (that was measurable) started January 29, 2015. We hadn’t had so much as a serious flurry.
From the end of January until March, we were hit by just about 12 feet of snow. That is a lot of snow, no matter how you count it or what measurements you use. Other years, we’ve gotten significant snow in early November and not seen the ground until the following April.
About spring. It’s our most ephemeral season. Many years, we go directly from winter to summer without a weekend to go buy a bathing suit. The first year I spent in New England, the temperature hit 90 degrees in early April and never dropped until suddenly, in September, the temperature fell by 60 degrees. Autumn arrived.
This year was as typical or at least as typical as spring gets. Cold, wet, cold, wet, windy, cold wet. In the middle of May, overnight, the clouds broke. The next day, it hit 96 degrees on the clock in the middle of town. While all the cold, wet, and windy weather was doing its thing, flowers were budding and leaves were beginning to pop.
Thus, I went out and took some pictures today. I was surprised that we have no sign of roses yet. Usually we see rose buds by mid May, but not this year.
Bad news? The caterpillars are back. Tiny little Gypsy Moth caterpillars are crawling all over the oak trees along the canal. How bad will it be this year? No way to know. We had a lot of rain and that may help … but there’s really no way to know. Our property has been sprayed as much as we can without killing everything. It won’t solve the larger problem, but it will make it possible for us to come and go from our house without getting assaulted by hairy, poisonous caterpillars.
I’m trying to focus on enjoying the flowers and leaves while we have them. And hoping the trees survive another defoliation.
There’s nothing “gradual” about weather in this part of New England. It doesn’t change a little bit from minute to minute. It can change with hilarious suddenness. Back when Garry and I were living in Boston, one warm November day, we walked to the nearby bar to grab some lunch. We were wearing shorts and tee shirts. We were there for an hour and half.
When we hit the door to depart, it was 35 degrees and blowing a minor gale. We ran all the way home.
Categories: #BlackstoneRiver, #DamsAndWaterfalls, #gallery, #Photography, Blackstone Valley, canal
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
AYE-YUH–SOUNDS ABOUT THE WAY IT WAS HERE IN WORCESTER COUNTY, ALONG THE BLACKSTONE AND MUMFORD RIVERS!!! 😀
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That’s New England! 🙂 Lovely photos (can’t see the caterpillars/but hope they drown next storm). ❤ xo
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We all hope! I’m not seeing them much around our property, but we sprayed so we may have a bit of a respite, at least at home. Elsewhere? Who knows?
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Seasons are always strange in NE but also so gorgeous. Maine got a weird spring too with high temperatures dropping back to almost winter and then up again. Hope for a lovely summer for you two in Mass. Gorgeous photos, as always.
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Thank you. It is an incredibly, almost perfect day today, so i’m going to go grab a camera and do a little shooting 🙂
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Beautiful photos but ominous to see the caterpillars are back. A frost might take them out.
Leslie
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I hope the wet weather will cause that special little disease that kills them. We won’t know for a while yet, but I hope so!!
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I’ve got my fingers crossed for you, Marilyn.
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Beautiful pix, and fingers crossed that the caterpillar onslaught will not be so bad as last year.
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We just hope. A lot of trees won’t survive a second defoliation.
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Through a photographers eye you see the beauty in everything and look at the world differently. I used to hate the winter snow and ice but since taking photos of it I see it differently. Love all your photos showing how green the Spring arrival can be.
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It is an incredibly rich time in the valley. If it weren’t for the oncoming caterpillars, I’d be a lot happier about it. I’m going out tomorrow to try and grab some more pictures. The weather has turned hot and it is summer
You do develop a different eye when you take pictures. The good part it finding beauty in all kinds of places The bad part is that you stop looking at the world as “the world” and instead, tend to see it as photographs. I went for almost a decade NOT taking pictures because I felt like I only saw the world as pictures and had forgotten how to see “the whole thing.” Of course, one day, I needed a camera. I think I’m a little better at seeing the whole thing, but it is a problem. Not that different from seeing everything that happens as a new post!
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Nice photos, Marilyn.
I also loved reading of your volatile, highly unpredicatble weather.
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It can be pretty strange and also funny. Especially here in the valley where it’s even MORE unpredictable.
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Its so pretty!
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Yes, thank you, it is. It’s the time of flowers and that certain yellow-green that tells the world it is all brand new 🙂
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And wonderful. I love the tips of light green that begin new growth.
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Classic New England weather — and the Red Sox are driving us nuts!
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