Vår

Spring is here--or at least trying real hard (see the bee?). Here are some random signs:

1. Crocus coming up in parks everywhere--they grow like wildflowers in the city parks. The color is so welcome.

2. Frogs! I came across a pond teeming with action. Quiet croaking by the males, expansive egg masses (can you see the eggs in the second photo?), and movement everywhere--it was exciting. I am not 100% sure, but have tentatively identified the frogs as the European Common Frog, Rana temporaria.


3. Harbor action, the port is coming to life with ships and boats, reminding me of Duluth. Yesterday was a Duluth day, I realized I was so reminded of home because I was down by the water and the wind was screaming...very Duluth.


The last photo from the harbor is the 'harbor bus.' Many people commute back and forth, thus these ferries serve as the mass transit link across the water.

4. Wildflowers slowly emerging...not sure was this is but has a saxifrage like stem...
(It's not a dandylion.)

5. Ice is gone! This weekend's trip on the Bohusleden (I can't stay away) was the first with ice free lakes:
Yes, a little more hiking. I am so thrilled by the reality that a person living in a city of 500,000+ can access such great green space without a car. The more I read and experience, the more I am realizing that mid-sized cities (Göteborg sized) should be the sustainable model. They allow for sustainable density (transport, utilities, etc.) while ALSO allowing for human connection to nature.

To end this spring post, here are a few more pictures emphasizing Göteborg's proximity to green space (OK, largely brown and grey...but greening), see the city in the background?: