The greening of the landscape this time of year is a discovery for me. The colors of winter in Montana were very different from Maine. All winter the muted colors of the landscape were livened up with those yellow orange trees that I still have not been able to identify. (A species of willow? Too wide to be cottonwoods. I'm asking around and will find out soon. ) The willows along creeks were pink red orange magenta depending on the light. Winter fields were ochre straw beige or white with snow. And all these contrasted with the black shapes of the angus cows, blue mountains, pink mountains with snow at sunset.
But now spring. The black angus shapes now have smaller versions among them - calves! Fields are becoming yellow green. Those red willows are turning yellow-ochre green. The bare cottonwoods are now leafing out with yellow beigey green of the newly budding leaves. The light is different, too. I have to get up very early or be out there between 8 and 9 in the evening to get those long shadows I like. At these high altitudes - nearly a mile high - the mid day light blows out any shadows and color saturation disappears. There is usually a haze in the atmosphere but it's not air pollution. The air is clean here and it's too early for forest fires. I'm appreciating those days with scudding clouds that give shadow and contrast to the landforms below them.
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