Belltown in Bloom

I tell you, it's been one hell of a dreary winter. Last year's was nothing compared to this. The weather has been relentlessly miserable. It seemed like it was going to continue forever until a few weeks ago, when, lo and behold, the skies cleared and the sun shone on the grateful Earth and so forth. The air was warm and fragrant. Convertible owners put down their tops and didn't look like idiots. People wore shorts and didn't look like complete morons. In short, it seemed like spring had truly arrived. Well, this being Seattle it was all an illusion, since the weather around here is something of a tired joke. After those few wonderful days, it's been winter all over again; cold, rain, gloomy skies, everything Seattle has to offer.

Walking around Belltown, I couldn't help noticing that many of the trees were pushing their spring agenda by breaking out the buds. Here is a collection of shots I've taken during the last few weeks of some of Belltown's more spectacular displays. Of course, many of the photos (especially those from my cell phone) don't do justice to the true beauty of what's out there on the street, but it gives a fairly good approximation.

Pear trees:

These are right across the street here at 2nd & Blanchard. The grand old Castle Apartments is right in back of them.

These are on Bell, between 3rd & 4th.

This is 1st & Virginia, in front of the Oxford.

Purple leaf plums:

These are at 1st & Wall.

You can find these at 1st & Bell.

Here are some at 1st & Lenora, in front of the Patagonia. The uber-ugly Cristala clutters the background.

Cherry trees:

There's group of cherry trees around the old Frederick Cadillac/Teatro Zinzanni lot between Battery & Bell and 5th & 6th. This one stands on Battery. The lovely Darth Vader Building looms in the background.

This one is from that same group on Battery.

There aren't a whole lot of cherry trees in Belltown, but the grounds of the Grange Insurance Building at 2nd & Cedar take the cake for most cherry-tastic. Too bad the building itself is so butt-ugly.

OK, so if I've mis-identified any of these trees, let me know.

Oh, and although this little guy lives beyond Belltown's borders in Denny Park (at Denny & Dexter, in the Denny Neutral Zone), here's another sign of spring - a squirrel eating a bagel: