Thanks to everybody who cheered the flowers in my last post. You’ve cheered me up too.
So as a bonus, here is a picture of faith and courage and hope delivered straight from the plum tree near the vaporetto stop at San Pietro di Castello. Emboldened by the sunshine yesterday, the somewhat reasonable temperature and no serious wind, this tree decided to throw caution overboard and just start putting out leaves. Lino says they’re flowers. We’ll say “greenery.” I wouldn’t ever have thought I’d wish I could be a like a plum tree, but today they have put new heart into me.
So I squash any negative “Hope it works out for you” thoughts directed by grinchy spirits at the end of January. And the comment that’s even worse (addressed to the tree): “I guess you know what you’re doing………” (in the classic undertone conveying “You have lost your last shred of sense or survival, don’t come crying to me when it all goes belly-up”).
Excelsior.
15 Comments
Thanks, Erla, and also for your reply to my last comment regarding the weather. Your reply was almost a whole post in itself.
I’ve never seen leaves that look less like flowers.
I agree with you, I should have left Lino out of it. But having seen this tree a million times, the flowers do precede the leaves, as far as i recall. I think that’s the general sequence. In any case, I think I’ll revise this. No point looking for new problems. The point is that things are growing.
Brave little prunus! From the land of the polar vortex and the cyclonic bomb, where the current temperature is 5F (feels like -6) and the dirty snow mountains on every curbside are not melting any time soon, I send heartfelt thanks for the hopeful photo.
My winter flowering jasmine, and my snowdrops are doing well here. A couple of yellow crocuses too are shyly peering through. The grapevine in my greenhouse hasn’t really got the idea this January – usually a little bit of green is seen.
Thanks so much for reminding us that spring is going to come … in time!
Ella B
Thank you! I’m iced in here in Nashville, Tennessee, and the plum tree was hopeful even from a distance!
Thanks for writing! I’ve got family in Nashville. Want to trade places for a week?
As someone who spent only winter months, or sometimes days in Venice, this posting was THE BEST as it showed my beloved city in a different outfit. A glorious one!
Thank you SO much.
Maybe you’ll consider coming on the edge of another season sometime? Coming to Venice only in the winter would be like seeing you only at 10:45 in the morning, no? Of course, that may be the moment you’re at your best, but still. More facets make a fuller picture of you (excuse me for mentioning your facets), just as they make a fuller picture of a place. At least those are my thoughts.
YOU ARE THE BEST… WHEN I WAS A CHILD WE HAD WILD PLUM TREES IN OUR YARD…..AROMATIC BLOSSOMS……BITTER FRUIT ……ALTOGETHER GLORIOUS.
WHEN YOUR ENTRY POPPED UP TODAY, SO SOON AFTER THE LAST ONE, I THOUGHT, HOW FORTUNATE….MAYBE THESE MISSIVES WILL COME MORE OFTEN NOW. ALL I CAN SAY IS THANK YOU FOR WRITING…..WISH ….OH HOW I WISH….I WAS THERE.
jean from freezing NYC and scary USA
Hi Woman. Your 2 latest posts garnered so many comments. It seems that everyone loves that promise of better things to come, and not just in the floral department!
I do miss Venice so much, but your posts, and friends who visit there and keep me informed of things, do help a tiny bit.
It been +40C here for well over a week, very draining weather.
Oh, lovely! The plum blossom 梅花 is a frequent symbol in Chinese art since it represents resilience, rebirth, endurance and elegancy. Together with pine and bamboo the plum forms “three friends of winter”, 嵗寒三友, which is a beautiful reminder of hidden strength in times of hardship.
All the best from a cold and wintry Sävar!
Heavenly days, Andreas. This is absolutely lovely to know and thank you so much for sharing it with us all. Sending warm thoughts from rainy Venice.
Yonne’s comment is true for so many of us who can no longer easily travel. We would be quite deprived of “Venice-ness” without you. Thank you.
-And one of my prunus trees is starting to come to life at last!
Ella B
I’m so glad we can stay connected this way. I will try to keep it up.