Spring in Seattle (Please Don't Hate Me!) - Stephanie Kuehnert

I am really afraid that my fellow bloggers and all of our readers from other parts of the country are going to hate me, but.... I really can't complain about the weather. In fact, I am rejoicing in it! This is my second spring in Seattle. Spring comes much earlier here than it does in Chicago where it might not arrive until May and then only last a week or two before being usurped by summer.

Here in Seattle, spring can start at the end of February, as it did this year. It's a bit earlier and I know folks are concerned about the lack of snow in the mountains (which is disconcerting), but I have been rejoicing about this:

The daffodils blooming in front of my building... on Valentine's Day

Downtown Seattle, mid February

Flowers in bloom at the Washington Arboretum on March 1

Mount Rainier from my hike last weekend

The famous cherry blossoms at the University of Washington are in full bloom too and I am hoping to go see them this weekend before I head off on a visit to Chicago. I hope to bring spring with me there, but it could be that I face a little bit of this winter everyone else is dealing with and admittedly after two years of mild Pacific Northwest winter, I am woefully unprepared for that. When I fretted about this to my agent in New York, she told me she had no sympathy for me and I said I understood completely.

Anyway, I hope these pictures are a nice reminder that SPRING IS COMING. (It is, I swear! We are not living in Game of Thrones!) The past couple of months have been difficult for me personally but with all of this blossoming around me, it lightens my mood and it’s fueling my inspiration to bring a new book to life. I have a few different ideas that I am toying with and I am actually taking a writing class for the first time in almost a decade to help me. So I am definitely feeling those spring renewal vibes. Here’s to more sunshine for everyone soon!