What Is This Color Called "Green"?

Did you know that the word green is closely related to the Old English verb growan which means "to grow"? It is one of my favorite colors, one that I haven't seen much of until very recently.

This last weekend I had an amazing opportunity to head in to the Willamette Valley for some much needed time with my mom and sisters. It was a reunion of sorts and a wonderful time celebrating my mom's birthday.

One of the things I noticed when pulling into town was that in mid-February, crocuses and daffodils were already starting to poke up through the earth. The grass was indescribably green and everything was covered in moss. Living in the high desert of Southern Oregon, I see a lot of brown, golden tones, and the vibrant blue of the sky; so I happily took in the colors of an early Spring and went a little camera happy.

My mom's yard provided a lot of nature to study. The tree in the front yard had several varieties of moss and lichens. The very prolific ivy dazzled me with its green and red veins, and sweet buds were forming on trees and bushes everywhere.


I felt the sting of sadness during my drive home as my surroundings changed from the lush forests of ferns and fir trees, to sparse collections of pines. I will just have to wait until May for our Spring to come, but it will be lovely. So lovely to see the color green once more.