My first instinct when I saw this month’s theme was to photograph mechanical springs – different types, in a range of applications and sizes. But the spring season has been so beautiful in Calgary this year that I ended up with a mix of seasonal and mechanical images.

1. Spring Snow – The second Monday in May we woke up to heavy cloud hanging low in the sky. About half an hour later I noticed a few scattered snowflakes through the kitchen window. This picture shows what it looked like when I opened up the garage door to drive our youngest son to school. I feared the worst – that the flower buds on our crab apple tree would freeze and fall without ever blossoming. Fortunately, the snow stopped about an hour later and was pretty much all melted by the end of the day, so about 10 days later the tree was in full bloom. I’ve lived in Calgary for almost 30 years and over the decades I’ve seen it snow every month of the year!

2. New Leaves – Every spring I am notice something new about the relative timing of when different trees leaf out, when buds form on flowering plants, and when different types of vegetable seeds (planted at the same time) sprout from the earth. There’s something about the bright green of new leaves that puts a little extra spring (yes, I did that on purpose) in my step when I’m out and about.

3. Spring Rider – I took a small detour one day when I was walking home from the nearest LRT station so that I’d pass by a small playground. As usual, there were no kids around, which is probably a good thing since it avoided any potential awkwardness arising from an adult hanging around a playground. It also meant I could take my time framing the spring rider between two trees with bright spring leaves with a beautiful blue sky in the background.

4. Urban Park – There’s a big urban park framed by the south edge of downtown Calgary and the Bow River as it runs through our sprawling city. The one day a week I go downtown I like to walk along the pathway and people watch. This spring I’ve also seen a lot of goslings! The last time I walked through the park this month I noticed this big metal frame, which I assume is for events. I slowed down to ponder the possible events that might take place here over the coming months…music festivals, weddings, Canada Day celebrations and more. Meanwhile, lots of people stuck to the pathway to enjoy an afternoon walk in the sunshine.

5. Spiral – While technically not a spring, this spiral at the nearby playground reminds me of a spring and I enjoyed climbing up to get an overhead perspective. The sun was high, but there’s some minor shadow patterns in the paint, which I think adds a bit more interest. I’m not sure why playground equipment is painted in bright primary colours, but I like the bright blue here.

That’s all for me! To see PJ’s impressions of spring, head on over to A ‘lil HooHaa. All the other participants for this month will be listed in the link up at the bottom of that post.

The June theme will be posted at A ‘lil HooHaa on Monday, June 1. New participants are always welcome, so please join us!