Gold-Tinted Glasses

I have such a love/hate relationship with spring. On the one hand, there's that lovely spring green, blooming flowers and trees at every turn, and a feeling of hope and rejuvenation in the air. On the other hand, there's the pollen. That thick yellow blanket that floats through the air settling on every surface. My front porch is taken over by an army of carpenter bees who are very diligent about carving out the inside of my front door for their spring headquarters.  My back porch has a few lonely weeks as I monitor my black mailbox for signs that it's finally over. Then I wash it all away with the garden hose and we're back to a beautiful spring. 

However, that period is short-lived as we roll into long, hot, humid days filled with relentless mosquitoes. It's not that I don't enjoy the warmer weather. My soul just needs those cool, crisp energizing days which are too few in the south.

Typically, spring provides an abundance of photo opportunities as I scour my neighborhood for perfect blooms. However, for this series, I chose to create a more realistic depiction using layers of new life and vibrant colors, sometimes mixed with remnants of fall and winter, co-mingled with a layer of gold. 

[Edit: After relocating to Providence, RI, I am happy to report that spring is significantly less pollen-heavy and the cold periods are exhilarating.]