SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Since early March we have "collected" some photos of the emergence of Spring, bit by bit, little by little.  Even though we posted stories of the orchards, these photos depict Spring in a slightly different way.

 Views of our favorite mountain, Uludag, from different vantage points along our drive.  To try and put it in perspective, it is not one snow capped range, but two distinctly different mountains; the one in the forefront does have snow, but not to the extent of the taller range in the back.  These photos were taken in early March.

 

The countryside is abundant with color from the dark green wheat, which is now beginning to turn golden, to the dark olive orchards, the soft green of newly leafed out trees, the multitude of wildflower colors,  and the chocolate brown of the freshly tilled soil, awaiting a crop of sunflowers, corn, cotton or vegetables.

There were farms or "cifligi" (cheef lee ee) of figs, peach and olive orchards, rusty old barbed wire, sticks holding up fig branches and rudimentary looking ladders for working in the orchards.  

 

 

 

The shepherds (male and female) and their flocks were out across the countryside in full force (from the hills to the lake), with lots of lambs and kids, and shearing, by hand mind you, evidenced by fleece on the ground and "naked" sheep.

These beautiful flowering trees, known as Empress Tree (also known as Foxglove Tree and Princess Tree), seem to appear in populated areas.  They have the most beautiful conical, fragrant, purple flowers, foxglove shaped.  The grow to 70-80 feet, are heat and cold hardy, and flower in April and May, but only after 5 to 7 years of growth.  Originally from China, they are found now in Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and throughout Europe via Japan in the 1830's.    It has been valued since ancient times not only as an ornamental, but for it's high quality timber and medicinal uses.    Because of it's acoustic qualities, it is used to make a traditional Chinese musical instrument.  Oil from the seeds is used for varnishing.  The leaves, flowers and roots are used to make a solution to put on the head that promotes healthy hair growth...hmmm....maybe Geoff should have known about this....and....Upjohn (Rogaine) just thought they cornered the market on hair growth!  As well, it is used as a hair dye, to turn gray hair black....so guess all of us vain enough to keep coloring our hair could all be back headed!

 Wild flowers are in abundance, some we know such as the wild geranium and wild mustard, the rest we are still researching.  We are having issues finding a book on Turkish wildflowers, in Turkish or English.  We will keep looking.

 The "Judas Tree", of the Redbud family, is everywhere, town, country, mountains.  It is native to Western Asia, including Turkey.  They grow much as they do in Texas in full or partial sun and as an understory tree.  The flowers range from light to deep pinks.  There is a long standing legend that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from a tree of this species after betraying Christ.  More probably it was derived from "Judea Tree" after the region encompassing Israel and Palestine where it is common place.

 Slow and steady wins the race, as this Turtle took his time crossing one country lane.  He was just enjoying the warmth of the sunshine after a cold, wet winter.