Leaves in spring sunshine can be as dazzling as autumn color. Here are some red Japanese maple leaves like flaming fingers against the sky.

Deep red Japanese maple leaves against a blue springtime sky

Linking up with Blue Monday, Skywatch Friday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. If there is only one photo visible, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos above for a few more recent ones.

A couple strolling through Seattle’s Volunteer park:

A couple walks in the late afternoon sun in springtime in Volunteer Park

Joining to Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Scenic Weekends, and Saturday Show Off. If there is only one image here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see several recent ones. Thanks!

At Seattle’s Volunteer Park the other day. This photo is one of my very top faves and I am calling it my weekly Top Shot.

Elm tree branch backlit by April sun in Seattle’s Volunteer Park.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Scenic Weekends, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit here and please come back soon.

Last week it was sunny, briefly (pouring right now), and the tulips in my front yard put on a show.

Macro of red and yellow tulip center lit by sunshine

Joining up with Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Ruby Tuesday 2, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. If you’re a macro fan, try clicking on the tag “close up” in the tag cloud at right.

From my recent visit to the Skagit tulips. The trunks of the trees were at least 6 or 8 feet (2-3 meters) in diameter. They were OLD.

Red and pink tulips under sunshine and clouds in Mt. Vernon, WA

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Friends drove me to Seattle and their car had VERY clean car windows.

Monochrome view of Seattle’s Great Wheel, from the Viaduct

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This is a season of floral abundance, that’s for sure. This graceful, deep-pink-and-white Japanese magnolia is blooming in my backyard today. The flowers are about as big as my hand.

Pink and white Japanese magnolia bloom in Seattle in April

Connecting to I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. If only one image is visible here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog. Hurry back soon.

As a brief break from tulips, I thought I’d show you a new tree (to me), a star magnolia. The pretty white flowers were very fragrant, and 2 or 3 inches wide (5-8 cm). It was growing in a sweet little arboretum in Everett, WA, the Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens.

Fragrant white Star Magnolia blooms in April in Everett, WA

They also had a lovely and fragrant viburnum tree of some kind. Looking on google images for the name of this plant, I find Viburnum carlesii ‘Aurora’, or Korean spice viburnum, which looks very similar, except that the plant I saw seemed to be a tree, or maybe it was just a very mature shrub. But I want one.

Fragrant viburnum blooms in April in Everett, WA

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The late afternoon light made this row of red tulips with white edges especially scenic.

Late afternoon light illuminates a row of red tulips at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Please visit I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. If only one image here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see a few more.

Yesterday I was blessed to be able to visit the Skagit Valley tulip festival. Fields of hundreds of acres bloom with color. You will see some tulip photos here in the next while, that’s for sure.

Red, pink and purple tulips bloom in Skagit County, Washington

Joining in with Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Scenic Weekends, Pink Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for visiting, and please come back soon.